Gayle HWorking from home sounds like fun, right? Working in your PJs. Not having to comment to work. No showers needed! Computer work on the couch anyone?!
Then you hit a situation where you actually have to work from home. Whether your company went virtual as part of their everyday business, or went virtual due to our current circumstances with the COVID-19 virus, you are now working from home.
And sure, the first few days you probably did work in your PJs. Or didn’t take a shower. Maybe even did your emails while sitting on the couch.
But the reality soon hits us all – working from home is a challenge to our regular routine and boundaries!
I have had the benefit of being a virtual worker for years. When I worked for Accenture, we moved to virtual offices back in the early 2000s. And now, with the exception of traveling to facilitate workshops or deliver key note speeches, all of my blogging and coaching work is done from my home office.
So I have been at this game for a while.
But I know for many of you out there, this is new territory! And while there are many benefits to the home working lifestyle, there are also many challenges.
Like how to maintain a ‘normal’ schedule when it is so easy to just work!
And, in these especially challenging times when most of our external resources are closed, how do we stay engaged in our ‘normal’ schedules?
Case in point – if you have successfully built gym/yoga studio/other fitness facility time into your previous life normality, how do you maintain that discipline?
For me, going to a gym for a scheduled class/training session has been my saving grace when it comes to staying physically healthy. As a home worker, the gym routine gave me structure.
Wake up.
Put on exercise clothes.
Drink water and eat a bit of energy food.
Leave house.
Get to gym for my scheduled training session.
Workout.
Get home.
Shower.
Prepare and drink green smoothie.
Get to work.
I would build my work schedule around my workout schedule. My workout schedule would get my lazy butt out of bed. My workout schedule dictated my morning healthy eating routine.
And now the gym is closed. Sure, they are doing an amazing job with sending out online classes to keep us engaged, but my routine is gone.
So I get up later.
I don’t put on my exercise clothes first thing – I put on my work at home comfy clothes.
I make a fuller breakfast (and every now and then a muffin sneaks it’s way on my plate).
I start working.
I keep working.
All of a sudden the day is over and it’s time for dinner routine.
Fitting in exercise is an afterthought when my routine is compromised.
Whether you are a newbie to this working from home gig, or a regular like me who now has to deal with a routine disruption, here are some ideas to create a regular exercise routine while working from home.
Be Realistic
My head is spinning with the number of exercise resources that have been released since we’ve been asked to stay at home due to our current social environment.
Our regular gyms are putting classes online.
Fitness professionals are offering online classes.
Yoga studios – online classes.
I’m guessing that Peleton subscriptions have soared!
While a bit overwhelming, all of this new availability is also exhilarating! Right? Like online shopping – everything you might want is at your fingertips! And even better than online shopping – much of this information is free!
A big smorgasbord of exercise availability!
And now that you don’t have to commute to work, you have the time to workout, right?
Nope. That commute time is now probably filled with additional work related items, kids who are quarantined with you and doing their schooling at home, maybe a few extra minutes of sleep, or additional social media time.
Easy come, easy go.
Here is where being realistic has to make an appearance.
Sure, we may have a bit more time in our schedules now that we are working from home, but we need to be realistic about other life situations that may compete for that extra time.
Don’t bite off more than you can chew, as tempting as it may be. You don’t have to eat everything at the buffet during one sitting!
Take a few moments to review your new reality. Look at your calendar for those new work commitments. Be honest with yourself about the time you now need to spend with your kids. Maybe you are adding in more cooking time. More family time.
Review what a week truly looks like for you now and get grounded in how much time you have during the week to create your exercise routine.
Don’t beat yourself up for not becoming a cross-fit champion in the next two weeks. Doing something consistently (even if just small steps like going out for a walk) is ALWAYS better for building routine and habit than trying to do too much.
Once you truly understand how much time you have..
Be Focused
Here is where you draw your boundaries. You figure out what your new exercise normal will look like. You understand what days and times you will set aside for exercise.
And you book exercise on your calendar.
Because what is on our calendars is what gets done.
This concept becomes even more obvious when we are working from home because the lines between work and home are so much more blurred than when you are in the office. Then the gym. Then home.
When working and exercising from home, you are always home. And the only thing that separates your office from your kitchen from your couch to your exercise space is literally a few doors and maybe some stairs.
So your calendaring skills and your willpower become two muscles that you need to build.
Using your realistic data from the first exercise, be honest with yourself about how much you can get done.
Everyday for 20 minutes?
Every other day for 40 minutes?
Monday/Wednesday/Friday for 30 minutes, then outside for family exercise on the weekends?
Remember – now is not the time to overachieve on this point! Start with what you KNOW you can actually do (even if that is less time than you are used to).
Because once you get into the routine, established the habit, figured out what days/times work best, you can always build.
Once you have realistically determined how much time you have to exercise, and committed yourself by blocking off your calendar….
Enjoy Creating Your Quarantine Exercise Routine
I’m giving myself a few hours of time this week to sort through all of the options I have at my fingertips for online exercising.
My gym has online classes.
My friend (who is a personal trainer) is offering weekly online routines.
My all time favorite yoga instructor just started putting her classes online!
I already know I love Yoga by Adrienne.
The list could go on and on – but I’m trying to focus myself to people and programs that I already know, that I like, and that used to be part of my regular routine (when I had the option to go to gyms/yoga studios/etc.)
Have I had the urge to start following the barbell beauties? Of course!
Have I pondered the idea of doing power yoga again because I just saw an online course? Yes.
Do I spend too much work time clicking on options that come into my mailbox? I’ll never tell.
Be realistic. Be focused. And find something that you know you would actually do. But enjoy the fact that right now, there are more options online than we have ever seen.
And just researching them may create some excited anticipation for doing them!
Those three steps – Being realistic about what you can do, Being focused about scheduling your time, and enjoying creating your specialized quarantine exercise routine will hopefully help get you through this challenging time – and maybe create habits that will continue on for years!
Resources
I know you ALL have your own things, have found new resources, follow people, etc. And I would LOVE it if you would share those resources in the comments for others to benefit from.
Here are a few of mine:
Yoga with Adrienne – you know I love her because I share this one all the time.
Yoga From The Barn With Susannah – we used to love her classes when we lived on Cape Cod.
Tara Mazanec – TM Systems – Tara used to be a personal trainer at the gym I went to in Boston. I love her style. Her FB page has tons of really great info – exercise, exercise with kids, eating, etc. She just started a weekly at home exercise offering – you can get there from her FB page.
I am also planning to do the video workouts that are coming from my gym (being I’m still paying the monthly fee!). If any Portland, Maine readers out there, we go to The Body Architect.
Oh yeah! There is always the great outdoors!!!
ALSO! Don’t forget that cooking at home is a great opportunity to do some wonderful things for your physical health. If you haven’t yet read my blog Quick and Easy (and Healthy) Quarantine Cuisine – hop on over there. There are some great ideas for buying storable healthy food, cooking in bulk, different options with similar ingredients, etc. Remember – Abs are made in the kitchen! Balance your exercise commitments with your healthy eating commitments to come out the other side of this homebound situation weighing less rather than more!
Gayle H
