Google Assistant Launches "Routines" to Help You Wind Down After Working From Home
After more than 3 months working from home, I'll admit, I still haven't quite mastered separating work from non-work. When we're spending so much time at home, it's easy for the lines to blur, and to give into the temptation to reply to that one last email at 11 p.m. Well, Google has come up with a super smart way to set boundaries while working from home in the form of Google Assistant Routines.
Routines can be set in the Google Home app to set off a string of events with a given time or phrase (e.g. every weekday at 7 p.m. or when you say "Hey Google, help me unwind."). With the multitude of smart products that are compatible with Google, you can create a wind down routine that does anything from dimming the lights to kicking on a smart diffuser with a relaxing scent (yes, they exist) to running a specific playlist. You may also want to tell the device to run Headspace for meditation or select a soothing sound. (More of a morning meditator? Set a wake up routine).
If you're on Google's Nest WiFi, things get even more interesting: You can actually cut off or slow down WiFi from certain devices—and prioritize it on others—to ensure you switch gears. If you have an important video presentation, prioritize your laptop and kick your phone off, since you won't be scrolling Instagram. This function is also useful for parents who want to make sure kids aren't staying up late on TikTok, or playing video games when they should be doing homework.
So, while we may be stuck in one space all day, digitally, we can make that space act in a multitude of different ways. Now if only Google could mix me a drink...
Get step-by-step instructions on Google routines here.
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