Without the external structure of an office, routines become essential for remote work success. A well-designed daily routine provides the framework that offices provide automatically: transitions, focus periods, and clear boundaries.
Why Routines Matter
What You Lose Without an Office
- Commute as transition between home and work modes
- Physical separation from personal space
- Social cues about appropriate work behavior
- External structure (meetings, lunch times, end of day)
What Routines Provide
- Psychological transitions without physical ones
- Reduced decision fatigue
- Automatic behavior during difficult moments
- Clearer work-life boundaries
Morning Routine
The "Commute" Replacement
Create transition time between waking and working:
- Brief walk around the block
- Coffee or tea ritual
- Getting dressed (even if casually)
- Brief exercise or stretching
- Review of day's priorities
Starting Work
- Begin at consistent time
- Have a specific first task (checking email, reviewing calendar)
- Settle into workspace deliberately
- Avoid diving straight into reactive work
Work Day Structure
Time Blocking
Divide your day into intentional blocks:
- Deep work blocks: Focused, uninterrupted work
- Communication blocks: Emails, messages, calls
- Meeting blocks: Batch calls when possible
- Administrative blocks: Routine tasks
Energy Management
- Schedule demanding work during peak energy
- Save routine tasks for lower-energy periods
- Know your own patterns (morning person vs. afternoon)
- Don't fight your natural rhythms
Breaks
Why Breaks Matter
- Prevent mental fatigue
- Maintain focus over longer periods
- Reduce physical strain
- Provide psychological reset
Types of Breaks
- Micro-breaks (2-5 min): Stand, stretch, look away from screen
- Short breaks (10-15 min): Walk, make coffee, brief task
- Lunch break (30-60 min): Real break, away from desk
- Afternoon reset (15-20 min): Combat post-lunch slump
Break Rules
- Schedule breaks, don't just hope for them
- Leave your workspace during breaks
- Don't skip lunch "because you're home"
- Avoid scrolling as a "break"—it's not restful
End of Day Routine
Shutdown Ritual
Create a clear ending to work:
- Review what you accomplished
- Note tomorrow's priorities
- Clear your workspace
- Close work applications
- Physical action (close laptop, leave desk area)
Transition to Personal Time
- Change clothes if you work in "work" clothes
- Brief walk or physical activity
- Engage in clearly non-work activity
- Communicate "work is done" to household members
Protecting Routines
Common Challenges
- Others don't respect boundaries: Communicate clearly, be consistent
- Work emergencies: Define what actually qualifies as emergency
- Motivation dips: Follow routine even when you don't feel like it
- Schedule variability: Maintain core elements even on unusual days
Maintaining Consistency
- Same wake time most days
- Same work start time
- Same general lunch period
- Same end time (when possible)
- Flexibility within structure, not instead of it
Start with Anchors
You don't need to schedule every minute. Start with three anchors: start time, lunch time, and end time. Keep these consistent, and the rest of your day will naturally organize around them.