Working from home isn’t always easy, so here’s a daily routine to follow

Structure is your new best friend.

My fellow isolation buddies, it’s time to check in with yourselves and see how you’re tracking, in what may be the weirdest part of our lives so far.

If you’re anything like me, you may be struggling to get stuck into the working from home life. My attention lasts for a whole eight minutes before I find myself perched in front of my pantry staring at my impressive collection of tinned tomatoes.

I know a lot of us are in the same boat. My favourite Instagram account of the moment, dudewithasign, sums it up perfectly. Handwritten in bold text across a piece of cardboard, the Dude’s sign asks, “what fucking day is it?”. With 1.8 million likes on his post, it’s safe to say that most of us can relate to this sentiment.

To distinguish our Tuesdays from our Thursdays, I believe a daily routine is essential. During these uncertain times, a sense of structure is crucial for our mental well-being. So, if you’re in search of some guidance, after some trial and error I’ve come up with an effective day-to-day working from home structure. I hope it helps you maintain some semblance of calm and order.

7am

Time to rise and shine. Make a cuppa, make a coffee, whatever you need to do to spark yourself up.

7.30am

If there’s anything we can take from this bizarre time, it’s that we’ve said goodbye to those never-used gym memberships and said hello to a whole new wonderful world of free workouts. Christmas has come nine months early and I’m certainly not mad about it. If you prefer some structure to your workouts, these regular sessions are free (you can watch them on Instagram) and the ideal way to kick off your day. 

• Barry’s Bootcamp
  Anyone ever tried to sign up for cult-favourite Barry’s Bootcamp, went to press checkout, only to realise one class would cost you about the same price as your house? Or was that just me? Well, this just in – Barry’s is teasing a 30-minute killer workout three times a week and I couldn’t be happier.
• Love Athletica Pilates
  All you need is yourself, a mat and a good attitude to get the best out of Love Athletica’s at-home Pilates. All equipment can be found around the house – think chickpea cans as dumbbells and water bottles as a toning ball. Genius.
• 7^th Ave Fitness
  7^th Ave Functional Fitness is blessing us with a new workout every day of the week. BRB, just crying tears of joy.

8.30am

Rinse that sweat off and get comfy. Whatever type of suit you’re feeling that day – maybe it’s velour or perhaps a pinstripe. Basically, anything other than your pyjamas is great. Remember everyone, don’t forget to include shoes in your outfits. 

9am

Commence business. Set a few goals for the day. Working towards a target helps you minimise distractions and creates a sense of accomplishment. Ask yourself, “What do I need to accomplish by the end of the day?” and more importantly “What do I want to accomplish by end of day?”.

9.30am

Even though you may be the only one at your dining room table turned desk, remember you’re not alone. Check-in with your colleagues. Schedule a Zoom catch-up and share your goals for the day or week.

If you’re like me, your productivity levels may be at their best at this time of the day. Take advantage of this. Don’t let the hours of the morning slip by. Smash out what you need to do. Remember to drink plenty of water and refrain from frequent pantry visits. 

12pm

Take your well-deserved break. Fuel your body and get your Vitamin D fix. Vitamin D aids your immune system in staying healthy and strong which is so important during these times.

1pm

Back to work. Finish the rest of your working day strong. If you’re nothing like me, then you may be more productive in the afternoon. Use this time wisely and put your mind to work. As the day progresses you may find your concentration wandering off. This is completely normal. Allow yourself to appreciate the thought and let it float away like a cloud.

Thoughts will continue to make their way back in throughout the day. Be conscious of them and let them drift away, allowing yourself to come back to your work with a clear mind. Remember to keep drinking that sweet H20 and keep refraining from visiting the pantry.

3pm

Nearly there. To break up the day, I find myself rotating through a tropical oasis of sweetly scented tea leaves. Spice up your tea rack and get creative.

• T2 China Jasmine
  Pure and simple, China Jasmine is a humble green tea combined with jasmine. Everyone knows green tea is better with jasmine.
  China Jasmine, $16
• T2 Baxter’s Buns
  Missing out on hot cross buns this Easter for whatever tragic reason? Straight out of the oven, this tea is packed with cinnamon spice and all things nice. Warning: There’s a HCB (yes, I’ve abbreviated them) recipe on the back of the box. Please refrain from procrasti-cooking.
  Baxter’s Bun, $26.
• Yogi Egyptian Licorice
  Attention all licorice lovers, this tea is rich with warming spices and flavours. It’s caffeine-free, which means its perfect for those who have already capped their daily coffee intake (me, always).
  Egyptian Licorice, $24

5pm

Make some time for yourself. Even though you’re working from home, it’s important to remove all aspects of work from your home when you’ve finished for the day. Close the door to your study, close your laptop. Do yoga. Walk the dog. Read your book. Bake those homemade hot cross buns on the back of the tea box. 

7pm

The best part of the day, dinner time. Now that there’s no excuse to dine out, meals may be feeling a little uninspired. If this is the case, local restaurants have been levelling up and creating take-home boxes with cooking how-to guides included.

• Atlas Dining, South Yarra VIC
  Offering a new cuisine each week, Atlas Dining has crafted a colourful box of fresh produce to create three separate dinners for families of two, four or six and of course a solo party of one. The Atlas Masterclass has you following a live Instagram video as you shadow the steps of head chef Charlie Carrington. Hello Masterchef. It’s $99 and it feeds four people over three nights.
• Bluebonnet Barbeque, Brunswick East VIC
  Barbeque ribs, beef brisket, cheddar and jalapeno sausages are cooked and ready to go in Bluebonnet Barbeque’s take-home boxes. Heat up the Texas-style barbeque meats, char-grilled cobs of corn, steam some broccoli and bon appetit. It’s $35 for a produce box including an assortment of fruit and veg, and meat add ons start at $20.
• Ragazzi, Sydney NSW
  Move over, there’s a new emergency kit in town. Offering dried handmade pasta and a sealed bag of fresh pasta sauce, Ragazzi DIY pasta kits are here to save the day (night). Take-home wine is also up for grabs to complete the meal. And to spice up the experience a little more, they’ve curated a wholesome playlist which can be found via their website. Pasta kits start at $20 and serve two.

8pm

This is the time to binge. Binge on TV. Binge on movies. Binge on snacks.

Ever heard of Tiger King? If you haven’t already, now’s the time to binge that.

Plan a house party with whoever you live with. Maybe it’ll be Harry Potter themed, or perhaps vino and prosciutto themed? Maybe you could have a Robert De Niro movie marathon? Your home is your oyster.

10pm

Remember to not let the night slip away from you. It’s important for your physical and mental well-being to have plenty of sleep – at least seven hours. I’ve added a few of my favourite remedies that help me unwind from the day and have my sheets tucked up to my chin.

• Frank Body Sleep Scrub and Soak
  Essential oils and salts are packed into this scrub and soak, perfect for a before-bed bath. Scrub away all the stresses of the day, and fall into a peaceful, deep sleep.
• T2 Sleep Tight
  Lavender and jasmine meet to create a sweet night-time brew. Perfect for soothing the mind and relaxing the body.

Relax Melodies: Sleep Sounds

This glorious app features Soothing sounds, guided meditations, bedtime stories and (my personal favourite) the light sound of rain pattering on a tin roof. There’ll be no need to count sheep with Relax Melodies, I can assure you.

Sticking to a routine and inviting structure into your daily life is key. I can assure you that in no time, we’ll be out of this nightmarish wormhole of isolation, and we’ll be poking our heads out into the daylight once more, only kinder and more appreciative than we were before. The most important thing to remember is that we’re all going through this together, hand (not) in hand.