Working from home can get rather lonely, and our motivation to achieve all the goals we set out to at the start of the year maybe have in-fact start to slowly dwindled. I’ve been working independently for quite a few years and have noticed a lot of crucial tips to improve your mindset and attitude towards working on your own from home. So regardless of what your work station looks like, or the type of business you run. In this episode I’ll be going through the follow areas, accountability, boundaries and rituals. You’ll leave this episode with practical steps and tips to implement tomorrow so you can bring more mindfulness to your work day routine too.
Mindfulness Tip One | Accountability
The first tip to being more mindfulness is by having an accountability partner and although this is not actually a piece of advice I have yet experienced the benefits of first hand, it is one that I have heard a lot of other people recommend. And can clearly see the benefits of having an accountability partner. I’m currently considering to implement this into my next quarter. Accountability can be something people struggle with specially as we work by ourselves, it can be tricky to stay motivated!
One of my self-sabotaging tendencies is being a perfectionist (Find out what your self sabotaging tendencies are – https://www.positiveintelligence.com/saboteurs/) Anyway i’m a perfectionist through and through and I can really see how an accountability partner could benefit me from this by encouraging me to move forward rather than continually bettering what has already been completed.
If you’re unsure what an accountability partner it’s where you meet up with someone in person or virtually and discuss what you both want to achieve or complete in the next coming months or weeks. Then you have possibly weekly or fortnightly meet ups to discuss one another process and question each other, bounce ideas and offer advice. It’s a great place to voice any issues or struggles you having, as someone else might been able to provide you with first hand experiences.
I’ve been wavering with the idea of gathering together a group of three to five accountabilities partners all one-person led business owners this year. I believe that there is a big advantage to sharing with others who have gone through what you are. And sometime friends, parents and loved one don’t understand or relate. An accountability partner or group not only provide you that gentle push to keep you on track, but a feeling of support. A feeling of comfort that you’re not doing it alone, that others have dealt with and overcome the same struggles you are going through. As well as a place to encourage and celebrate small or big wins together.
Mindfulness Tip Two | Boundaries
Next stage to more mindfulness at work is boundaries, this is vitally important when working from home. Remember the days of lock-down? It’s easy to slip into bad habits or habits that really don’t provide us with any benefit. This probably included not getting up on time, eating breakfast with one hand whilst replying to emails and still wearing your PJ bottoms. It’s ok to have the occasional slumps, but when the slump terms into your regular routine then it’s time to fresh your day with some much needed boundaries.
When working from home and running your own business, we can quickly become all consumed by it all. That mean not want to detach ourselves away from the desk or laptop. We can fall into this tunnel vision, 100% focused on what our business needs and forgetting what yourself needs to thrive. I get how easy it is to keep going, when your laptop is in reaching distances we slip into the mindset of well it all here I might as well keep going and get it all done. Over working can push you into hustle culture territory that can quickly lead you to burn out. So how to we counter balance this? with a few boundaries here’s a few you can implement today!
The first boundary to decided on is timings specially when you’ll start and finishing your work day. Ideally you should not be working longer than 8 hours a day. So decided on this and stick to it, obviously there is not such thing as an ideal world. we human and I understand that there may be days that are the exception to the rule, like if you have deadline for client or a launch coming up. But remember these longer hours should be the occasional work day and never become your routine. Plus when you get into the habit of having a time to finish by you might notice that you actually get more done, and feel less guilty when you stop for the day.
A few more little boundaries to consider is getting ready for the day. I get that lockdown gave us the licence to sit around in sweats and wear comfy clothes and use dry shampoo three days in row. But by actually getting ready for the day you’ll feel A. just better in yourself that may lead to high self- estem as well as B. you’ll just feel ready for the day instead of you know always feeling a little bit sluggish and gross by midday. I’m not saying you have to chuck on a full face of make up and wear jeans that leave a horrible red line around your waist. What I mean is getting ready so you looking good enough that you wouldn’t feel embarrassed if you popped into the shops and bumped into someone.
Mindfulness Tip Three | Rituals
My next tip is to start and end your day with more mindfulness. This is by having a start and end of work day ritual. People that don’t work have a commute and this automatically provide them a transitional period of time from form life to work. But when you work from home there does ever feel feel this definitive end to your work day. Therefore I’ve created rituals, my start work day ritual includes get my workstation ready, lighting a nice candle, grabbing my paper diary from the draw turning to the right page, plugging in my computer mouse and monitor. And writing out with notion on my screen three to do’s in my physical dairy. It’s not much but it’s now feel like ritual to me plus everything getting ready for the day.
My end of day ritual includes, saving and canceling out of every program and webpage tab I had open. Then putting everything physical always that’s sitting on my desk. I usually collect a mug and plate due in the day to clear away too. By clearing my work space and closing everything I once had open gives me this nice clean down for the day feeling. And leaves it nice a tidy for the morning. I also like to a quick tidy up of the other areas and make the room I’ll be relax in all cosy, drawing curtain lighting other candles etc. Now if I want to use my my laptop I an do this in bed rather than at my desk.
This works for me but I know there are so many different ways you can end your work day, including going on a walk, having a bath, doing yoga, reading in a chair, having a cuppa tea etc. But before you moving away from you desk I would highly recommend cleaning our workspace. It has been a recent thing I started doing this year and has help me immensely, so simple so quick and feels so good the next morning. I use to the person that felt my yesterday thought on lots of paper scattered around, this actually made me waste time the next day trying to decipher what I wrote etc. And for continuing to do a quick tidy up around my space, feels productive still and is practical because after I sit down in from of the tv it unlikely I’ll feel motivated to tidy up then.
Helpful Tips Summed up
That’s it for me today folks I hope you enjoyed this episode as much as I did writing it. As we all know there is so much information out there on how to include more mindfulness when working from home. I know I provide some really great information. Really I shared all the things I believe will or have already helped me and I hope they really help you provide you some great mindfulness in your work day. Who wouldn’t wont to make their work day feel better?! So try one of my tips today and I hope you reap the benefits of it! Even if it is just buy a candle for you work space – I’m not gonna lie I do love a smelly work candle! Anyway have a lovely week and I hope to see you all back here next week. January is not over yet! It’s never to late to turn 2023 around and make some goals and plans with my new goal planning system!