Credits: Social Media
I tried four different morning routines while working from home, there was one clear winner
Working from home can be difficult when you’re uncertain how to approach your morning schedule, so I tried out different ways to start my day to figure out my next routine.
“You’re so lucky&” Everybody who’s spent any time at all working from home has heard this at least once, and the envious never believe you when you tell them it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. I’ve now worked at home for some years, and honestly, maintaining motivation can be so tricky at times. Heading out to work gives you a routine, but at home, you’re left more to your own devices when mapping out your day. Recently, I decided to dedicate my morning before starting work to one thing – one task. Here’s what I found out.
Music and podcasts
Most people will opt to get out of bed, make coffee, and then get back into bed to listen to music or a podcast to begin their morning before working from home. Listening to podcasts can be a great way to help de-stress and stimulate the brain. Resonate Recordings reports that studies show regular podcast listeners develop more refined auditory processing and attention skills.
I found that listening to a podcast first thing in the morning helped calm me and also sharpened my attention span. The experience lulled me into a day I felt better prepared for, in my opinion. I’ve never been much of a morning podcasts guy, and my regular morning routine has long been music music and yes, more music. And yet, I find myself converted now.
By listening to a mix of genres and types of songs, I can often feel overstimulated after a music binge, which is a pretty stressful prelude to a day’s work.
- STUCK INDOORS: 10 podcasts to soothe the soul
Reading a book
I’m a massive reader and getting properly stuck into a book is a blessing& and that’s the problem I found with having my morning routine revolving solely around reading.
I do the vast majority of my reading (on workdays, anyway) in the evenings and at night. It’s a perfect way to wind down, and there are so many benefits to reading regularly. The Reading Agency reports that a study undertaken found that 19% of readers say reading stops them from feeling lonely. As those who do know, loneliness can be a very corrupting symptom of working from home.
However, I have to admit that after reading for an hour in the morning I just wanted to carry on reading, and work felt all the more frustrating after such an immersive slice of escapism. In the evenings I have the freedom to carry on, but not when my shift calls.
Workouts
Exercising is a great way to help combat the negative effects of working from home.
According to UCLA Health, researchers discovered that on average, a person has 3.4 poor mental health days per month. On the other hand, research found that among those who exercise, the number of poor mental health days plummeted by more than 40%.
I began my health and fitness journey only two or three years ago and would never turn back. However, I’ve long battled with waking up early for my workout. In the winter I’ve been mostly sticking to evenings, but for this little experiment, I decided it was time to shift back to mornings for a little trial.
Fortunately, I have a gym in my apartment complex, but before then I used to find ways to work out in my living room and it helped all the same. Over a few days last week, I worked out first thing (weights and treadmill) and then left a space of half an hour before having breakfast and beginning my shift& It worked perfectly. Exercising, I was releasing endorphins and felt happier when I started work. I felt I’d already accomplished something, and there’s no better way to begin a day than with a sense of success straight out of the gate. You just have to get up a little earlier, but it’s a sacrifice I’m now happy to make.
Scrolling online
This has been the go-to for me for so many days, and I’m sure many of you can relate. I’m not just talking about checking your phone here, I mean about an hour’s worth of scrolling Instagram, TikTok, Facebook& anything that acts as a distraction.
On the mornings I recently devoted to my phone before work, I found I was slipping into a pattern of doom-scrolling, which is when you spend an excessive amount of time simply consuming negative news online.
After having spent the few days beforehand working out in the mornings instead, I was beginning my shift feeling far less energized, more melancholy, and far less focused on what I needed to be doing. This just isn’t it.
And the winner is&
For me, none of the morning routines helped me begin my day better than working out.
Popular Science reports that Dr. Scott Ferguson, Assistant Professor of Aerospace Physiology at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, said By changing blood flow distribution within the brain and releasing key signaling molecules, a brief session of light to moderate aerobic exercise upon waking can enhance alertness, cognitive function, and mood.
I know it made me feel great. Of course, if you’re exercising in the morning, it’s important to make sure you’re hydrated and well-rested.
Getting out of bed to begin any routine? Now that’s never easy.
