I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with working from home. There are times when I genuinely love it, usually weather related – I mean who wouldn’t want to work in the garden on a sunny day or have the luxury of staying indoors when it’s teeming with rain.
But that love can soon turn to hate when you have to deal with people just dropping by unannounced, being the main parcel drop off for neighbours and people assuming that you don’t have a job just because your office is in your own home.
If you’re also a home worker or you’re thinking about taking the plunge here are some tips to help you survive (stay sane even) working from home…
There are times, when I’m the queen of procrastination. It’s usually when I’ve got a big project on the go or I’m stressing about something. That’s when the block comes down, the want to do something is there but the actual get up and go, well that’s long got up and gone.
You know the feeling right? You’re ready, your hair is in a bun, you’ve got your yoga pants on, a hot cup of tea but then you open your laptop or turn on your computer and poof, that inspiration has gone and you’re just sat looking at a blank page – or scrolling through Facebook or the hundredth time.
Well thanks to *Bach™ Original Flower Remedies and life coach, Sophia Davis here are some top tips and advice on putting paid to procrastination, so that you can get the job done today rather than putting it off until tomorrow.
1- Pre-empt your potential pitfalls. Become aware of the triggers that lead you to procrastinate. Do you run away from boredom or failure, or do you move away from something that appears too easy or too hard? Know what your patterns are, and find ways to support yourself through them. For example, if it feels too complicated, ask for help. If it feels boring, find ways to make it more interesting.
2- See procrastination for what it is – a pattern of behaviour, a habit to put things off. Once you see it for what it is, you have a choice to choose a different behaviour. Try sourcing an accountability buddy – someone you can speak to about your tasks and who you can share your successes with when you’ve completed something. We don’t like letting other people down, so you’ll feel more obliged to get on with things promptly if you know you’ve got to report back to your friend/colleague. Continue reading “How to BEAT procrastination for good!”
Modern life is tough. We just don’t switch off any more. We need to take a break, from everything. It’s good for the soul. Switching off from everyone and everything can do you the world of good.
Years back when I was setting up my public relations company, I used to visit the various business forums (this was before twitter and facebook were mainstream). You’d see the same names pop up late at night, frantically working and come bank holidays, Easter and Christmas, they’d swap taking a break for more work. The question “whose working this bank holiday” would often be asked.
It created a bit of unease with me. As though if I dared to take some ME time on a public holiday I wasn’t in to my business enough and the whole world would fall apart.
It was bullshit. I see that now. In fact nowadays, I probably work less and get more results – go figure. It’s not that I don’t work hard or work long hours – I do, but I know when it’s time to take a break, step back and shut down – even if it’s just for 24 hours.
Author of Activate Your Life, Andrew McCombe says “We often overlook the importance of proper rest and relaxation, but without it our bodies don’t have time to repair, recuperate and grow.”
EXACTLY. In order to grow you’ve got to switch off. It really is THAT simple. {click to tweet}
I read a great thing on The Pool last week and it’s prompted me to make a major digital change. The POWER PASSWORD – seriously, this will give you an instant happiness and productivity boost.
Struggling with a nightmare boss, a nightmare colleague and quite a serious step up in terms of responsibilities, this woman found going into work really difficult and the task seemed impossible.
And then she had a really smart idea. She changed her work computer login password to “I can do it”. So everyday, when she sat her desk, terrified, anxious and overwhelmed, she had to physically type the words reassuring her that she was capable.
Serena Williams also uses motivational phrases as her passwords too as she shared in a recent interview.
I started using affirmations as the passwords to my phone and my computer. (No, I’m not going to tell you what my current affirmation is!) You should try it. You’ll be surprised how many times a day you log in and have an opportunity to trigger the positivity. I love that I can use technology that way. – Wired
Think about it, a password is used to unlock something so by typing it out you’re giving yourself a daily reminder that you can do this and it will increase your happiness and productivity levels. Plus, it’s quick, so spend 10 minutes today changing all your passwords to something that will inspire and motivate you every day.
I want to introduce you to one of my favourite productivity tips. This tip will help you crush procrastination and also encourage you to pick up and stick to some good habits.
Introducing the 2 minute rule
If you have a task that can be done in 2 minutes then do it right now, without delay.
When you start shifting the small things out of your life then you’ll find that you feel less bogged down and it will boost your creativity and productivity.
