{Work Day} Jody Robbins, Travel + Lifestyle Writer
Jody; taken from her Instagram, @TravelswBaggage
My workday typically starts at: between 8-9 am
And the first thing I do is: Either check my emails or jump straight into writing.
And the first app I check is: First thing in the morning before work it’s the weather app. At work the first app is usually WordPress to see what my blog stats are (sometimes a post goes off overnight and I have to figure out why and then amplify it.) Then I’ll jump through IG, Twitter and FB as quickly as possible.
And the first hour of my day usually involves: It’s a split. I’m either starting off with email triage or if I’m smart I’ll have blocked off a two-hour period to write the first draft of some article.
And my commute looks like: From the bedroom to the living room. Occasionally I’ll work at a public library.
And my workday set up looks like: I’ll do email and admin type work at our dining room table. Work I need to focus on, like writing, takes place on our couch.
And I would describe my work environment as: my home.
And always in my work bag is: chargers, pens and papers. I’m always writing things down, as I tend to forget looking at my iphone Notes.
And the mornings typically look like: Get up between 6-8am, do some email, some social, then head to the gym for a group exercise class around 9:15. Breakfast at 10:30 and back to work before 11.
And for lunch break it’s: usually after 1:30 and leftovers. God, I love leftovers! Salads and sandwiches seem like so much work. It’s a hot lunch for me!
And when I’m out of the office during the workday it’s for: research. As a travel and lifestyle writer, I can be sussing out a new spa or taking pictures at a hotel. Luckily I’m able to conduct interviews at home by home - so much more efficient!
..usually with: Just me. But if I’m working on an influencer campaign, I’ll bring along someone to help me with photos.
And the afternoon is typically: Writing. I tend to have the biggest chunk of time to block off in the afternoon, so I’ll try and bang out a draft of an article or will do all the gruesome work that I have to do when I publish on my own site: photo editing, SEO research, formatting, writing captions for social media, etc…
And on a quieter workday it’s: working on my site, doing technical fixes and important, but not urgent tasks.
And on a busy one it’s: Deadline driven. Usually I have a minimum of 3 articles due a week for various newspapers, websites or tourism boards.
And my workday is not complete without: 2 cups of English Breakfast tea.
And my workday superpower is: Lists. I’m the Queen of making lists. To-Do lists, Ta-da! lists, you name it.
And finishing a workday looks like: Rushing into the kitchen to try and rustle up something for dinner. Though if I have a bit of writers’ block and I’m working from home, I won’t shy away from a glass of wine or two to get those creative juices flowing. It might not be right at the end of my work day, could be later that evening, but I always looks through the tasks I accomplished and whatever I didn’t gets moved to the agenda for the following day.
And the way I relax after the workday is: If I haven’t had a glass of wine it’s usually because I’m either meeting a friend for an early eventing walk, bike ride or hot yoga session. I once did hot yoga after throwing back two mimosas and I’ll never make that mistake again.
And finally, the best thing about any workday is: Connecting with others. COVID really brought this home for me. Since becoming a freelance writer 10-years ago, I’ve worked form home. Now it feels even more isolating. Whether it’s a walk and talk meeting on the phone or a Zoom, I’m grateful any chance I get to collaborate with others.
Connect with Jody on Instagram @TravelswBaggage or on her blog: Travels with Baggage.
Jody co-working at the studio.