I think the only upside to the COVID-19 lockdown was the transition from in-office to work-from-home. My first day at GroupForce Benefits Inc. was the first official day of the lockdown in Canada. I was in the office for the first few days, then moved to working from home for the next two years. Later, at Mercer, I started going into the office once a week, which was mandatory for all employees. Finally, at my current role, I had the option to work in-office or from home depending on my situation. The company also started hosting Collaboration Day to encourage employees to come into the office by providing free lunches and activities (P.S. this worked like a charm). Fast forward a few years, and I’ve now moved to a different province and have completely transitioned to a remote employee. It’s been three months since that transition, and I wanted to take you through a day in my life.

My day starts at 6:30 AM since I’m working Eastern Time but reside in Mountain Daylight. Here is where we experience the biggest upside to being a remote worker. I commute from my bedroom into my home office within a matter of seconds, saving me hours of commuting daily, not to mention the headache of prepping for work, dressing up, and traffic. This is a game changer. Even if you work close to home, the whole exercise of going into the office can be tiring and hectic for some. Not only does this save time but it frees up headspace that would have been used thinking of meals to take to work or the best time to leave. I honestly don’t think I can go back to commuting.

There is a downside to this. It can significantly limit your social interaction. While this may appeal to some (I know it appealed to me as well), it can be detrimental to your happiness unless you get your social fix elsewhere. Another downside is the lack of change of scenery. Going into the office adds a breath of fresh air to your weekly routine unless you work from the office five times a week, in which case working from home is a breath of fresh air. The change of scenery along with the social interaction can really liven your week and make it interesting. This is something I miss.

My most productive work window is from 7 AM to around 10 or 11 AM. I try not to schedule any meetings during this time and just focus on one ongoing task. After 10 or 11 AM, I start to get into my afternoon slump (keep in mind I work ET so 11 AM is technically 1 PM ET). To combat this, I usually take a 30 minute break to stretch my legs, have breakfast, and disconnect from work mode to personal mode. My wife and I cook breakfast together and spend some time catching up after three to four hours of working independently. By the end of this 30 minute break, I’m all fresh and ready to get into the last four hour stretch of work. The last four hour stretch is flexible depending on project needs and outstanding tasks. I typically have most of my meetings in this window, so it works out well for me.

By 3:30 PM, I’m physically and mentally done with work. To disconnect again from work, I’ve found physical exercise to be the best way, so my wife and I usually head to the gym right after work. This isn’t an advantage exclusive to being a remote worker, but since I work ET, the gym at 3:30 PM is obviously less busy than it would be at 5 PM or later. By the time we’re done with the gym, not only is it getting busier, but we have two-ish hours to do other things or chores like grocery shopping and cooking. Another reason why I can’t go back to working my regular time zone is that the benefits are just too great to overlook, even if that means I have to sleep slightly earlier to wake up at 6:30 AM the next day.

After the gym, we get through our daily chores like cooking and laundry, or on rare occasions, we just chill and catch up on our shows. It’s now 7 PM, which is our dinner time. This isn’t too early that you feel hungry before bed and not too late that you go to bed feeling full. We typically watch a 20-minute episode while having dinner and wrap up everything by around 7:30 or 8 PM.

The next two hours is when both of us work on our individual projects or hobbies. I typically write my blogs at this time while my wife reads or learns French. I also game on certain days depending on my workload and how mentally tired I am by the end of the day. By 10 PM, we’ve had dinner, rested, worked on our projects or hobbies, gamed, and are all ready for bed. I know 10 PM might be early for some, but since we work ET, it’s technically 12 AM.

Part of my night and sleep routine is flossing, brushing my teeth, my skincare routine (that my wife created for me), reading a fiction book, and some spiritual rituals. It’s simple but gets the job done, which is to help me unwind and be in a state of mind to sleep and get ready for the next day.

Anyways, hope this gives you some insight into my day and how working remotely and ET have led me to be the healthiest version of myself. I have time to meet all my obligations and still find time to work on things that bring me joy like this blog. Let me know if you’d like me to expand on something in my day. Happy to hear your thoughts!