This is an as-told-to account based on an interview with Jimmy Kibuswa, 32, of Nairobi, Kenya, who works remotely as a healthcare recruiter for a U.S. company. It has been edited for length and clarity.
The remote employee schedule I follow aligns my day in Kenya with the U.S. workday. When it is 4 p.m. in Nairobi, it is 8 a.m. in Chicago.
I have always been mindful of health and routine. When I started this role about three months ago, I asked myself how I could fit in the gym, reading, and proper rest.
My workday runs from 4 p.m. to around midnight so I can be online during U.S. business hours. After I log off at midnight, I wind down and head straight to bed.
The first month was an adjustment. I took afternoon naps before my shift. Now I rarely need them because my body has adapted.
I make sure I get eight hours of sleep. If I do not sleep well, I cannot perform the next day.
Remote employee schedule and daily routine
I like waking around 8:30 a.m., making breakfast, and reading a chapter or two. I gravitate toward self-help books.
By 10:30 a.m., I am at the gym for two hours. I spend 30 minutes walking on the treadmill and another 15 minutes running.
I became consistent with exercise when I took this job. When I worked locally in Nairobi, my gym routine came and went, sometimes skipping a month after a stretch of workouts.
The benefit of arriving at 10:30 a.m. is that the gym is usually quiet. I get more attention from the coaches. After the treadmill, a coach will outline the day’s plan.
After two hours, I walk home, about 2,000 steps, and cook my main meal of the day, aside from breakfast. That is typically around 2 p.m. or 3 p.m. During my shift, I mostly have nuts and water.
Between about 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., I plan and reflect. I consider where I want to be in five or ten years and think through searches I am working on, like how to find the right talent for a role I am filling.
If I am not planning, I take time to relax and listen to music. Downtime matters.
I grew up in the countryside, which is why I am a homebody. My girlfriend works similar hours. We usually meet on weekends, and by Monday we are ready for the week.
Friends know the best times to reach me. I also catch up with family between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
My routine makes me feel sharper
People I used to work with tell me I look younger and ask what changed.
Remote roles are hard to come by in Kenya. Many people want them. I am grateful I found one.
I feel sharper because I am relaxed. With solid sleep and regular workouts, I absorb information better, solve problems more easily, and feel more creative.
Before this job, everything revolved around work and I felt stressed. Now that I have integrated sleep, reading, exercise, and rest into my week, the stress has lifted. It all comes back to the schedule I keep.
One surprise was how much time I gained. In a previous role, I worked around nine hours and spent nearly two more in traffic. Now I ask myself how to use those extra hours well.