As I sit here today I am totally exhausted its 4pm and I’ve been at my computer for 12 hours. So why am I here? I’m here because there was a note on my list that has been moving over to every page for about three weeks and I really don’t like that at all. I like to mark them off not write them on tomorrow’s page every day.
That’s life when you work at home in your small tourism business. It’s normal, I do this a lot but just a few weeks ago I was feeling totally different. I was energised and excited and completing so much more. So, what’s different now?
I’ve been beating up on myself and by doing so I have stifled my flow. I feel burnt out, exhausted all the time and making decisions has become really hard work. So, how do you prevent yourself from becoming burnt out or rather how do you get yourself back on track once you are already there?
Recognise the symptoms of burn-out and find the things you love to counteract the effects. It only took me four weeks to get into this emotional state and I didn’t recognise it happening until now. I stopped taking my morning walk with my dog and my headphones because it’s been raining and I let that be the excuse! The knock-on effect of breaking that simple routine was that I didn’t fill up my water bottle to carry for the day, I wasn’t hungry after my walk so I didn’t prepare my meals for the day in the same routine and so I didn’t eat properly.
Is it really true that you just start doing all the healthy things and ‘baddabing’ you’re less stressed. The answer is YES! I am a prime example. Don’t get me wrong here, I am NOT a fitness fanatic or a physical example of health by any means. I love all the bad things! But here I am four weeks of being under 10,000 steps each day and I’m fatigued, mentally, emotionally and physically!
If you are going to work from home you need to focus on a healthy routine. Without you there is no business! A healthy routine brings a healthy body and a clear head, things will just be easier and, therefore, you will accomplish more in a day. You’ll be proud of yourself and doesn’t that feel way better than disappointed.
Here are a few tips I’ve discovered that help me:
1. Set your clock with ‘take care of you times’ through the day. If it’s raining, find a way not an excuse.
2. Be forgiving but relentless when you break your own rules, get back on track quickly!
3. Do the hobby that makes you happy, for me that’s my horses and I’m committed to spending more time there.
4. Avoid computer addiction! Don’t go there at 9 o’clock at night when you think of something, write it down and check tomorrow. Your REST is important.
5. Talk to your friends outside of your industry, just talk about something different for a while. Better still find an inspirational friend that sparks your creativity in something different (Thank you Lara) and that will spark your creativity and or productivity in your own work.
