I was talking to my manager last week and I mentioned that I’ve now gotten incredibly comfortable working from home. There are definitely pros and cons, but more pros than cons. I’m able to get so much more done since there are fewer disruptions, but I’m having to rely on people to be my “eyes” at my property.
I don’t know about y’all but my work day’s looking a little different these days. I don’t see as many co-workers, I don’t ride as many elevators, I don’t walk as many floors, my already incredibly short commute was cut down even more, and that was just the start of what changed for my workdays.
7:00 AM – I typically start my day with morning affirmations and meditations before I wash my face, brush my teeth and daily COVID symptoms check in on the Carbon Health app.
8:00 AM – I make my way to my office area in the living room, log onto my computer and sign in to Jabber on my phone so I can send IMs to my co-workers. I’m working on my personal MacBook since 95% of our stuff is web-based, but for some reason, our instant messaging platform doesn’t work well on my computer. I make my coffee or tea with CBD and take an initial glance at emails and flag ones that need immediate attention. I also type up my daily to-do list, making sure I’m setting realistic goals for the day and week.
9:00 AM – This is when my meetings typically start. Whether they’re the MWF team WebEx calls, construction calls, or other recurring meetings they typically start around 9 AM each day. I’m doing more audio calls vs video ones we’ve gotten further and further along in this quarantine and I’m not mad at that at all. Depending on what the call is about and how involved I have to be I’ll likely put in my AirPods or connect my Bluetooth speaker to my computer and listen to the call while I whip up a quick breakfast. I’ve been favoring grits or oatmeal with eggs recently.
11:00 AM – My morning meetings are typically done by now and I’m able to knock out the high-level items on to-do list while listening to podcasts/music/RHOA on in the background. I don’t like working in silence, I used to play music when I was working in the office, so I put on something that will hold my attention but not distract me from the work I need to do. I’m making my way back through the RHOA series and their drama is heavy enough to keep me entertained but light enough that I’m able to knock out whatever’s on my list that day.
1:00 PM – Naptime! I don’t know why regular adult nap times aren’t a thing, but they should be. This is when I would typically take my lunch when I was working in my office so I’m not switching up my schedule too much. I like to find a stopping point around 1 PM and make my way to my bed for a quick 45-ish minute nap. Nothing too long, but something long enough for me to be refreshed and able to power through the end of the day. I like to keep my workspace and living space as separate as possible so I try not to work from my bed too often. This helps me fall asleep faster when I do lay down.
2:00 PM – Nap time is over and I’m heating up something quick or making something light to eat at my desk while I finish the rest of the workday. If I do have afternoon meetings they will typically be around 2 PM or 3 PM that way everyone’s able to each their lunch uninterrupted. I also like to Facetime my “favorite co-worker” (aka one of my best friends) and check on her, see how her day is going, and have water cooler talk. She’s not actually my co-worker since we work for two separate companies in different industries, but we like to joke that we are since we’re both working from home. We’ll chat for an hour, or sometimes longer, and it truly makes the afternoon fly by.
5:00 PM – I try to wrap up my day around 5 PM and log off my work email and apps. I might not actually be stepping away from my computer for the evening, but I’m stepping away from work. I’ll watch something on Hulu or Netflix or even do a quick workout to put myself in a different headspace from work and get ready to wind down for the evening.
Then it’s wash, rinse, and repeat! My workdays are often similar but not the same, but that’s something I’m okay with right now. What about y’all? What are your workdays looking like now? Are you still working from home or are you back in the office?