The one thing you MUST do when working from home

Like many of us I’ve worked from home plenty of times before.

In fact when I started my business I worked from home for the first 3 years, so it's safe to say I have a bit more experience than most.

When I moved to an office a few years ago it really changed my approach to work. I was able to do a much better job at separating work and home life. It allowed me to have a work mindset while at work and a home mindset while at home.

Now with the advice to work from home to help deal with the COVID-19 crisis, I find myself back in a familiar place.

There is one key strategy about working from home that helped me stay sane and productive.

When going into the office my weekday morning routine consists of the following:

• 6:00 - Alarm goes off. Check emails and news
• 6:15 - Go for a 25 minute jog around my local park
• 6:40 - Cool down and stretch for 15 minutes
• 6:55 - Meditate for 20 minutes
• 7:15 - Shower, dry hair, brush teeth, get dressed etc.
• 7:35 - Leave to go to work 
• 8:00 - Arrive at work. Fill up water bottle and make lemon and ginger tea

When working from home my routine consists of the following:

• 6:00 - Alarm goes off. Check emails and news
• 6:15 - Go for a 25 minute jog around my local park
• 6:40 - Stretch for 15 minutes
• 6:55 - Meditate for 20 minutes
• 7:15 - Shower, dry hair, brush teeth, get dressed etc.
• 7:35 - Leave to go to work 
• 7:36 - Arrive at work. Fill up water bottle and make lemon and ginger tea

Can you spot the difference?

Yes that's right. There is no difference! Except of course the time it takes me to get to my desk which is 1 minute instead of 25 minutes.

This morning was my first day working from home again and I have done all of the same things I would do if I was going into the office.

My alarm still went off at 6am and I checked my emails and read the news. I then went for a jog around the park, had a stretch and did 20 minutes of meditation.

And then, even though I won't be seeing anybody at work today, I still went through my entire bathroom routine as if I was going into the office.

After I was ready, I 'went to work'. As in I walked over to my desk and turned on my laptop. I then filled up my water bottle and made myself a lemon and ginger tea.

This routine is incredibly important to me. It is a 2 hour process that allows me to switch my mindset from 'home' to 'work', which still has the same effect even though I'm not actually going to work.

I would encourage everyone to consider keeping their routines through what could be many months of working from home still to come.

Clearly there are some people who won't be able to have the same approach. With schools expected to close shortly there will be an impact on the routines of working parents. Hopefully anyone in that position will be able to find a way to keep parts of their normal routine, which will help switch to a 'work' mindset when they're ready to start their workday.

Today more than ever 'work' needs to be a mindset that you put yourself in, not a location.