Unlearning the 9 to 5 Mindset: A Solopreneur’s Journey
The 9 to 5 schedule has long been my default. Like many office workers, the transition to hybrid or fully remote work was a shock to the system for me. After the initial adjustment period I began to seriously question whether this rigid structure was still serving me. Shifting from a traditional office setting to working from home can be freeing, but it also presents unique challenges. I was surviving, yes, but I wasn’t anywhere near thriving. To thrive in a remote environment, I needed to unlearn the 9 to 5 mindset and embrace a new way of working that prioritizes flexibility, productivity, and balance. In this post, we'll explore the advantages and drawbacks of working from home, offer solutions to common challenges, and share tips for building a balanced, productive workday.
The Advantages of Working from Home
If you’re new to remote or hybrid work, I’ll briefly run down the pros and cons. If you’re already familiar with the plus side of working from home, feel free to skip ahead to the Drawbacks section below where I offer some potential solutions to them.
1. Flexibility to Work During Peak Productivity
Remote work allows you to tailor your schedule around your most productive times. Some people thrive early in the morning, while others hit their stride in the afternoon or evening. By identifying and working during your peak productivity hours, you can accomplish more in less time, making your workday more efficient and enjoyable.
2. Reduced Commute Time
Eliminating the daily commute is one of the biggest perks of working from home. You can say goodbye to long hours spent in traffic or crowded buses/trains and reclaim that time for activities that improve your well-being, like exercising, having a leisurely breakfast, or simply enjoying a slower start to your day.
3. Enhanced Work-Life Balance Opportunities
Remote work offers a unique chance to weave personal time into your day. You can take breaks to walk your dog, run errands, or spend time with family without being tied to a desk in a traditional office. This flexibility can significantly enhance your overall well-being and help you feel more in control of your time.
The Drawbacks of Working from Home (and How to Solve Them)
1. Blurred Boundaries Between Work and Personal Life
The Challenge: When your workspace doubles as your living space, it can be hard to "switch off" from work. You might find yourself checking emails after hours or feeling like you're never truly off-duty, leading to burnout.
Solution: Establish clear boundaries between your work and personal time. Designate a specific area of your home as your "office," even if it’s just a corner of a room, and make it a habit to only work in that space. When your workday ends, physically leave that area and avoid returning until the next day. You can also set firm start and end times for your workday and communicate these with your colleagues, so they know when you’re unavailable. Having a ritual to close out your day—like shutting down your computer, going for a walk, or changing into different clothes—can also help signal the transition from work mode to personal time.
In Practice: I’m very fortunate to have a home that affords me both an office for mostly admin work and a studio for more creative work. So, I have few problems physically stepping away from work. However, the line between work and recreation was still very fuzzy for me since I do both administrative and creative work in service of my hobbies. As a solopreneur with workaholic tendencies this lays some pretty enticing traps in my path. Since I have neither a boss nor colleagues with whom I work on a daily basis, one thing I did was institute meeting-free days. If I do plan any meetings on those days they are exclusively social in nature and as often as possible in-person, a chance to catch up with friends and family. I leaned heavily on my time management skills and tools and scheduled tasks and projects that needed longer blocks of focused, uninterrupted time for those days. I also set aside the last two hours of my Friday (a meeting-free day, BTW) as a block of time to reflect on the week and plan the week ahead. This allows me to transition into the weekend without those “did I do X?” splinters in my mind.
2. Feelings of Isolation
The Challenge: Without the social interactions of a traditional office, remote workers may feel isolated or disconnected from their colleagues. This lack of face-to-face contact can make it harder to build relationships and stay motivated.
Solution: Make a conscious effort to stay connected with your team. Schedule regular video calls for work-related check-ins and consider setting up virtual coffee breaks or casual chats to replicate the social aspect of the office. Joining online communities or coworking spaces (even if they're virtual) can also provide a sense of connection and help combat feelings of isolation. If you’re missing the social buzz of an office, try working from a café or a library once in a while to be around people without the pressure of engaging in deep interactions.
In Practice: You might not believe it from my presentation on camera or even in-person but I lean pretty far into the introverted end of the intro-extro spectrum. So, working in a café or co-working space isn’t really my speed. I’m also highly distractible. I have to work with my office blinds closed because I just can’t ignore the birds and squirrels who are constantly darting about outside. Nevertheless, the switch to fully remote work during the pandemic hit me pretty hard. I realized, years later, that there is a profound difference between the restorative, self-imposed isolation into which I am fortunate to be able to occasionally retreat and the disorienting sudden isolation of a pandemic lockdown, or a layoff for that matter. At my last job one of my colleagues initiated a weekly hour-long Zoom hangout session where we could drop in and catch up and it was great while it lasted. Sadly, it petered out pretty quickly - within a month or so - as the demands of a chaotic adjustment took precedence over self-care in the form of casual connection. Pretty soon I was the only one in the room most Mondays. If you and your teams have been successful with this type of virtual water cooler I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
3. Difficulty Staying Focused
The Challenge: Home is filled with distractions, from household chores to family members needing your attention. Without the structure of an office environment, it can be challenging to stay focused and productive throughout the day.
