I love hearing about people’s morning routines, what gets them going and motivated for the day, and thought I’d share mine too! I used to be the girl who worked from bed, and immediately hopped on my phone, emails etc. right when I woke up. I wouldn’t eat my breakfast until noon (still guilty of this one sometimes). This was a big no-no. I knew I had to set in some firmer boundaries, so I moved my desk entirely out of my bedroom to a space I could specifically use for “work” and since then my room has become a space of relaxation. Not computer screens, and e-mail alerts. The most that gets done in there is reading a book (whenever I get the chance to actually do so!). Creating a functional work space is one of the key models in productivity. If I don’t feel inspired in a space, or feel like I can function – I simply can’t do my best work.

Working from home is a tricky thing. I am someone who loves to dress up, get out and interact with people — but I also love being a homebody. While I do attend the occasional meeting that requires me to step out of my yoga pants, and attend some fun events — most of my job takes place at home. Being on-line has made everything simplified, because we have e-mail, skype, etc. to keep us connected at all times without ever having to leave your couch. While it has made things easier – it’s also made life feel less personable, and has made me miss face time with people (i’m not talking the iPhone version). I prefer to catch up with my friends in person, rather than text them all week, because that’s just how I gain fulfillment out of relationships.

When you have a job like mine, you have to be a self starter – you are your own boss, and have to crack the whip on yourself to make things happen. I love what I do, so this is not very hard for me, because I could literally do it all day. This can get dangerous for your mental and physical health, because while I can respect hard workers, it is not healthy to be a workaholic. To have the right energy throughout the day, every single day, we need a healthy mind. The truth is, I could work all day and night, but this would not be healthy for me. Everyone needs to clock out. Here are some other helpful tips I have found to serve me well:

– Taking frequent walks, (this gets me outside to enjoy some fresh air, and fits in exercise during a busy day to stay healthy — sitting in a chair all day has little to no benefits health wise).

– Eating away from my desk, (everyone deserves a break, and food should not be treated as something we just do or consume, it’s something we need to do consciously to function and thrive).

– Getting dressed in the morning, (even if this means you just slip in to your yoga pants, get out of your pyjamas, this little step surprisingly boosts motivation by a mile).

I’m finding these simple steps have made me appreciate working from home, and in turn left me more productive and happy. Being at home can make some people feel lazy, where all they want to do is work from their couch and this is why I have put in place certain boundaries for myself to ensure that I don’t enter either one of the spectrums: the lazy or the workaholic. I feel so blessed to do what I do, in the comfort of my own home, and to be my own boss.

I love, love, love hearing morning routines, what do yours look like? Let me hear them 🙂

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