In a previous post, I talked about creating boundaries as a business owner, and in this post, I want to continue the conversation with work-life balance. What even is work-life balance? I find this is especially hard as a creative small business owner who works from home.
My laundry that needs to be folded is just a few feet away from me. My kids are in the house when I’m working. And with my phone, I can literally be having a business conversation at any time of the day or night. It’s both a blessing and a curse to be this connected and have so much technology available to us. If you’re nodding your head in agreement, I hope to relieve some of that overwhelm for you. I’m here to share with you tips I use daily for work-life balance.
Tips For Better Work-Life Balance As A Creative Business Owner
The intersection of work and life (and for me, motherhood) has made these two words collide. It has forced me to set up some rules for myself. I can avoid burn out and feeling like my work is too much a part of my personal life and visa versa.
Tip #1: Turn Off Notifications
Stop being so reactive, and start deciding when you are going to be working and when you’re going to be YOU. I don’t know when a new email comes in. I don’t see my Instagram DMs until I’m inside Instagram. And now that I run my life and business this way, I cannot imagine how distracted I would be if I was letting my phone decide what to tell me and when.
Tip #2: Prioritize Self-Care As A Business Owner
Mark the times in your calendar BEFORE you mark in your work. This is super hard for me as an enneagram 3, But I absolutely need it, and you do too. I think self-care is going to look different for each one of us. It’s as simple as asking “What refuels me?,” and then making space for that on your calendar NO MATTER WHAT. I have an exercise about this inside of Hobby To Pro Toolkit if you’re interested!
Tip #3: Set Work Hours And Communicate These Hours Clearly To Your Family And Clients
Setting work hours really helped me see the line between work time and personal time. It’s also really helpful for my clients to know when they can expect to hear from me. It gives my family a boundary too. When I’m temped to quickly do a work task that I probably shouldn’t be working on during a family event, I can know that I’m going to have dedicated work time. That I don’t need to worry about it. I make a note inside of Notion (my favorite project management tool), and move on. If you want to see how I use Notion I made a video all about it here.
If you’re looking for ways to build better boundaries, especially with your clients, be sure to check out this video for 3 tips you can use today!
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