If we have discovered anything worthwhile over the last few years, we know that working from home can be done. But it’s not without its pitfalls. You might save a lot of your fuel, eating out, and coffee budget, but you could struggle to stay on task surrounded by your home’s distractions.
It takes a lot of willpower and self-awareness to achieve a happy, healthy, and productive work-life balance in your home. Here are some tips to keep your momentum going:
1. Have A Dedicated Workspace
If you haven’t already discovered this tip with homework, having a comfortable workspace separate from the rest of your home will set you up for success. Having your office in your bedroom can contribute to poor sleep, and you might struggle to shut off your work for the day and get into relaxation mode. If you don’t have a dedicated office or even desk and you’re set up somewhere temporary like your kitchen table, be sure to clean up and put everything away at the end of the day. This helps signify that work time is over and you can relax in your home.
Make sure wherever you are working, you have reliable internet access. The closer your router, the better. If this is a long-term setup, you will want a comfortable chair with lumbar support. You will want a firm table or desk for your computer setup. The height of your table and chair should allow you to rest your feet comfortably on the ground while your wrists rest in a neutral position on your keyboard. If you cannot achieve this with your current furniture, start looking for some work-from-home replacements.
2. Dress For Success
Just like where you work can impact your ability to get things done, so can what you wear. In the age of online sessions, having some of kind of ‘costume change’ can be an essential trigger to your mind that it’s time to begin the business day. Changing out of your pajamas or loungewear, showering, and putting on your workwear can help signal it’s time to get to work, energize you, and increase productivity.
3. Communicate With Your Family
Keeping your work life separate can be challenging if you have a partner or children at home. It’s essential to communicate your work hours and needs. Even if you have set hours or a shared calendar, you will need an effective method to communicate when you’re working and cannot be interrupted or need quiet: a baby gate or shut door, a flip sign on your office door, or a tie on the doorknob. Get creative, but make sure the signal is effective and everyone understands your needs.
If you have a baby or small children in the home, schedule your day around their meal and nap times. Try to time your breaks and meals when the household is eating and your client meetings that require a quiet background when the kids will be napping. This will all go a long way to prevent frustration and resentment.
4. Minimize Distractions
While kids and partners can be big distractions while working from home, pets, electronics, and social media can also wreak havoc on your day. Avoid having a television in your office. If you have the luxury of silence in your home, being too quiet can be unsettling. White noise machines or soothing music can aid productivity. While it might be tempting to have a Google Home or Amazon Echo in your office to be a multipurpose device, alerts can be distracting.
Set your phone and social media to silent or “do not disturb” to prevent notification distractions from these temptations as well. One glance can lead to procrastination and scrolling. If you struggle to stay away from websites on your computer, you can try website blockers to keep you focused.
5. Beat Procrastination
Once you’ve temporarily eliminated family and electronics, you might think you’ve beaten procrastination. However, multitasking can be another form of procrastination. You will get underwhelming results when you divide your time between different tasks. Start your day with a prioritized to-do list and systematically work your way through it. This keeps you focused without worrying about something else you need to do first.
6. Schedule Your Day
You should always begin your day with your priorities and review your schedule. Beyond timed appointments, you should get into the habit of making a prioritized to-do list. If you prefer timed to-do lists, you may underestimate how much time it takes to get things done, or you will “waste” what time you have leftover since you finished ahead of schedule.
Decide on times for your breaks and the end of your work day, and start your to-do list, tackling your time-sensitive items first. Aim to do your biggest tasks during the most productive part of your day; for most people, this is first thing in the morning. When your day comes to a close, stick to your end time. It’s easy to overwork when you’re working remotely.
7. Give Yourself A Break
In addition to your daily breaks, set goals for yourself. The productivity goals can be weekly or monthly. When you achieve those, reward yourself for making them. A goal and reward system for yourself can motivate you either by accomplishing the challenge or the reward afterward.
Running a hypnosis business has a lot of positives: setting your own schedule, saving office space costs, being more present for your family, and so on. But it can also be exhausting and lonely when you don’t have face-to-face connections with others. Practice self-care: schedule breaks from your office, get some fresh air, have conversations with your family or friends, and exercise daily, even if it’s just standing stretches out of your office chair. Ensure you’re getting enough to eat, sleep, and take care of yourself.
Need more help knowing how to build a hypnotherapy business while maintaining work-life harmony? Contact us today. We specialize in helping hypnotists be more effective and successful.
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In today’s ever-evolving work landscape, the ability to maintain a thriving hypnosis business from the comfort of your own home is an appealing prospect. With the flexibility and convenience that comes with remote work, you have the opportunity to seamlessly blend your professional and personal life. However, it’s important to acknowledge that working from home poses its own set of challenges that can potentially hinder productivity and overall success.
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