Most of the tasks we have to do on a daily basis aren’t difficult or complex, they’re small things like making your bed, emptying the dishwasher, reading an email, opening your post, hanging up your clothes etc But even though they may seem small combined they actually make a huge difference and by not doing them, it could stop you moving forward with the bigger tasks.
You may be thinking that things like hanging up your coat or making your bed when you get up in the morning doesn’t make a difference but by using your two minutes wisely and getting those small tasks done then you’re opening up the time to tackle the big stuff.
And you know what the greatest thing about the 2 minute rule is? It just fits in to your life. You don’t have to schedule the time in or think about it, you just get up and do them.
The two minute rule doesn’t just have to apply to the mundane tasks either. Believe it or not two minutes can have a profound effect any larger projects you may have going on.
For example; if you want to become a better writer then sit down and vow to write for two minutes. Once you get started you’ve broken that seal and you’ll either keep on writing or you’ll have written at least 120 words which is a grand start.
Or maybe you want to start eating better…challenge yourself to throw together a salad in two minutes for your lunch or your dinner. This can be done whilst you’re waiting for the kettle to boil and if you do this then you have already made a huge step towards eating healthy.
The two minute rule is about freeing up your mind and getting those little things done and out of the way and organising your life without making a big deal of it.
Seriously, give is a try and let me know how you get on!
I’m not really sure where my show off streak comes from. My mother comes out in a rash at the thought of standing up and speaking in public and my father (despite having no confidence issues) would rather hide in the toilets than get up on stage (< that’s a rather funny story about the circus in Blackpool – one for another day).
Me however, I love it.
Don’t get me wrong I do have that pang of nerves, I remember my first time on live radio – the dry mouth, the worry of not knowing what I’d say if I didn’t understand the question etc.
But overall, I’ve most definitely got the bug.
However, for those who do get anxious when it comes to public speaking I saw a great tip on The Atlantic.
During my health coach training I’ve come across so many amazing people who want to blog and share their message but are held back by the fear that they don’t know what they’re doing or don’t think they’re good enough. Usually those are the people that have something really important to say too. Take Tanya of Tanya’s Healthy Living for example, her lack of technical knowledge had been putting her off starting her blog. However, we worked together and go her site up and running in no time at all. Now she’s on her third blog post and there’s no stopping her!
I think the fear of just having a go is most definitely a creative thing, whether it’s writing, painting, acting, speaking, blogging etc the fear of people not thinking they are good enough means they fail to take action. Continue reading “Fake it until you make it…”
I say right at this moment because I’m going to be changing the black asap!
Why? Well, I just read this great post via Sarah Wilson’s blog about what Australia’s leading colour specialist Chris Brazel has to say on certain subjects.
One of the subjects she commented on was our screensavers!! After all, screen savers are the first thing that we see as soon as we turn our computers on (which is why I always try to have a picture of somewhere I want to be and I change it often).
I’m always looking for ways to become more productive. I’ve already started filling up time that I would normally waste doing mini tasks (for example if I’m waiting for the kettle to boil I’ll wash a few dishes or answer a few emails) so I’m interested in anything that will help me do more in less time.
So this week I’m going to give the Pomodoro Technique a whirl.
The main basis of the Pomodoro technique is essentially time boxing. It’s a technique that was developed in the 90’s by Francesco Cirillo and is so simple.
You simply pick a task, set a timer for 25 minutes and get stuck in. You HAVE to remember to stop when that timer goes, regardless of where you are in the task, you HAVE TO STOP.
I know I’m not alone in my nosiness when it comes to other people’s routines. Especially with what people eat.
So I had to share these great illustrations by Wendy Macnaughton who did a piece for The New York Times on what fuel writers have relied on whilst working.
Walt Whitman began the day with oysters and meat, while Gustave Flaubert started off with what passed for a light breakfast in his day: eggs, vegetables, cheese or fruit, and a cup of cold chocolate. The novelist Vendela Vida told me she swears by pistachios, and Mark Kurlansky, the author of “Salt” and “Cod,” likes to write under the influence of espresso, “as black as possible.” For some writers, less is more. Lord Byron, a pioneer in fad diets as well as poetry, sipped vinegar to keep his weight down. Julia Scheeres, the author of the memoir “Jesus Land,” aims for more temporary deprivation. “When in the thick of writing I minimize food intake as much as possible,” she told me. “I find I work better when I’m a little starved.”
I don’t really snack whilst I work, if I do it’s probably roasted and salted almonds and I do drink a LOT of tea – how about you, do you need something to nibble on or drink whilst you work?
