Recently, many people have been propelled into the world of working from home…. and they are adapting as I write this. Having working remotely for many years, one of my key daily practices is structuring each day carefully (beforehand) and being self-responsible in relation to my work as a Remote Freelancer, where I am responsible for my daily workload. Read on for an insight into my daily routine and my overall approach:

A note on Self-Responsibility as a Remote Worker:

I feel strongly about the Self-Responsibility being a key part of being an effective Remote Worker, in other words, as you are by default working autonomously the majority of the time, the YOU (and only you) are responsible for your work. Moreover, you are responsible for your time away from your desk too, inc. comfort breaks, lunch, fresh air and social interactions etc.

Research on High Potential Remote Workers by Ian McRae and Roberta Sawatzky validated that “Remote Workers have significantly higher conscientiousness than the general population”, and I believe that this extends (within reason) to a remote workers also being aware of their needs for breaks, downtime and social interaction during their daily schedule.

Context of my diary planning:

Friday afternoon/planning for following workweek: Generally I have video calls, meetings and webinars pre-scheduled the week before, allowing me to reserve various 2-3 hours in my schedule for deep-work with no distractions e.g. I keep Monday and Friday afternoons free of any work appointments, as a minimum. I average 5 deep-work (thanks Cal Newport!) blocks in any week

Afternoon before/planning for next workday: I spend 5-10 minutes planning every morning. I do this by writing out my plan (pen and paper!) with any extra notes or things to do, as additional comments and observations

My Daily Rules/Norms:

• Move It! - I always try to get out of my home office in the morning either for a walk or an exercise class

• Planning Before Starting - I review my daily diary plan first thing every AM, to structure my day - in written format

• Reflection Time - I encompass some time every day for reflection, either on the previous day, plans today or general thinking and brainstorming space. For me, this naturally happens normally during walking or exercising

• Video Calls By Default - I always default to video calls for any conversations

• Chit-Chat (aka Social Interaction) - note your own need for this and the level you need, schedule a catch-up with a friend in person or at a minimum for a virtual coffee

• Know When To Call It - I am an early bird! So I can often get high quality work done first thing, so I generally call it a day by late afternoon. I consciously note (and repeat to myself) “I am calling it a day now, anything can wait until tomorrow AM/Monday” and generally I do not logon again that evening to disconnect and refresh fully

See below for a sample daily structure (note: all timings are approximate):

7-9am/Early AM - Planning my day, writing, drawing (mind-mapping) and some answering of emails

9-11am- Move It! - walk or exercise class. Twice a week I meet a friend for coffee (and to practice my Spanish conversation). Some days I walk to a cafe or co-working space, rather than use my home-office as I like to mix up my location for work.

11-2pm - Operational Work - Scheduled Video Calls, Meetings and/or Webinars - this includes a half hour break for lunch

2-5pm - Deep Work - writing, learning content design, proposal writing and strategy. With no distractions! I often use a pomodoro timer to structure my work and also build in some time for reflection, which for me usually involves some sort of physical exercise like walking. When I go for a walk, I look for a tree to stretch my vision using its branches, this counteracts screen time.

Other rituals:

Always get dressed! - simple but essential, especially the days you do not commute/walk to your desk

Shower the day off! - moving from your home office back into the family space in your home, shower to “wash off the work day”

Cumulative screen time - note your total screen time during the work day and when you need to take a break (see below)

Stretch your eye site using a tree - are your eyes tired after a busy day? Walk to your nearest park and stand at a tree trunk look up to stretch your eyes, vision and perspective, repeat over a few minutes. A marvellous way to stretch your eyes to counteract the negative affect of screen time on your vision.