By Alison Flangel
The COVID-19 Pandemic has changed life as we know it … especially in terms of how we work. It can be hard to stay motivated when working from home or being a business owner. Below are some tips on how to effectively work when self-employed:
- Stick to a routine
Routines are the golden answer to staying productive. By creating a routine, not only are you holding yourself accountable, but you are creating a schedule to help you organize your day. Try buying a calendar, planner, or white-board to write down your routine in the beginning stages of this process. - Take regular breaks
Oftentimes, we like to burn ourselves out. While working on your business, there can be many distractions.
Taking scheduled and regulated breaks are essential. A simple 15-minute rest time to take a walk, or 30-minute break to prepare lunch helps to clear your mind and stay energized throughout the day. - Create a designated workspace
When working from home or for yourself, it can be hard to create boundaries between work and leisure. Creating a
designated workspace helps to create a foundation for strong focus through purposeful separation. Especially with children or other distractions in the equation, specified work spaces within a work from home environment are essential for success. If it is too difficult to work from home, you may want to consider renting a space that will allow you to focus more. - Set boundaries
While the growth of technology allows us to work from virtually anywhere, setting boundaries in your work day is needed to create a healthy mindset. Just because one works from home does not mean a work day should be twelve hours long. Creating boundaries is important because without them, it can be difficult to separate work life from a personal one. Making an effort to shut your computer at a certain time, or only working specific days of the week, can help to solidify these parameters.