SUMMARY POINTS
Work From Home is a benefit that all non-morning people cherish - big time. Not having to get up early, scramble to get ready, rush out the door and jump into a maddening rush-hour commute is, how should we say this...fucking awesome.
Plus, the added bonus of being able to sleep in a bit more than usual is another huge win for non-morning folks.
Getting up and out of bed at 8:55am for your first 9am conference call while still wearing what you slept in and sporting a full-on bed-head hairstyle may seem like an ideal way to start the day.
But, it’s not and we’ll explain.
At the start of any WFH journey, everyone’s excited about the ability to work remotely. Many people have the best of intentions and want to start their WFH days with gusto and ambitious plans.
That all goes to shit after the first couple of days.
For non-morning people, getting those extra snoozes in is far more important than a 6am crossfit workout from hell. Who are those people anyway?!
What non-morning people need is a mellow, smooth start to the day, not mayhem and madness.
In many cases, for non-morning people, WFH mornings turn into a test of how late you can stay in bed and still have enough time to get ready and start work. It’s about maximizing the morning snooze, right?
However, jumping out of bed and immediately logging in for work isn’t a good way to start the day. It’s a shock to your mental system.
You need to have a smooth transition and gradual ramp-up to get your mind primed and ready to start the workday. This allows you to start the day effortlessly without abrupt change.
Plus, the added bonus of being able to sleep in a bit more than usual is another huge win for non-morning folks.
Getting up and out of bed at 8:55am for your first 9am conference call while still wearing what you slept in and sporting a full-on bed-head hairstyle may seem like an ideal way to start the day.
But, it’s not and we’ll explain.
At the start of any WFH journey, everyone’s excited about the ability to work remotely. Many people have the best of intentions and want to start their WFH days with gusto and ambitious plans.
That all goes to shit after the first couple of days.
For non-morning people, getting those extra snoozes in is far more important than a 6am crossfit workout from hell. Who are those people anyway?!
What non-morning people need is a mellow, smooth start to the day, not mayhem and madness.
In many cases, for non-morning people, WFH mornings turn into a test of how late you can stay in bed and still have enough time to get ready and start work. It’s about maximizing the morning snooze, right?
However, jumping out of bed and immediately logging in for work isn’t a good way to start the day. It’s a shock to your mental system.
You need to have a smooth transition and gradual ramp-up to get your mind primed and ready to start the workday. This allows you to start the day effortlessly without abrupt change.
An Easy Morning Routine To Start Your WFH Day
There are a lot of recommendations to kickstart your day with a vigorous morning workout - like going for a hard run, taking a sweaty spin class, doing a crazy crossfit session, etc.
No thanks.
Leave that shit for the early morning psychos.
We’re here to tell you that you don’t need to be a gung-ho fitness freak to have a great start to your day. There are other better ways to begin the day that don’t require you to give yourself a heart attack.
Here’s our realistic “do-able” morning routine for non-morning folks that’s easier to do and stick with. It’s very “me-time” oriented as the mornings are the only time we truly have to ourselves.
No thanks.
Leave that shit for the early morning psychos.
We’re here to tell you that you don’t need to be a gung-ho fitness freak to have a great start to your day. There are other better ways to begin the day that don’t require you to give yourself a heart attack.
Here’s our realistic “do-able” morning routine for non-morning folks that’s easier to do and stick with. It’s very “me-time” oriented as the mornings are the only time we truly have to ourselves.
1) Wake Up At Your Normal “Going To Work” Time
It’s tempting to just sleep in more when you’re working from home. After all, since you don’t have to spend time getting dressed and enduring a stressful commute to work, you could use that extra time for more sleep. It could be as much as an extra two hours of sleep.
However, instead of just snoozing away those extra hours, get up at your normal wake-up time as if you’d have to go into the office.
If you can’t get up at your normal time, then give yourself a little leeway with maybe an extra 30 minutes of sleep. Just don’t let it slip beyond that.
Sticking to this wake-up schedule is important because it will provide you with enough time to ease into the day instead of it being a rushed affair.
However, instead of just snoozing away those extra hours, get up at your normal wake-up time as if you’d have to go into the office.
If you can’t get up at your normal time, then give yourself a little leeway with maybe an extra 30 minutes of sleep. Just don’t let it slip beyond that.
Sticking to this wake-up schedule is important because it will provide you with enough time to ease into the day instead of it being a rushed affair.
