Balancing Work-from-Home and Fitness: Time Management Tips for a Healthier You
Create a Structured Daily Schedule
Use block scheduling to allocate specific times for work and fitness. Recently, I have become addicted to micro-managing myself. This has come in the form of a lot of journaling, acting as my personal scribe to document my lifes history, acting as a memoir as I create my own book of life and get as close as possible to writing my own fate. The primary purpose of this journal was to help me stay organized in the daily tasks I set out to do, which are all oriented around my main goals in life. The journaling also helps me organize my thoughts and improve my thinking patterns as I document any negative feedback I give myself or receive from others.
The way I structure this journal is first by creating routines and procedures, writing out things as simple as making my bed in the morning and how I do it. The reason behind this is to highlight any wasted steps I may be taking. Any false steps in the day where it seems you are doing something that is not productive can sneak up on you at the end of the day like death by a thousand cuts, slowly snatching minuscule amounts of time, which at the end of the day can add up to hours of wasted time. It is in this lost time I found I would have to sacrifice extremely important tasks like Working from home or Fitness, which played a significant role in my mental health as I just wasn't succeding in the goals I had established.
Set weekly goals instead of daily ones for better flexibility.
The next major task I did to aid in journaling was to establish goals. This gave me a target to shoot for and an idea of what to base my time blocks around this way, each time block is focused on achieving one of these goals. For instance, it is my goal in life to be as physically fit as I can be, so when I established my journal, I made sure to include a time block dedicated strictly to training. This way, it is unavoidable, and using tips mentioned in Best Exercises for Small Living Spaces and Minimalistic Living, I was able to cut down the time it took me to transition from one-time block to another by keeping myself knowledgeable on all the potential ways I could better myself in the field of fitness anywhere by doing bodyweight exercises or by finding any objects I could use for resistance in these exercises has helped me save a substantial amount of time.
Establish a Dedicated Workspace
Separate your work area from your fitness space to maintain focus
Seperating your work from fitness may seem minuscule and inefficient, which were my exact thoughts at first I used to keep a squat rack and barbells along with dumbbells in my bedroom that way, when I woke up, BOOM it was right there in my face making me think, about my training this helped for the first few weeks until I burned myself out and while I was trying to do work from home I caught myself constantly thinking about training which affected my mental health negatively as I would get down on my self if I didn't perform one more rep I would then catch myself trying to do extra work off the squat rack by doing pull-ups which would distract me and take more time out of my day taking away from the energy I could put into the next workout. This is why I have since moved all of my equipment out of the room only keeping my desk with the necessary devices to perform the task in my Work Byself Block which is meant for at-home work. Now I have found myself being far more productive and saving much more time while being more consistent in my everyday efforts.
Use this separation as a mental cue to switch between work and workout modes
Allowing yourself to have separate spaces for your time blocks also allows your brain to get into the habit of performing these tasks when it receives the specific stimuli your room gives you, immediately putting yourself into the frame of mind to achieve your goals in that time block. To aid in this, it can help to have specific decorations in your room to aid in this process for instance, I keep posters of who I admire in the fitness realm, so when I walk into my home gym, I can see them and motivate myself for a great day of training. To further this point, you can even use color psychology to aid in this effect as certain colors have the potential to affect one's mood. This is also the same kind of concept applied when listening to music which is another great way to get in the frame of mind for work or fitness. My favorite choices for music are low volume classical music or harp music for working and very loud and angry rock and roll for when I am lifting weights.
Prioritize Self-Care
Incorporate self-care practices into your routine to maintain overall well-being. Remember that fitness is a form of self-care
Self-care practices are of the upmost importance, which is why it is crucial to also plan in time to rest and recuperate, giving the mind time to cool down. You can also habit stack by combining fitness recovery techniques like foam rolling and stretching to act as a great method to relax the body while also aiding in recovery for the next day and allowing you to perform at your best in both areas of work and fitness. Foam rolling can help take stress out of overworked and tense muscles that may get in the way or be distracting when you are trying to perform your work.
Utilize Time Management Techniques
Maximize your productivity with the Pomodoro Technique: dedicate 25 minutes to work, then reward yourself with a 5-minute fitness break. This method not only boosts your efficiency but also ensures you stay active throughout the day while also waking you up if you find yourself getting tired while working after a hard day of training. The greatest time management technique that I use is taking breaks and giving myself intervals, just like fitness to rest in between sets, if you will. If I am writing, I will write and then stop for a short break and drink water which is another habit-stacking method to aid in fitness by keeping yourself hydrated, so you won't have any cramps. Water especially, is something I underestimated when I first started my journey, and would find myself getting cramps having brain fog or lack of motivation, and being tired. It would even affect my sleep as my body wasn't able to recover at its most optimal state from keeping my body in a state of stress from lack of water.
