Productivity & slow living
A Sneak peek into the techniques that transformed my workay.
I can proudly say that I love what I do.
Since the moment I decided to stop working for others and solely work for myself, I knew I would have to find methods to stay on track and motivated since time management has never been my forte.
Sometimes I wonder if those who work for a shitty boss or company it’s mostly because at least they know that they’ll have someone to tell them what to do, how to do it, and when to do it by.
Once you fly solo, there is no one there bugging the fuk out of you to get the project finished; you either do it, or you don’t.
Yes, it is a privilege to manage my time freely; to choose who I work with and who I don’t work with; to decide if I take Tuesdays or Saturdays off; and to choose if I work a little or a lot.
I get to live slowly, and both I and my chronic illness love that.
At first though, without a job to be at daily, I struggled to establish a consistent routine.
The absence of external deadlines and supervision can lead to procrastination and difficulty in staying on track.
To be honest, while freedom is a significant perk of self-employment, it can also be overwhelming. I’m always juggling multiple (fun and exciting) projects, and without a clear plan, it leads to inefficient use of my time.
Not only that, but home-based work environments can be rife with distractions, and I don’t know about you, but it's easy to succumb to random interruptions; from household chores that suddenly cannot be postponed, to wanting to chill with my partner instead of write, or the allure of social media, which can derail productivity.
I read everywhere that to overcoming these challenges requires a combination of effective time management strategies, self-discipline, and creating a conducive work environment that fosters focus and minimizes distractions.
I tried time-blocking, to-do lists, and even going to the library or a coffee shop to reduce all distractions( that last one gets expensive, I’ll tell you that…), and even though all of these methods work, and I use them often, nothing worked as well as the Pomodoro Technique.
I tell you all about it and more ways to manage and balance your workday in my newest article on EkhartYoga.
However, I wanted to give you a firsthand experience of this method. That's why I've crafted a 25-minute productivity sprint timer that you can use while working alongside me.
I filmed this in my Barcelona bedroom a few weeks ago, and I truly hope that this method benefits you as much as it benefits me.
Use it to write, paint, study, do homework, get work done, or even just as background noise while you’re getting chores done.
Feel free to take a 5 or 10-minute break after the sprint, drink some water, stretch, or even go for a short stroll outside, and then repeat!
If you want to dive deeper into ways to develop a better work-life balance while working from home or remotely, I invite you to check out my new program on EkhartYoga: Desk Detox: Yoga to Balance Your Workday.
In it, I share bite-sized yoga, meditation, breathwork, and journaling practices to sprinkle throughout your workday to energize in the morning, focus during the afternoon, and unwind in the evening. Starts 28th August!
Have a lovely weekend.
P.S. Registration for the Autumn Yoga & Meditation retreat near Barcelona in October is now open! Get all the details here.