This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Essilor. The opinions and text are all mine.
Hello, friends!
Hope you’re having a great day so far! As some of you may know, I currently work for home and have been doing so for the past few years. I’ve been blogging for about 6 years now, and also have a job as a Social Media Assistant. It’s taken awhile to establish a routine. Working from home is NOT what people assume it is. Yes, I mostly wear my pajamas (unless I have video conference calls), and yes I have the pleasure not having to commute, but it is still work – and since I’m at home, there are MORE distractions. Albeit, cute — they’re still distractions (I’m talking about you Wyatt + Levi + William).
Now that we’re moved into our new house, I have my own office! I repeat — I have my own office! Before I was obtaining a small area in Levi’s room because it was the only place in the house that had space. Now I can spread out all of my stuff, and don’t have to shift and move to the kitchen table when it’s nap time, hallelujah. And, there are less distractions because I can close the door!
But, yeah – back to the importance of having a routine..
Pouring it on Paper:
For me, I love having a set plan for each day. I like being able to know exactly what I need to take care of, what appointments we have, everything. When I’m officially “off the clock” at work, I like to make a list of everything that needs to be accomplished the next day. I write down everything and just empty my brain onto the paper, it helps me to leave everything work related upstairs on the notepad on my desk so I’m free to enjoy the rest of the evening with my family. It also helps me to not forget things that need to be added to the to do list for the next day. I do this every day, and it’s the most important part of my routine.
Schedule your entire day:
This one seems difficult – because unexpected things always arise. I like to use my planner to map out my day. I always take about 10 minutes before starting work to review the notes I left the night before and rank them in priority. I break my day up into three sections, morning, afternoon, evening, and then fill in the important scheduled events during those times. This includes: Wyatt’s school schedule, blog posts, conference calls, doctor’s appointments, even blocks of free time. I like to make sure I’m logged off of the computer as soon as my work day is finished at 6pm so I can rush downstairs to enjoy dinner with my family, help Wyatt with any homework he has, and just play around until it’s time for them to be tucked into their beds.
Wake up Earlier / Go to bed ON TIME:
Man, this one is HARD for me. I love staying up late and sleeping in. Heck, I just love sleep. Adjusting my sleep schedule has definitely been a work in progress – but it’s also made me a more well-rounded version of myself. When I don’t get enough sleep I am cranky (just ask my husband), so going to bed at 10:30pm is a must for me in order to wake up when the little ones toll between 6:30 – 7:00. It’s taken me awhile, but I now know that I need a full night’s sleep to function, anything less and I will not be as productive.
Remember to wear GLASSES:
Since I’m working two jobs, both of which require me to be in front of the computer, it’s a priority for me to remember to wear my glasses. Yes, this seems like something simple – but I’m constantly forgetting to pop on my special “computer glasses” before settling in at my desk. About a year ago I started having bad headaches, and it never hit me that it could be because of the computer until I went to BlogHer last summer and was chatting with a friend about fancy “computer glasses”. I was given the opportunity to try out Elissor’s Eyezen glasses, and holy cow was a world just opened for me. Eyezen glasses selectively filter out harmful forms of blue light and allow beneficial blue light to pass through. They also reduce glare, improve contrast and contribute to the prevention of the premature aging of eyes. When I wear them, there is less strain on my eyes which keeps me more productive during my day because I’m having to take less breaks. Plus, how cute are the Dolce and Gabbana frames? I love the squared off frame style – and these glasses don’t even have my normal prescription, it’s simply just a blue light blocker. If you work from home or are in front of a computer screen often, definitely ask your eye doctor about Eyezen glasses or you can visit http://www.EyezenUSA.com for more information.
My Routine (Monday – Friday)
6:30am – 7:00am: Wake up! This all depends on when the little ones decide to rise, as I base the start of my morning off them. I do not use an alarm!
7:00am – 9:00am: Give the boys breakfast, make coffee, lounge around in pj’s and just have family time.
9:00am – 9:10am: Schedule out my day.
9:10 – 11:30am: Blog time, this is when I write, edit photos, e-mail brands, etc. I try and get all of the photography needed for the week done the weekend prior so this doesn’t eat up a large portion of my day. My weekend routine is something entirely different – and involves more planning and prepping for the week ahead.
11:30 – 12pm: Lunch! This is when we all gather for lunch. My hubby stays at home with the kids so he is on top of making lunch, and having it ready so we can spend that half hour together. Wyatt is in the afternoon class so we are able to have the mornings together.
12pm – 6pm (varies): Work time.
6:00pm – 6:15pm: Write everything down and empty my brain of all work/blog related stuff before heading downstairs for dinner.
6:15pm: Dinner with the family.
7:00pm – 7:30pm: Bedtime for the boys. Head upstairs, read books, snuggle up, and get the boys tucked in for bed.
7:30 – 8:30pm: Shower, get ready to relax.
8:30 – 10:15: Catch up on tv, hang with the hubby.
10:30: Lights out, it’s bed time for Kendall!
* As noted before, this definitely varies. Things arise, appointments happen, etc. My husband is a stay at home dad, so most of the errands, lunches, nap times, are all done by him.
Before I realized the importance of scheduling out my day, I was being spread too thin and it made me more stressed and less happy. Establishing my routine has allowed me more freedom with the time I have, and because I’m a normally anxious person – it really allows me to feel in control of my day and really get things done!
Do YOU work from home?
What’s YOUR routine?
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Essilor . The opinions and text are all mine.
