A Peek Into My Real-Life Morning Routine

I think one of the things you’ll hear most work-from-home professionals say is that managing a consistent schedule and morning routine is one of the hardest parts of the gig. When you don’t have someone looking over your shoulder to make sure you’re sitting at your desk by a certain hour of the morning, it’s easy to let that alarm slide.

I know I’ve fallen prey to embracing a late start simply because I can, but it’s definitely not the best way to go about things. Not only does it encourage a lazy attitude, but it also kills precious minutes in the day. Since I’m the only one my business answers to, that could be the difference between a paycheck or nada.

So, this season I’m working extra hard to make myself feel more answerable to the “boss” version of Carrie. I’ve started waking up with an alarm again, and I try to stick to the same morning routine each and every day.

Now that I’ve recommitted to this type of mentality, I’m finding that I have more freedom to take much-needed breaks throughout the day, and I’m also able to cross much more off my to-do list. Sleeping in an extra 30 minutes to an hour is just not worth the loss of those precious productive moments in my day.

In case you’ve ever wondered what a work-from-home morning might look like, I spent some time last week documenting my wake-up routine, and you can see it in all of its photographed and filmed glory above and below.

It all tends to start with my “alarm” (i.e. Tonks the cat), and then progresses on to a little bit of phone time before moving on to tidying up and choosing what to wear that day. I’m a morning shower-er, so next up is a quick wash, and then I “put my face on” and do my hair. Even if I end up wearing leggings and a T-shirt throughout my work day, I always make it a point to wash my hair and put on makeup. Those simple tasks make me feel so much more awake and ready to tackle my to-do list with energy.

After that, it’s time for a hearty breakfast of toast with an egg (plus a big cup of coffee, of course) before I plop down to get right to work on my computer.

Click “Play” on the video above to see my morning routine in action! I’d love to know how you prep yourself for your own work day (whether you work from home or in a traditional office), so tell us your step-by-step schedule in the comments below. Have a great weekend, guys!