Things are weird right now and as someone who really values routine and consistency I knew that this big life shift was going to be difficult for me. With this in mind, I made a plan for myself last weekend of a few things I could do to make this all feel more “normal” and keep myself sane in the upcoming weeks. Below is what’s working for me personally. This might look different for you but having a plan of attack in place helps. Even if you’re not executing it 100% perfectly out of the gates, having these intentions set as a blueprint to go back to
will be huge to keep you grounded through all this uncertainty.
Keep your standard schedule
I’m a morning workout person and always have been. Knowing I was moving fully remote and essentially had access to my “gym” at any time during the day made it tempting to say peace out to the early morning alarm and get my workout in later in the day. I knew that doing so though would likely throw off the rest of my day. I wouldn’t truly feel awake and ready to start the day until I completed my workout so I knew it was best to keep my morning workout schedule. After my workout I keep my normal routine. I shower & get ready(though tbh I still put on comfy clothes because I’m not a psycho who’s going to wear jeans in my own house), I eat my breakfast while listening to a podcast and then after I’ve had my full morning I open up my computer and start the workday. Keeping this standard morning routine has been key for me to still feel productive and set clear boundaries between work & personal life which can get so blurred when working from home.
Designate a spot to work & shut it down
Building on these blurred work from home lines it’s helpful to designate a “working” spot in your home and shut it down at the end of the day. Working from your bed or couch sounds fun at first but next thing you know it’s 7pm and you still have your computer open. Having a designated spot gets you in the work mindset(much like walking into your office) and helps you stay focused throughout the day. At the end of the day shutting that station down(much like leaving the office) signals the end of the work day.
Take a break at lunch
I don’t typically take lunch at the office but I’m in enough meetings throughout the day that I’m away from my desk a lot and getting mini brain breaks. Without meetings or random stop by’s from coworkers I’m not getting many interruptions to my day at home. Setting an intentional break at lunch gives you a much needed physical & mental break midway through the day. I encourage you to get some movement in during this time as well and get out of a seated position. Go for a walk outside if you can, try a mobility flow, do 100 jumping jacks, etc. Even just a 10 min break will set you up to be more productive in the afternoon.
Track your calories
Tracking calories isn’t for everyone and typically it’s not for me but being at home with full access to snacks at all times of the day, it’s a useful tool to ensure you’re staying within your daily calorie goal. Handfuls of pretzels throughout the day really add up and tracking your calories in an app helps you to be more mindful about your consumption and not overeat. I use the MyFitnessPal app to log everything. You may decide that right now isn’t a time for you to be focusing on fat loss goals and that’s totally fine! But if you still are I highly recommend tracking your calories as long as you can do so safely and don’t have a history with disordered eating.
Move!
This is the most important component of this plan. Now is the perfect time to set a fitness related goal for yourself to work towards. Get back into running and work up to 7 miles. Work towards doing 10 push ups all on your toes. Finally conquer that handstand you’ve never mastered. Set a very intentional goal with yourself so you have something to actively work towards. It’ll make your workouts and daily movement much more exciting and easier to stick to.
These are just a few things that are helping me remain consistent with my fitness goals and adjust to a new norm. Again, this plan may look totally different for you but having a few things in place to keep you on track will be extremely beneficial in the long term. Now is the perfect time to prioritize your physical & mental health!