A productive daily routine when working at home

Hi friend! If you are reading this from Uganda then you might be hoping this last day of the Easter holiday does not end. Have you ever hoped for a day in between Sunday and Monday to get ready for Monday? Well, Easter Monday is that day this week; the religious significance notwithstanding. If you are reading this from a country where you have not enjoyed a 5-day weekend, I am sorry. Capitalism has us by the throat as usual.

This week's YouTube video:

Over a year ago, I embarked on a journey to be more productive. My goal is to get the most out of myself and my time. I spent several hours watching YouTube videos and scheming infamous self-help books and while I have made progress, I am not quite where I want to be. However, I want to share what I have picked up along the way.

What my ideal day looks like

Wake up at 6.30 AM

Could be earlier, but I prioritize getting 8 hours of sleep daily if I can. Early to bed; early to rise is a real thing. The earlier I wake up, the more time I have in the day to get more things done. By "more things" I mean both work and play.

Exercise

Working out in the morning makes me energetic and fresh. My morning workout is usually 10 minutes maximum. Here's a good work out you can try. I just need to sweat and elevate my blood pressure so I can brave a cold shower without cursing my existence. There are several benefits to taking cold showers. Look them up.

Drink lots of water

After 8 hours of asleep, the body is dehydrated. Drinking water is one of the first things you should do when you wake up. Overall, drink about 4 literes of water a day and people will ask you to drop your skincare routine and you'll be that annoying person who actually says "just water".

Brush my teeth and take a cold Shower

This point is tied to the next two points which fall under creating a clean internal and external environment to thrive in. Cold showers are great for waking you up, increasing blood circulation, and battling any inflammation and muscle soreness, etc. I needn't extoll the benefits of brushing teeth, please.

Lay my bed

I leave my bed unmade and exposed to light for that first hour to kill any dust mites and microbes that flourish on the dead skin and sweat released during my sleep. Yeah, it is disgusting but it is also a fact that your bed has dust mites and sweat.

Fold and put away any clutter

Decluttering my environment also declutters my mind and primes me for optimal brain work in the morning. That chair where you dump clothes? Fold the clothes and put them away; it will change your life.

Breakfast

A good breakfast containing good quality fat (avocado, eggs, etc), protein and fiber will fuel your body appropriately for a good amount of the day. I have oatmeal with fruit and I share the ingredients here.

Output: Complete pending tasks

I use my mornings to focus on what I call Output. I check off all the things on my to-do list while my brain is still alert. After the tasks are done, usually around 11 AM, I take a short break and pick up my phone for the first time to indulge in some input: reading emails, scrolling through social media, etc.

Input: Learn, code, read

In the afternoon, I focus on Input: Consuming information in the form of learning, taking courses, reading those bookmarked articles you almost never get back to, watching YouTube videos, etc.

Exercise

At around 5, I get my second longer workout in. This workout is usually some form of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and lasts about 30 minutes. For more on working out, read this.

Dinner

After showering, I have dinner at around 6 PM. That meal is the last thing I eat for the day. The rest of the time, I drink water and avoid the kitchen like the plague.

Family time and personal time

I spend the hours from 6-9 PM doing something I love: that could be watching TV, hanging with my family or both.

Journal and plan for the next day

Can't wake up at 6.30 AM happily if you I do not go ot bed early. At around 9 PM, I journal about anything and everything and prepare my to-do list for the next day. If I finish early, I can squeeze in more family time and screen time (I love watching TV, I don't care what Warren Buffet told you). Journaling is relatively new in my life. It was part of a New Year's resolution I'm sort of upholding. You'll be amazed how well you can process events when you write them down.

Go to bed

At around 10 PM, I turn off the TV and put the phone away. The light from screens affects the sleep cycle.

A few tricks for breaking the phone addiction

• I replaced my phone alarm with an alarm clock. This prevents me from waking up and getting on my phone immediately. I keep my phone in the other room until it is "Input" time.

• When working, I also place my phone in another room. I use my Apple Watch to show me if any alerts I get are urgent and worth responding to immediately.

Conclusion

This routine has worked for me for about 2 years now. I do not always follow it perfectly, but it has improved my productivity significantly. For one reason or another, this routine may not be exactly applicable to you, but pick what works and let me know in the comments if you have better habits. I'm always in the market for ways to be better. I learned several productivity hacks from one of my favourite YouTubers, Ali Abdaal; the king of "productivity YouTube". Check him out.

Have a blessed and productive week!