Yes, yes it does.
I’ve been back from Japan for nearly two months now (!), and I’ve been getting adjusted to my Self-Directed Work Schedule, where instead of having a Day Job, I plan my own time and work on my own projects at my own pace. As of now, my main focus has been preparing for the release of MFA Thesis Novel, working on my freelance editing jobs with different clients, and getting back into a writing groove with my new novel, which has been unfortunately stalled for the past few months (. . .).
One of my big worries about not having the structure of a Day Job to guide me through the week was that working from home without external motivation would cause me to get distracted, start feeling like my work wasn’t taking me anywhere, or even get depressed.
I say this because I had some problems staying on track the last time I worked from home for a long period back in 2017. At the time I was working a mindless Day Job as an online test-grader and wasn’t sure where my life was going, which led to a lot of existential angst.
On days when I didn’t have to work I often stayed in bed for hours longer than I meant to, not really sleeping, but also not ready to face the day ahead. Then, when I finally did wake up, I felt unfocused, invariably fell behind on things I had to do, then stayed up late watching videos or chatting with friends. This left me more tired the next morning so that the cycle began again.
Before starting my new Self-Directed Work Schedule, I couldn’t help but worry: without the structure of a Day Job, would I start oversleeping and feeling hopeless again?
Waking Up Without an Alarm is Awesome
After a few weeks of much-needed rest and overcoming intercontinental jet lag, I settled into a consistent routine for work, play, and especially sleep.
On weekdays and weekends both I try to wake up between 7:30 and 8:00am, though sometimes as late as 8:30. I don’t use an alarm clock, but instead I try to listen to my body’s natural rhythms and open the blinds when I feel basically ready to get up. I lay in bed for a few minutes to gather my thoughts, then go grab a shower and eat breakfast.
Over years of working Day Jobs that required me to be somewhere at a certain time of the morning, I began to hate being jolted awake by an alarm clock before I was ready, which made me feel shaken, groggy, and ultimately less focused throughout the morning. (I also despised mornings where I’d wake up before my alarm, lay in bed trying to get back to sleep, and maybe finally nod off only to be hustled awake by my alarm sound…) In contrast, waking up when my body naturally wants to makes me feel more focused, more in control, and more alert—plus, I’ve been getting fewer headaches!
Don’t get me wrong, the switch to automatic waking up wasn’t an immediate one—when I was adjusting to a normal East coast sleep schedule I had more than a few 10-hour nights and late mornings. After that, I found my body wasn’t as tired, and I started developing the 7:30 to 8:00 wakeup window that soon grew to feel natural.
A Solid Sleep Routine Means a Solid Day Routine
I won’t lie—not every day of my Self-Directed Work Schedule has gone perfectly, but most of them have gone pretty damned smoothly.
Getting a good night’s sleep puts me in a solid, consistent mindset to sit down at my desk between 9:00 and 9:30am each morning to get to work. I try to reserve the mornings for a more creative or intense project while my mind is fresh—which also means that I’m better able to psyche myself up for it while I get ready, putting me in a better position to sit down and work.
I usually take lunch around 12:15, which also feels like a natural stopping point. I’ll make some food, watch an episode of something with my housemates, and maybe take a walk to pick up the mail. If I’m particularly busy I might only do a half-hour so I can get back to work, though forty-five minutes or a full hour is more typical.
I try to schedule less-intensive tasks for the afternoon: things like e-mailing, editing, ordering things online, setting up author profile stuff, and doing Zoom calls with clients. I try to wind down naturally between 5:00 and 6:30pm depending on the day and what I have going on, though I might also do a hard stop on a project if it’s time for dinner.
After dinner is free time: I’ll read, watch a movie, play a video game, video call a friend, or go out and meet people. If I’m really busy or have a deadline I might sit back down at my desk to get things done, but I try to be finished by 8:00 or 9:00pm at the latest. Having this after-dinner time as work-free time, though, has been REALLY helpful in clearing my head and preparing me for the next workday.
I try to go to sleep between 11:00 and 11:30pm every night, which means I start winding down around 10:00 or 10:30. Winding down in this case means pulling out a book, writing in my journal, or sometimes watching videos in my bedroom, all of which involve having the lights down low. I try to put my phone down for the night around 9:30 or 10:00, but preferably earlier, with social media, email, and unfocused web surfing a BIG no-no. Avoiding this kind of screen time helps me keep my concentration intact and avoid extra blue light that interferes with my sleep.
I repeat that routine Monday through Friday, with breaks to do fun stuff and meet people on weekend. For consistency in my circadian rhythm, though, I still try to be awake and have the blinds open by 8:00 or 8:30, even if that just means reading in bed. The whole point is to keep the same sleep schedule so I’ll have an easier time waking up on Monday.
Final Thoughts
My Self-Directed Work Schedule is a work in progress, but it definitely wouldn’t be possible without a consistent, no-pressure sleep schedule that doesn’t involve an alarm clock or staying up super-late. My friend the poet Paul Hanson-Clark once told me that with enough sleep, all is possible, and I’ve been finding that without drowsiness, fatigue, or exhaustion holding me back, I really am freer to get my work done.