Oh yes, today it’s take your friends to work day, haha! I thought it would be fun to show you how I work from home as a minimalist (entrepreneur). I’ve never published a video like this before, which is strange because I’ve worked from home a lot during the pandemic. I’ve seen a lot of work from home videos and they usually have pretty interesting and busy routines. As a minimalist, I have a different take on how you could work from home. Check the video for a run through my day.
In this article I’ll go in depth about what working from home as a minimalist means to me. I know many people watch videos about minimalism because they love the minimal aesthetic that is shown in them. However, a minimal aesthetic is not a minimal lifestyle at all. Minimalism is about only keeping and buying what you really need, like and actually use. The minimalist lifestyle does not dictate any (workspace) aesthetic to my knowledge.
So no, I don’t work in a furniture free room without any decorations. Although I do have white walls in the space I use as an office, haha! That has more to do with my brain getting annoyed with too many decorations on walls. It’s simply too distracting to me, that’s why I like white walls with nothing on them. I do like a mix of antique, secondhand and new furniture. I love plants because they calm me down, therefore you’ll find them in my workspace.
My workspace does have to be clean without any clutter on the table. I like some lofi music or ASMR crafting sounds. That kind of white noise helps me work and concentrate better than podcasts, music with lyrics or radio shows. When it comes to working from home as a minimalist I’m very simple. I don’t need anything more than my Macbook, internet, some relaxing sounds, a good office chair and a desk. That’s it and I’m ready to go!
When it comes to scheduling my day and productivity tools, I keep it very minimalistic. I know people love reading about productivity tools. I guess it makes them feel very productive? In my case, I’ve learned how my brain works and it means I have to keep it simple. No fancy schmancy schedules, charts, rituals and routines to get the job done. To be honest, I find those very distracting. So here’s a clear overview of my workday from home.
06.00 My alarm goes off early on Monday’s, Wednesday’s and Fridays. I’ve been working on doing my workouts early in the morning so I can stay at home or do something fun at night. It’s also better for my sleep schedule and my productivity during the day. I’m more focused after a workout in the morning.
07.00 At the gym to do a workout and sometimes I do some groceries after.
08.00 The time my alarm goes off in the mornings I don’t workout.
08.30 Hit the shower if I did a workout, or quickly wash up and get dressed if I didn’t.
09.00 I start working behind my desk or on the couch. This depends on how my back feels, haha! I usually take the first hour to check my inbox, phone and social media accounts. Then I set up my bullet journal with tasks and get to work so I can cross them off by the end of the day.
10.00 This is when I buckle down and get shit done.
12.00 Time for lunch or not when I’m fasting. On the days I fast I try to walk for an hour to clear my head and work on my physical health. If the weather allows it though, because in the Netherlands we have a lot of bad weather. Especially during the fall and winter.
13.00 Back at the desk to cross out some tasks and finish new ones.
15.00 I like taking a break for 30 minutes to 60 minutes. This depends on my brain and how much rest it needs in order to get the work done.
16.00 Back to work! Usually, I have a creative spark that starts burning around this time. For some reason I often feel inspired to do something new at this time of day.
17.00 My workday ends and I close down the tabs on my Macbook that have to do with work. I put my office phone on silent because I will not take any calls or write emails after five.
This is how I work from home as a minimalist and entrepreneur. It’s very simple. I mean, I’m a minimalist, haha! I just want to show you that working as a minimalist means working in a space with a routine that works for you. In my case it means listening to my brain and my body. I stay away from productivity tools and routines that don’t work for me. It saves me time and keeps me focused on my tasks. I think this is why I work a bit faster than people who have to implement all kinds of tools, routines and schedules first.
In the end, getting shit done without too many unnecessary distractions is true productivity to me. However, I can always learn more about working from home as a minimalist. So if you have any tips on how to improve my workspace or routine, do let me know in a comment below.
Have a great day and I’ll catch you in my next article or video,
Kaya-Quintana