Solution: Establish a daily routine that includes dedicated work blocks and break times. The Pomodoro Technique—working for 25 minutes, then taking a 5-minute break—can help maintain focus and prevent burnout. Creating a to-do list each morning with your top priorities can also help you stay on track. Added bonus: looking at all those crossed-off tasks at the end of the work day can be a great mood boost! To minimize distractions, communicate your work hours to anyone you share your home with and consider using noise-canceling headphones or apps that block distracting websites during work hours. If possible, set up a separate, quiet workspace that minimizes interruptions.
In Practice: Pomodoro FTW! I love this tool so much. (Note: just as I started writing this section my pomodoro timer chimed. BRB) Due to my aforementioned workaholic tendencies I adopted the Pomodoro Technique before the move to remote work in an attempt (unsuccessful, unfortunately) to stave off burnout. I use an app to not only create and implement the work and rest periods of my day but also to generate reports on how much time I spend on the different categories of work that I need to engage in as a solopreneur. Examples of these categories include:
Ops
Bookkeeping
Marketing
Sales
Course Development
Professional Development
Spitting out these reports in pie chart form every so often gives me insight into areas of work that could use better automation, research and/or training.
One thing that I learned the hard way is that, due to my background as a writer and the nature of my work being highly verbal, it’s nearly impossible for me to listen to music that has lyrics while I’m working. I get lost in the poetry and trains of thought are violently derailed. On the upside, I have rekindled my love for instrumental jazz. Check out my playlist of faves for a taste.
How to Unlearn the 9 to 5 Mindset
The traditional 9 to 5 schedule was built for a world where everyone needed to be in the office simultaneously. But in a remote or hybrid setting, you have the flexibility to create a schedule that works best for you. Here’s how to start unlearning the 9 to 5 mindset:
1. Track Your Productivity Peaks
Keep a simple log of when you feel most productive and focused during the day. Over a couple of weeks, you’ll notice patterns—times when you’re in a flow state versus when you’re easily distracted. Use this information to schedule your most challenging tasks during your peak productivity times and save less demanding tasks for when your energy dips.
2. Embrace Flexibility with Boundaries
While remote work offers flexibility, it’s important to set clear boundaries to protect your personal time. Experiment with different work schedules, like starting early and taking a long midday break, or working in the evening if that’s when you’re most productive. The key is to find a rhythm that suits you while maintaining clear start and end times to prevent overworking. This is not a set it and forget it thing. The goal is not to create a once and for all schedule. Rather, approaching this observation as a mindfulness exercise can help you become more tuned in to your body’s natural rhythms. Since these rhythms are constantly in flux, so will your work schedule need to be to some degree. Know thyself! There are some days when I’m fired up in the morning and then crash somewhere around 3pm. Other days I’m slow to start and then amped until 4am. I use a project management platform that auto-schedules my tasks for me based on deadlines and then auto-updates those tasks as I complete them (or skip them). In those Friday reflect and plan sessions I mentioned previously I come up with the plan for the week but I keep in mind the old saying “No plan survives first contact with the enemy”.
3. Integrate Wellness and Personal Time Into Your Day
The freedom of remote work allows you to incorporate activities that enhance your well-being into your daily schedule. Here are some ideas:
Start your day with a wellness routine: Whether it’s a morning walk, meditation, or a workout, starting your day with a focus on wellness can set a positive tone.
Take regular, intentional breaks: Use breaks to stretch, get some fresh air, or step away from your screen. Consider scheduling longer breaks for activities like running errands, spending time with family, or pursuing a hobby.
End your workday with a closing ritual: Whether it’s logging off and going for a run, cooking dinner, or enjoying a relaxing activity, having a consistent way to wind down can help you transition from work mode to personal time.
Achieving a Healthy Work-Life Balance
Shifting away from the 9 to 5 mindset involves recognizing that productivity is not about clocking in hours but about achieving results. Focus on what you accomplish rather than how long you spend working. Set clear, achievable goals for each day, and allow your schedule to adapt to your natural energy levels.
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is crucial in a remote environment. Don’t be afraid to take advantage of the flexibility that working from home offers. The key is to create a structure that allows you to blend work and personal time in a way that enhances your overall quality of life.
Final Thoughts
Unlearning the 9 to 5 mindset is an ongoing journey, but it’s an opportunity to redefine what your ideal workday looks like. I’m nowhere near “figuring it out”, but by embracing the flexibility of remote work, addressing common challenges, and prioritizing a healthy balance between work and personal life, I’ve taken some big strides towards creating a schedule that truly works for me.
Remember, the goal isn’t to replicate the traditional office schedule at home but to build a new routine that maximizes your productivity and well-being. Explore, experiment, and find what works best for you—your perfect workday might look nothing like the standard 9 to 5, and that’s a sign of progress! I’m fond of reminding folks: The old normal didn’t work, so f*&k going “back to normal”. Let’s go forward to better!
What aspects of the 9-5 mindset are you still clinging to? What adaptations have you made to your work schedule that have helped you be more productive or moved you towards a more balanced, wellness-filled balance of work and play?