How I've Revamped My Morning Routine Now That I've Been Working From Home For Months
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When I first found out that I'd be working from home, I had grand plans for my newfound free time before work. I had visions of waking up early for a run through the park, taking time to shower and get ready, then making myself a nutritious breakfast before logging onto my computer.
Six months into my new work-from-home reality, things look a bit different than I expected. I'm still taking conference calls and video meetings from my kitchen table, but those gourmet breakfasts never really materialized. Still, I've settled into a nice work-from-home routine, even if it didn't quite live up to my picture-perfect vision. Here's how my morning routine has changed in the weeks and months since I stopped going into the office.
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Swapping Tough Workouts For Morning Walks
The first few weeks of working from home, I had big ambitions about waking up early to exercise. Three days a week, I set my alarm an hour earlier and dragged myself out of bed to work out in my living room. After about a week, I gave up — I'm just not someone who likes to exercise in the morning, and I've accepted that.
Instead, I started going for a short, half-hour walk around my neighborhood before work. Moving my body feels good first thing in the morning, but I definitely don't want to break a sweat. On the days I'm feeling really lazy, the promise of listening to my favorite podcast gets me to pull on some leggings and lace up my sneakers.
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Sticking to My Go-To Home-Brewed Coffee
When I was still commuting to my office, I looked forward to stopping at a local coffee shop for a cold brew or latte almost every day. When I started working from home, I thought I'd keep up the tradition — until I realized I could make coffee I loved just as much at home.
The bold, smooth flavor of Folgers® Black Silk reminds me of my favorite coffee shop, but it's so incredibly easy to make at home that I never felt the need to fancy up my coffee routine. Plus, since I can brew a whole pot every morning, I can easily indulge in a second cup later in the day.
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Trying to Remember to Journal
In March, I decided to keep a daily journal, thinking that one day I'd look back and want to remember this time. I'm not so sure I'm ever going to want to reminisce on 2020, but the habit of writing down my thoughts and feelings stuck — just not daily. I often found myself accidentally skipping a few days of entries, and at first, I'd feel guilty that I wasn't able to stick to my daily goal.
These days, I've gotten a little more relaxed about journaling. On the days I wake up bursting with ideas, I'll journal, sure; but if I don't really feel like writing, I'll let it go. After all, I'm doing this for me, and if I'm not enjoying it, there's no point.
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Letting Myself Sleep In Now and Then
In an ideal world, I'd spring awake as soon as my alarm chimes, then immediately make the bed. Naturally, that's not what happens every day: sometimes, you just need to hit the snooze button once or twice. And making the bed? Yeah, that doesn't always happen either. I've finally come to terms with the idea that no morning is going to be perfect and let myself enjoy sleeping in when I'm feeling extra tired.