2) Drink Water First Thing In The Morning
You might be tempted to have a cup of coffee as your first drink of the day. It’s your “go fuel” to start your morning. However, a caffeine jolt on an empty stomach isn’t good for your gut health.
After a night of sleep, your body is dehydrated. Getting some water into your system first thing in the morning is a great way to replenish and hydrate your body.
Water is life. Our bodies are made up of about 60%-70% water. It allows the body’s biological functions to do its things including transporting nutrients and oxygen to cells, regulating body temperature, lubricating joints, and protecting your organs and tissues.
This study published in the National Institute of Health shows the ridiculous number of ways that drinking water benefits our health and wellness.
So, after you wake-up and go to the bathroom, head to the kitchen and grab a glass of water as your first drink of the day. Your body will thank you for it.
After a night of sleep, your body is dehydrated. Getting some water into your system first thing in the morning is a great way to replenish and hydrate your body.
Water is life. Our bodies are made up of about 60%-70% water. It allows the body’s biological functions to do its things including transporting nutrients and oxygen to cells, regulating body temperature, lubricating joints, and protecting your organs and tissues.
This study published in the National Institute of Health shows the ridiculous number of ways that drinking water benefits our health and wellness.
So, after you wake-up and go to the bathroom, head to the kitchen and grab a glass of water as your first drink of the day. Your body will thank you for it.
3) Do Easy Simple Stretches To Loosen Up
Most every single mammal instinctively stretches when waking up from a slumber. You see it with dogs and cats all the time. They stretch out their front legs and then their rear legs. It happens every time when they wake up.
We do it too. However, our motions are typically limited to just arm stretches which really isn’t enough.
When we wake up in the mornings, our muscles are tight and joints stiff. Most of us don’t give much thought to actually stretching in the mornings, but it’s a great way to loosen up and get limber.
It doesn’t have to be some complicated affair. Just some simple basic stretches is all you need to do.
Here are three basic straight leg standing stretches:
We do it too. However, our motions are typically limited to just arm stretches which really isn’t enough.
When we wake up in the mornings, our muscles are tight and joints stiff. Most of us don’t give much thought to actually stretching in the mornings, but it’s a great way to loosen up and get limber.
It doesn’t have to be some complicated affair. Just some simple basic stretches is all you need to do.
Here are three basic straight leg standing stretches:
If you want a more comprehensive stretching routine, check out this 5-minute full body head-to-toe stretch sequence from the folks over at Bowflex. It’s a great routine that you can follow in real-time for the morning as well as the evening.
VIDEO: Five-Minute Full Body Stretch
YOUTUBE: Blowflex
LENGTH: 5:32
VIDEO: Five-Minute Full Body Stretch
YOUTUBE: Blowflex
LENGTH: 5:32
All of this stretching will help to get your blood circulating, loosen those tight muscles and get your joints lubricated.
It’s a perfect precursor activity for the next step.
It’s a perfect precursor activity for the next step.
4) Go For A Morning “Walking Meditation”
Unlike those early morning workout psychos, you’ll be taking a far more mellow approach to getting your heart pumping.
After your short stretch, change into something comfortable, slip on your sneakers and head outside for a walk. Walking outside for some fresh air is a great way to calmly invigorate yourself.
You can do a normal walk, but we’d recommend that you do walking meditation.
A walking meditation is like any other normal walk but in this instance, you’re paying attention to the sights, sounds and smells of everything around you as you walk. This is often referred to as an “informal meditation”. It’s all about observing what’s happening around you at that moment. In other words, being present.
Take an active and positive approach to this walk by spotting things that you can be grateful for - ya’ know, the small things in life. It’s the birds chirping, the clouds floating by, the breeze wafting across your face, the warmth of the sun, the sounds of your footsteps, etc.
If you actively point these things out to yourself and truly be happy about it, you’ll trigger all sorts of feel-good hormones in your brain. It’s a lot like doing “I am” affirmations, which are also a great way to start the day.
Of course, during the walk, your mind will definitely jump to other stressful subjects whether it was in the past or what may happen in the future. And when it does, just redirect your mind’s focus to something good that’s happening in front of you.
This is the time where you can press pause on all of life’s bullshit and “just be” and observe and take in all the goodness around you.
After your short stretch, change into something comfortable, slip on your sneakers and head outside for a walk. Walking outside for some fresh air is a great way to calmly invigorate yourself.
You can do a normal walk, but we’d recommend that you do walking meditation.
