Routine yourself to start your day

I am my father’s son. My dad, while he doesn’t like to hear it, is a war hero. While all that happened well before my time, during my upbringing, his experience in the military found its way into my life. I was always taught that you get out of bed, take a shower, get dressed, and go attack the day. And as I begin my life at 50, I almost never even leave the bedroom until I am cleaned up and ready to go.

During the chaotic time of COVID-19, this has come to be a godsend. Even on days when I work from home, I keep the same routine. And if you get to know me, you will learn my morning routine only ends after getting my Diet Mountain Dew from the local convenience store and my Egg McMuffin. Every. Single. Morning. For me, this routine provides stability. It’s given me purpose and direction every morning. On weekdays, it gets me to the office where I can become productive. And on the weekends, it gets me to my personal “honey do” list.

I’ve also come to appreciate that my crazy repetitive routine is not for everybody. Frankly, it’s really not for anybody but me. But in spending a lot of time talking with people who are working from home for the first time, those who are most productive seem to be ones who find a routine to get them started. Maybe it’s a certain cup of coffee in the morning. Maybe it’s going out for a walk or a run. Maybe it is yoga.  For some, it’s as simple as getting dressed and putting on that professional look.

Research by HR Dive, a leading news resource for human resource professionals, found a direct correlation between stress and productivity. The more stressed you are at work, the less productive you will be.  I find I am much less stressed when I know exactly how my day is going to start.

What routine do you have in place each day so that you can be the best you possible?

During the chaotic time of COVID-19, this has come to be a godsend. Even on days when I work from home, I keep the same routine. And if you get to know me, you will learn my morning routine only ends after getting my Diet Mountain Dew from the local convenience store and my Egg McMuffin. Every. Single. Morning. For me, this routine provides stability. It’s given me purpose and direction every morning. On weekdays, it gets me to the office where I can become productive. And on the weekends, it gets me to my personal “honey do” list.

I’ve also come to appreciate that my crazy repetitive routine is not for everybody. Frankly, it’s really not for anybody but me. But in spending a lot of time talking with people who are working from home for the first time, those who are most productive seem to be ones who find a routine to get them started. Maybe it’s a certain cup of coffee in the morning. Maybe it’s going out for a walk or a run. Maybe it is yoga.  For some, it’s as simple as getting dressed and putting on that professional look.

Research by HR Dive, a leading news resource for human resource professionals, found a direct correlation between stress and productivity. The more stressed you are at work, the less productive you will be.  I find I am much less stressed when I know exactly how my day is going to start.

What routine do you have in place each day so that you can be the best you possible?