​Whether you're a small business owner or an employee, well-being at work is crucial for productivity and success. However, finding the time and energy to focus on yourself can be challenging amid numerous responsibilities. This blog post provides tips to help you achieve well-being at work, no matter your role!
 
Recognising the Need for a Break: Wellbeing at work (and in your personal life) is vital. If you run a small business or are part of a team, you might feel indispensable to the business's success and profitability. How often have you tried to work when you weren't feeling well or found yourself regularly working evenings and weekends to complete tasks? Although it may seem necessary, working while unwell often leads to mistakes and longer task completion times.
 
So, how can you improve your well-being at work? Here are some tips:
 
1. Take Regular Breaks
Even a few minutes can make a difference. Get up, walk around, stretch, and get some fresh air if possible. Use an app like Pomodoro to regularly remind you to take short and long breaks.
 
2. Make Time for Yourself Outside of Work
Engage in activities that make you happy and recharge your batteries. Whether it's taking a yoga class, going for a run, or reading your favourite book, find time for yourself.
 
3. Eat Healthily and Stay Hydrated
Fuel your body with nutritious food and plenty of water throughout the day. A healthy diet can significantly impact your energy levels and overall well-being.
 
4. Create a Positive Work Environment
A positive workspace can boost your mood and productivity. Declutter your desk, decorate with items that make you smile, or have a meaningful conversation with a colleague about something you're passionate about.
 
5. Manage Stress Levels
Be mindful of your stress and take action to reduce it. Techniques like meditation, deep breathing exercises, journaling, or other relaxation methods can help you stay calm and focused.
 
Take Things One Day at a Time…
 
By following these tips, you can start your journey towards achieving well-being at work. Remember, progress takes time and patience. Rome wasn't built in a day, nor is a healthy workplace environment! Creating lasting change requires effort, but it can help you stay happy, healthy, and productive at work, ultimately helping you avoid burnout—complete exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged emotional, physical, and mental stress.
 
Taking care of yourself should be a top business priority, right alongside handling customer inquiries, managing invoices and expenses, and marketing. Set aside time this week to focus on your well-being. By prioritising self-care, you'll be better equipped to handle the demands of your business and maintain a balanced, fulfilling work life.

Do you feel like you're in a balancing act?
I think it’s fair to say that pursuing business success often takes a heavy toll on personal wellbeing. Virtual work environments have brought about unprecedented flexibility and blurred the lines between professional and personal life. Small business owners, in particular, find themselves in a constant balancing act, juggling work-life balance – often to the detriment of their health and wellbeing.

So how can we try to prioritise wellbeing in our own working lives?
The first step in prioritising wellbeing is acknowledging the struggle. Small business owners often wear multiple hats, from managing finances and operations to marketing and customer service. Recognising the weight of these responsibilities is essential. The virtual world provides opportunities for flexibility and can also contribute to feelings of isolation and burnout. By acknowledging these challenges, business owners can begin the journey towards a healthier work-life balance, seeking help from external business professionals with specific tasks or streamlining their work with automation and enhanced processes.

Establish boundaries
Another significant challenge when running your own small business is the need for physical boundaries between work and personal life. Small business owners often find themselves answering emails late into the night or working on weekends. Establishing clear boundaries is a fundamental aspect of prioritising wellbeing. This includes defining specific work hours, designating a workspace, and communicating these boundaries to colleagues, clients, and family members. Small business owners can foster a healthier balance by creating distinct compartments for work and personal life.

Nurture physical and mental health
In the pursuit of business success, self-care is often sacrificed. However, neglecting physical and mental health can harm overall well-being. Small business owners must prioritise self-care practices, whether regular exercise, meditation, or taking short breaks to recharge. These practices contribute to physical health and enhance mental resilience, allowing business owners to navigate challenges with clarity and focus. 

Build your support system
The virtual world can be isolating, and small business owners may feel the weight of their responsibilities in solitude. Building a support system is crucial for prioritising wellbeing. This can include networking with fellow business owners, joining virtual communities, or seeking mentorship. The exchange of experiences and insights within a supportive community can alleviate the sense of isolation and provide valuable perspectives on managing the challenges of small business ownership. 

Tools and apps to alleviate stress
Ironically, technology, which is often a source of stress, can also be leveraged for the well-being of everyone, including small business owners. Small business owners can explore apps and tools to promote mindfulness, track sleep patterns, or manage stress. Incorporating technology focusing on well-being can be a proactive step in maintaining a healthy work-life balance in the virtual world.

Taking breaks is Essential!
One final piece of advice - business owners must recognise is the importance of taking breaks without guilt! Whether it's a short walk, a coffee break, or a moment of quiet reflection, breaks are essential for recharging and maintaining focus. Understanding that breaks contribute to, rather than detract from, productivity is a mindset shift crucial for well-being.