Use a master planner to track both work tasks and fitness goals
Master planners are a fantastic way to track goals in fact in the front of my Life Log or Book of life I keep all my journal entries in. Right at the front I have a planner with all of my goals within it following that is my routine which is the structure I use to keep my journaling organized. By keeping a clear list of goals I am able to remind myself exactly why I wake up each day and why I keep pushing forward. This helped me the most when I felt lost in life and was drifting through each day without any sense of purpose. The establishment of goals allows one to remain laser focused and locked in on life.
Leverage Technology
Use productivity apps to manage work tasks efficiently
While being in the technological age that is today, there are many different applications online that can help people stay organized such as Google Calendar and tasks apps for making to-do lists which are all apps that I include into my daily routine. I take the timeblocks I create in my journal and make events within Google Calendar to help organize myself and give me reminders throughout the day. This is especially helpful when planning training programs and knowing when it is time to increase the sets, reps, or weights in any given exercise or even to plan in a new PR attempt. This ensures I make continual progress toward my goals while also providing me with a data set that I can use as a foundation to look back on and adjust my routines for inefficiencies.
Incorporate fitness apps or online classes for quick, effective workouts
The best fitness app that I have found to aid in my journaling and time management is called PR which is a personal record-tracking app this way, I do not have to look through all my journal entries to find what my one rep max is for any given exercise along with My Fitness Pal which helps me track my nutrition keeping me aligned for my fitness goals by helping me keep track of calories and macro or micronutrients such as protein and carbs or salts and potassium which are crucial components of electrolytes which are needed to prevent muscle cramps and feeling sluggish.
Set Boundaries
Establish precise work hours and stick to them
Using the journaling method of creating time blocks to find the precise times when you will work and complete your fitness routine will be easy if you use this method. That is why when I journal, I make sure to cover the basics of any given task: the what, where, how, why, and, most importantly, when. This way, I have an understanding of exactly how much time it will take me to do something so I can block off the needed time to establish the training time in my routine. Using the previously mentioned calendar app you can also share your calendar with family and friends to help set these much needed boundaries or even plan a group setting to workout in.
Use the time saved from commuting for your fitness routine
With using minimal equipment to work out I save tons of time not having to travel to a gym. By keeping dumbbells in my car, I can work out anywhere essentially whenever. Which is actually what I have been doing when I am done with work while on my way back home. I will stop along one of my favorite scenic spots and create my own gym essentially in nature putting me in the elements amongst the creatures of the woods, I have found this also aids in my mental health a ton providing much-needed fresh air and vitamin D from the sun. This provides me with a much needed escape as well, if you tend to be a more introverted person like myself a crowded gym might not be your favorite setting, being out in nature secluded allows me to dial in a truly focus on getting that much needed mind muscle connection everyone training seeks.
Stay Accountable
Share your work-from-home and fitness goals with a friend or online community
One of the main reasons I actually started the blog Nick Notion was for this exact reason to build a online community to act as a support group so we can keep each other motivated and on track while also keep one another up to date on all things fitness. Being able to share my fitness journey if you will acts as a great avenue for creation and being able to see your efforts manifest themselves inside and outside the gym in the form of your desired physique and a colleague of photos either in a gallery or on Instagram. It is amazing and also inspiring to see where you started and where you are now.
Track your progress in both areas to stay motivated
Tracking progress is the best way I have found to stay motivated by taking progress pictures and writing in a fitness log within my journal gives me a means to look back at what I have accomplished and look at all the days I may have felt like quitting and being able to tell myself yes I accomplished this helps me get through another session. To say that I have been consistently working on myself for these exact amount of days is truly wonderful.
By implementing these strategies, you can create a harmonious balance between your work-from-home responsibilities and fitness goals, improving productivity and overall well-being. If you have found this article helpful and informative and would like to learn more about fitness tips and how to manage your time more effectively feel free to follow me on any social media platforms or to contact me directly. You can enter your email and send me a message anytime and I will get back to you as soon as possible. I want to thank you for reading the article and I wish you the best on your fitness journey.
