Working from home sounds great to most people. There are many benefits, including the short commute from your bedroom to your office, casual dress attire, and the opportunity for less distraction than an office environment.
On the other hand, working from home can be one big distraction. It’s easy to drift through the day when there’s no one looking over your shoulder. Below are some of the
Work-Life Balance Guidelines
Set Boundaries. It’s natural for people to think since you’re home, it means you’re not really working. People may contact you to have a casual conversation that can wait until after work hours, something they would never do in the office. Here’s what to do.
- Leverage your calendar. Schedule almost everything and stick to the schedule.
- Set appointments with yourself, and don’t be late. You wouldn’t be late for a meeting with a stranger, why be late for a meeting with yourself.
- Have space in your home dedicated to your office and keep the door closed during work hours.
- Read the book Boundaries by Dr.Henry Cloud.
Avoid Distraction. On average, it takes a person 20 minutes to refocus on a task if they’re distracted by an unexpected call or email.
- Ignore unexpected calls and emails.
- Only check messages three times per day.
- Shut down social media. Make it difficult to access.
- Don’t Multi-Task. Studies have proven that multitasking leads to poor quality work.
- Write down stray thoughts rather than acting on them.
Create Rituals. Ask most successful people about their typical day, and you will find that it’s full of rituals. Everyone has random routines (wake up, brush your teeth, eat breakfast). However, elite performers are intentional about creating habits and rituals. Here are some examples.
- A weekly review of your relationships, finances, health, etc.
- Daily review to determine the most critical tasks.
- A weekly reminder of habits that you’re looking to implement or eliminate.
- Weekly reflection and planning. Reflect on your accomplishments over the last week and what you’re looking forward to next week.
Eat for Energy. It’s tempting to eat snacks all day long while working at home. There are the obvious foods to avoid, like cookies and doughnuts. I also avoid simple carbs. Most processed foods are loaded with simple carbs. Eating sugar, bread, or pasta at lunchtime will put me in a carb coma by 1:30.
- Drink caffeine in moderation and not within 8 hours of bedtime.
- Go sugar-free and don’t use artificial sweeteners.
- Stick with healthy fats, protein, fiber, and complex carbs.
- Eat small meals that are easy to digest.
Put in a Full Day. You may feel compelled to work nights and weekends. It takes discipline to not work during your personal time. The opposite is also true. It takes discipline not to do personal activities during work time.
- Work during your peak performance hours. It may not be 9-5.
- If you need to attend to something personal during the day, take time off or make up for it later.
- Rejuvenate during lunch hour. It doesn’t take an hour to eat lunch.
- Keep your email app closed when you’re not working. You will often catch a peek at a message that will be difficult to ignore.
“Elite performers are intentional about creating habits and rituals.”
– Michael Tattersall
In sales, you’re held accountable for the outcome of your work. When your compensation is based on your performance, you’ll be motivated and driven to work hard. Just be careful not to forget, there’s more to life than work.
Mindset – Balance
I’ve learned that one of the best ways to have balance in your life is to live in the present moment. If I’m thinking about past events, it’s often not positive. I’ll think of what I should have said in a meeting, what I shouldn’t have said, etc. If I’m thinking about the future, work tends to creep into my thoughts on a Sunday afternoon. Instead, I do my best to live in the present moment and enjoy the experience.
Nutrition – Steel Cut Oats
I’m always in search of foods that will give me the best energy throughout the day. If you like oatmeal, try steel-cut oats instead of rolled oats. Steel-cut oats are less processed than rolled oats. The result is a more complex carbohydrate that will provide sustained energy, rather than an energy spike.
Essential Oils – Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus can help improve energy and mental clarity. By opening up your airways, eucalyptus will allow more oxygen to enter your lungs. More oxygen can help eliminate brain fog. You can diffuse Eucalyptus oil or put a few drops under your nose or on your chest with a carrier oil, like coconut oil.
