Benefits I have found from working from Home 🏘️
I have found so many benefits from working from home! I can't actually believe this is my life now. I love it SO much!
I must admit it has taken a bit to get used to, I've had to make rules for myself but at the same time use working from home to my advantage. I've found it helps to write out a plan of what I need to do for the week on a Sunday night, then before I start work each day go back over my weekly plan and write a daily plan. This sounds super nerdy but it puts everything I need to do down so all my tasks are not floating around in my head stressing me out, I can tick them off one by one or at the end of the day.
I can still do a bit of housework or whatever else I need to during the work day but I have to plan for it. At first, I was finding I was getting carried away going to hang out the washing and then ending up in the garden. I've found get on with work first, then once I start losing concentration, then that's the time to get up and get washing out, and then potter in my garden a bit, or get meals organised until I get my work mojo back. Some days I can go for hours, other days only like 45 minutes, if you just go with it the day goes very smoothly.
On days when it's not flowing naturally I do set a 45 minute timer, start that task and work on it for 45 minutes then stop after 45 minutes and get up and maybe unload the dishwasher have a drink and a stretch then start again, if it was flowing after my first 45 minutes then go back to that task if not start another. That is also the beauty of being a Virtual Assistant, I have such a variety of tasks and clients that if it's not flowing for one I can choose another one to see if I can get going on that.
You can get all sorts of cool handy productivity timers now like below 👇 or you can use your phone, but I try to have my phone out of sight and mind when I'm focusing.
Zoom Meetings
Zoom, omg Zoom is a life saver. It's just so easy to quickly catch up with someone, give them instructions by sharing your screen, have a meeting, even meet someone for the first time it's so handy especially with living away from a main town. I still have to learn I don't actually need to clean my teeth or apply my oil perfumes while on zoom 😂
You don't need to travel for meetings anymore if you don't have to! Zoom lets you connect with colleagues and business partners around the world with ease. I have clients I would never otherwise meet face to face as they live in different countries, so it's lovely to be able to actually see them in real-time,
Easy Mornings ...
I am so grateful for the fact that there's no more rushing in the mornings, now that I don't have to be anywhere, dressed for work or with all my gear for work. I'm saving on makeup, petrol, coffee and bought lunches. I get to take that time in the mornings to make sure my daughter is ready for her day, pets happy, and partner - lunch packed, instead of rushing myself and everyone out the door, rushing past pets telling them to get out of the way. I'm also around all day, if she's forgotten something I can drop it off to her at school, or if she has half a day boom I can go and pick her up. I can take a break and go and sit with my pets, watch their antics, and pray for eggs 😂
I can prepare proper meals, and bake, which is also saving us money - I'm not buying quick and easy packaged food also so much better for our health.
I can listen to whatever I feel like when I'm working! Sometimes I listen to music, sometimes a terrible reality tv show on Netflix in the background, complete silence, or a podcast.
Here are some of my favorite podcasts:
The Sam and Jo VA Show - https://bit.ly/3Lz9wbD
On Purpose Podcast with Jay Shetty - https://bit.ly/3mVEGAc
Mindvalley Podcast - https://bit.ly/3J779c1
The Cathy Heller Show - https://bit.ly/3tQ4oWl
The Lifesylist Podcast - https://bit.ly/3tTJe9D
I can diffuse essential oils all day long! I get to try out new essential oil blends for my continuing research as a crazy essential oil lady AND these help me through my day too, get me up and going in the morning, focus mid avo and then calming my brain and body down before bed.
Power naps! Quite often after lunch I love to take a quick power nap. These quick naps are so powerful and refresh you for the afternoon. They are my secret hack, because I use this time to do my brain training using my Brain Tap app. Omg I discovered Brain Tap while listening to the Lifestylist Podcast, they interviewed Dr Porter, who invented Brain Tap and once I listened to the podcast I straight away downloaded the app and gave it a try, and I have been using it ever since.
"Braintapping is a quick and easy way to relax, reboot and revitalize by simply optimizing your brain’s peak potential—anytime, anywhere. Backed by neuroscience and research, braintapping’s guided meditations are proven to help people who experience high stress, difficulty sleeping, low energy, and other lifestyle challenges." (Excerpt from Brain Tap)
I love Brain Tap so much and highly recommend it. I have found a whole range of benefits since I started using it, from being calmer like ALL the time, unexpected weightloss, sharper brain for longer and longer, clearer thinking as well as deeper sleep. It's absolutely amazing. To get 14 days free for yourself you can use my code: https://bit.ly/3H3QYgD
Funny how things happen ...
I have always dreamed of working from home ever since I was a tiny child, well then I wanted to be a Mum like my Mum with loads of kids being a stay at home Mum. But once I went out into the big wide world myself I found I loved working, and working from home was not a thing then. I also decided on one child instead of loads. It was when I had my daughter I started thinking again gosh it would be great to work from home, so I re-trained as an early child educator so I could work with other children from home while being at home with my daughter - win win.
But after awhile the business world was calling me back and my daughter was at kindy so back I went to the "office world" after a few years of that I found myself hating being stuck in an office so I chucked my job in and started cleaning houses, I ended up working mostly for people who worked from home and again loved the idea and wanted to do it myself. Around the same time social media was becoming essential for businesses so I somehow started doing social media for one of my cleaning clients found I really loved it and it came naturally to me, so I've slowly built up social media clients and have branched off into Websites and Google Business Profile Management and am now fully working from home, as a Virtual Assistant! Have you ever thought about becoming a Virtual Assistant yourself? The Virtual Assistant industry is booming! I started my business by accident but also with ongoing tips and tricks from Jo and the team at the VA Foundry, they have a range of courses, coaching and a podcast to tune in to 👇check out their offerings below!
HOLD ONTO YOUR HORSES
Get ready to...
🤍 Level up your business!
🤍 Make more money!
🤍 Grow your team!
So funny how things happen right 😉
And do you know what, if I get inspiration at 9pm at night then I also just go for it, it's actually surprising how listening to your body/brain makes everything run so smoother, instead of being tied to 9-5 or whatever at the office. Yes sometimes I'm working 24/7 and you kind of have to be available most of the time, but I always know now its only for a season, you just have to go with it and it will slow down again, that's when you take the time to yourself to recharge a bit ready for the next onslaught!
So to sum it all up:
One of the most productive approaches to working from home is to create a realistic plan and set achievable goals.
Make sure to map out your day, designate times for specific activities, and identify times for breaks, if needed, if work is not flowing change your activities around.
Additionally, it can be helpful to create an effective workstation, with all your beautiful things for inspiration AND to ensure proper posture and ergonomics and ensure you have the necessary supplies for productivity.
Lastly, be sure to establish reasonable daily targets and deadlines for yourself and set reminders to ensure that you keep up with your tasks for the day. By following these steps, you can create an environment conducive to productivity and a schedule suitable for success.
Also don't beat yourself up if you don't get everything done everyday, you can only do your best and try again tomorrow.