A walking meditation is like any other normal walk but in this instance, you’re paying attention to the sights, sounds and smells of everything around you as you walk. This is often referred to as an “informal meditation”. It’s all about observing what’s happening around you at that moment. In other words, being present.
Take an active and positive approach to this walk by spotting things that you can be grateful for - ya’ know, the small things in life. It’s the birds chirping, the clouds floating by, the breeze wafting across your face, the warmth of the sun, the sounds of your footsteps, etc.
If you actively point these things out to yourself and truly be happy about it, you’ll trigger all sorts of feel-good hormones in your brain. It’s a lot like doing “I am” affirmations, which are also a great way to start the day.
Of course, during the walk, your mind will definitely jump to other stressful subjects whether it was in the past or what may happen in the future. And when it does, just redirect your mind’s focus to something good that’s happening in front of you.
This is the time where you can press pause on all of life’s bullshit and “just be” and observe and take in all the goodness around you.
5) Have A Simple Healthy Breakfast & Great Coffee
After getting back from your morning walk, you should have a decent appetite worked up. This is the time to give your body the nutrients it needs to get going for the day.
Instead of the sugary breakfast treats, get some whole-grain goodness and fresh fruit lined up and chow down on that. The whole grains will provide long-lasting energy while the fruit will give you the immediate boost. This combination is perfect for the morning haul.
There are a ton of options out there for healthy, simple and easy breakfast meals that don’t require a lot of prep. It can be as simple as instant oatmeal with some raisins or dried cranberries, whole grain avocado toast with sliced apples, plain yogurt with granola, etc.
And don’t forget - some glorious, awesome, home-brewed coffee.
Since you’re working from home, you now have the luxury of being able to make some kick-ass coffee. Brew up some of your fav coffee and get that first cup going so that you can pair it up with breakfast.
After breakfast, pour yourself another cup of coffee, head over to your desk, boot-up, login and do your thing.
Now, you’re ready to take on the day. 😉
Instead of the sugary breakfast treats, get some whole-grain goodness and fresh fruit lined up and chow down on that. The whole grains will provide long-lasting energy while the fruit will give you the immediate boost. This combination is perfect for the morning haul.
There are a ton of options out there for healthy, simple and easy breakfast meals that don’t require a lot of prep. It can be as simple as instant oatmeal with some raisins or dried cranberries, whole grain avocado toast with sliced apples, plain yogurt with granola, etc.
And don’t forget - some glorious, awesome, home-brewed coffee.
Since you’re working from home, you now have the luxury of being able to make some kick-ass coffee. Brew up some of your fav coffee and get that first cup going so that you can pair it up with breakfast.
After breakfast, pour yourself another cup of coffee, head over to your desk, boot-up, login and do your thing.
Now, you’re ready to take on the day. 😉
Make Your Work From Home Morning Routine Smooth & Easy
The mornings set the tone for the rest of your day.
When things start off on the “wrong foot” or if you “get up on the wrong side of the bed”, it seems to attract all sorts of other bad karma leading to a long shitty day. And when this happens, all you’re doing is just trying to get through a rough day.
During your WFH days, if you’re being lazy with your mornings, procrastinating in bed and then scrambling to start, this same mindset and attitude will carry over into your work. It’s not a good thing.
Now, this doesn’t mean that you need to start your mornings like a rocket launch and blast off - far from it.
You can start your WFH mornings with an easy pace of simple activities to make your transition from morning grogginess to full-on work mode smooth.
You gotta ease into the day, right?
It’s time to start your mornings calmly and on schedule. And when you do, it’ll automatically make for a great start and before you know it, you’ll be in the zone.
This is the right vibe for how you operate.
Feel Better,
[Cubicle|Therapy]
When things start off on the “wrong foot” or if you “get up on the wrong side of the bed”, it seems to attract all sorts of other bad karma leading to a long shitty day. And when this happens, all you’re doing is just trying to get through a rough day.
During your WFH days, if you’re being lazy with your mornings, procrastinating in bed and then scrambling to start, this same mindset and attitude will carry over into your work. It’s not a good thing.
Now, this doesn’t mean that you need to start your mornings like a rocket launch and blast off - far from it.
You can start your WFH mornings with an easy pace of simple activities to make your transition from morning grogginess to full-on work mode smooth.
You gotta ease into the day, right?
It’s time to start your mornings calmly and on schedule. And when you do, it’ll automatically make for a great start and before you know it, you’ll be in the zone.
This is the right vibe for how you operate.
Feel Better,
[Cubicle|Therapy]