I don’t know about you, but speaking from a place of total mental chaos and physical exhaustion, I’m like seriously done with this whole quarantine sit’—and it’s only been 2 days since our country-wide lockdown (help us, oh Lord!). Aside from the fact that life and work still continue, it can get hard to really focus and wrap your head around things in the news and all the stats and “factual” WhatsApp forwards from your parents. My WFH scene started around 2 weeks ago, which means, come this week I’d have completed 3 weeks of looking at my walls, WhatsApp and my laptop.
Last week I decided to change it around to get out of this sluggish and anxious funk by making a routine for myself—as I would if I had to go to the office! This has given me structure and puts me in a happier mindset.
Here’s what my latest WFH routine looks like:
8:45 – 9:00 AM: Wake up
Just because I don’t have to worry about the time I’d usually spend on my commute to the office doesn’t mean I can sleep in till noon. The point of this being that I set my your alarm to a reasonable ‘wake-up’ time (my regular time used to be 6 am, LOL) in order to get to my living room table, ready to start my workday at the designated working hour.
10:00 AM: Get started and WFH
Before I begin my WFH day, a cup of coffee must accompany me to my desk, I open my laptop, catch up on emails and then comes the most important step of all—making a schedule! Guys, don’t underestimate the power of your notepad whether on the iPhone or not. Your notepad is your best friend. Because only when you map out your day or week, can you really know everything on your task list at hand. This is one of my most favourite things to do in the morning as you have a clear picture of your day and everything you need to do, whether work-wise or personal.
1:00 PM: Shower & lunch
At about lunch-time is when I feel absolutely burnt out (from watching content, ideating on content, churning out content and WFH) that’s when I take a break. I listen to my “Chill” playlist whilst having a shower, and then comes lunch. But one other really crucial step after I shower—I never get into my PJs! I always change into my workout clothes—Yoga pants or joggers, a sports bra (not too tight) and a gunjee or sleeveless tee. I do this to motivate me to workout later in the day and not skip out on it.
Shower & Spotify
Post-shower change of clothes
Lunch
2:00 PM: Back to work
After lunch and a dark chocolate nibble, and it’s back to work. This part of the day is usually filled with work calls and finishing most of what I had on my task list.
4:00 PM: Teatime
After sitting at a desk or your workstation for most of the day, I find it really helpful to take my tea break by a window. Even if it’s usually for just 10-15 minutes. A peaceful view of the sky with a hot cup of tea keeps my mind calm and worries at bay. Also, remember to keep your phone away during this time.
5:30 PM: Work out after WFH
After tea and more work-stuff, one needs to take out “me-time”. And for me, that usually means working out. Remember when I mentioned my “regular 6 am wake up”s? That’s because I would workout every day at 6 in the morning. Since that’s too extreme and I do want a slight change from my working routine, evening workouts have become my fave. A humble request to any and everyone working from home during this lockdown, please, please move your body—whether it be yoga or just floor crunches in your bedroom or a HIIT workout, move! The blood flow can do wonders for your mental and physical state.
8:00 PM: FaceTime, then Netflix & dinner
This is pretty basic and self-explanatory. The only time in the day where I’ll switch on Netflix and binge-watch a show or a movie with my meal. And during this time is where I’ll talk to my friends or play a game with them on the HouseParty app.
11:00 PM: Goodnight
Brush teeth, skincare routine and it’s off to bed! Of course, there’s a TikTok or two (more like 20) that I watch right before dozing off.
If you’re like me and love and need a WFH routine then let this one inspire you during this lockdown period. And let me know in the comments below about your different routines.
And, don’t forget to follow @missmalinilifestyle on Instagram for more updates!