Running your own small business is hard enough without overwhelming feelings of stress, exhaustion and burnout, so please take care of yourselves! Your business relies on you being at the top of your game, so take time to relax, recharge and look after your health and wellbeing.

Everyone has a to-do list that they need to tackle. Whether it's an ever-growing list of tasks at work, or the mundane chores around the house, staying on top of it all can be overwhelming.

It's easy to get sidetracked and procrastinate, but with some discipline and focus, you can get your to-do list under control. Here are some top tips for tackling your to-do list effectively and avoiding procrastination:
 
1. Prioritise tasks – Make a list of the tasks that need completing and prioritise them in order of importance. This will help you stay focused on the most important items first, rather than getting distracted by less urgent tasks.
 
2. Break it down – Tackle large tasks by breaking them down into smaller, manageable chunks. This makes the task seem more achievable and allows you to focus on one step at a time, rather than feeling overwhelmed by the bigger picture.
 
3. Set realistic goals – Set yourself achievable targets for each task and make sure you have enough time to complete it. Setting small goals can help keep you motivated and on track, and will prevent procrastination.
 
4. Take regular breaks – Taking short breaks throughout the day will help to keep your mind fresh and focused. A few minutes of rest here and there can make a big difference in terms of productivity and help you to stay on top of your to do list.
 
5. Reward yourself – Achieving a goal is always satisfying, so reward yourself for each successful task! Whether it’s taking a break to have a cup of coffee or treating yourself to something special, celebrate your successes and use them as motivation for the next task.
 
6. Don't be afraid to ask for help – If you find yourself struggling to get your work done or staying motivated, don't hesitate to reach out for help. A friend or colleague may be able to offer some advice and support that could make all the difference in conquering procrastination.
 
7. Avoid distractions – When working on a task, try to work in an environment that is free of distractions such as television, loud noises or other people. This will help you stay focused and on track with your work.
 
8. Set a deadline – Setting yourself a hard deadline for when you need to complete the task by is often seen as one of the best ways to combat procrastination. Whether it’s an internal personal deadline, or something imposed by a boss, having that hard deadline looming can be enough to get you moving.
 
There are some great task-list tools out there that you can use too, like https://todoist.com/ - giving you the opportunity to create a virtual to-do list and cross things off as you go, whether that’s on your desktop, laptop or phone (if you are out and about!). However, in my opinion, there’s nothing quite like a handwritten list where you can cross things off manually - if you’re saving paper, why not try a mini whiteboard to help visualise your list and feel the satisfaction of crossing things off when you complete them!
 
Unfortunately, there are always factors that can impact our productivity or the speed at which we can complete our to-do list, but by adopting some of the tips from above you can reduce the risk of some external factors getting in the way of you smashing your to-do list this week!

Good luck!

After COVID, there are more people working from home than ever before. However, just because we’ve all had a lot of experience, it doesn’t mean that we’re all working as productively and efficiently as possible!

Here are my top remote working tips:
 
1 – Create a designated work space, if possible
 
Working from your bed or sofa might be comfortable, but it’s not conducive to a productive workflow. By creating a separate space – even if it’s just a corner of your room – you’ll help yourself to focus on work, rather than getting distracted by your surroundings.
 
2 – Remove distractions
 
This one might seem obvious, but it’s worth reiterating! If you can, try to create a work environment that’s free from distractions like TV, music and social media. If you need background noise to focus, there are plenty of white noise and nature sounds apps available
 
3 – Try to take regular breaks
 
Sitting at a screen for hours on end is not good for our physical or mental health, so it’s important to take regular breaks. Stepping away from your work will help you to refocus and come back feeling refreshed
 
4 – Stay connected with your colleagues
 
Remote working can be isolating, so it’s important to stay connected with your team. Whether you’re using Slack, Zoom or another messaging platform, make sure you check in regularly and participate in any social events that your company might be hosting virtually
 
5 – Have realistic expectations
 
Working from home is not always the dream that we imagine it to be. There will be days when you’re more productive than others, and that’s OK! Don’t put too much pressure on yourself – remember, you’re doing the best that you can!
 
6 – Plan your days
 
The most productive remote workers are those who plan their days in advance. By mapping out what you need to do and when you’re going to do it, you’ll find it easier to stay on track.
 
7 – Embrace flexibility, if you want to!
 
Not everyone works best from 9-5, and that’s OK. If you find that you’re more productive outside of traditional working hours, then embrace that flexibility. Working when you feel most productive will help you to get the most out of your day
 
There we have it – my top tips for remote working! Do you work remotely in your business? If so, what are your top tips? Why don’t you share them on the CC Professional Social Media pages? It would be great to hear from you.