WEBVTT - My WFH Routine! Tips to Keep You Productive & Focused 0:00:00.560 --> 0:00:03.440 I'd like to begin by acknowledging the traditional custodians of 0:00:03.480 --> 0:00:06.920 country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. 0:00:07.360 --> 0:00:09.960 We pay our respect to their elders past present, and 0:00:10.039 --> 0:00:13.000 extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 0:00:13.000 --> 0:00:18.360 peoples today. Welcome to Stepping Up the podcast where we 0:00:18.400 --> 0:00:22.680 explore all things organization, mental health routines, personal. 0:00:22.320 --> 0:00:24.079 Development, motherhood and health. 0:00:24.360 --> 0:00:26.960 I'm your host, Steph Pace, and I'm the woman behind 0:00:27.160 --> 0:00:29.920 Just Another Mummy blog and also the founder of Steph 0:00:29.960 --> 0:00:32.599 Pace Planners. But I can assure you this is not 0:00:32.680 --> 0:00:36.440 just another podcast online. I'm known for my organization tips 0:00:36.440 --> 0:00:39.440 and tricks and the occasional banter, but it definitely wasn't 0:00:39.440 --> 0:00:42.120 always this way. I used to be a hot mess 0:00:42.360 --> 0:00:45.440 and occasionally still am. And I'm here as your honest 0:00:45.479 --> 0:00:47.720 and real friend each week to show you how I 0:00:47.760 --> 0:00:49.840 turn my life of chaos into clarity. 0:00:50.280 --> 0:00:52.240 Between the house, health, kids. 0:00:52.040 --> 0:00:54.480 Work, and wanting to be the best version of yourself, 0:00:54.480 --> 0:00:56.600 it can be overwhelming, and I'm here to give you 0:00:56.640 --> 0:00:58.600 the tools and tips to stop you feeling like a 0:00:58.640 --> 0:01:02.000 slave to your daily time, asks, home life, and especially 0:01:02.040 --> 0:01:03.840 the expectations you have on yourself. 0:01:04.480 --> 0:01:05.399 Join me as I share my. 0:01:05.440 --> 0:01:07.640 Journey and insights into the art of balancing at all 0:01:07.760 --> 0:01:09.720 and speak to guests who can help us all live 0:01:09.760 --> 0:01:13.080 a better life. Whether you're looking to streamline your daily routines, 0:01:13.160 --> 0:01:16.800 bish your wellbeing, achieve your fitness goals, diamond to personal development, 0:01:16.920 --> 0:01:19.560 or find inspiration to steff up into the best version 0:01:19.560 --> 0:01:21.000 of yourself, We've got you. 0:01:21.680 --> 0:01:24.200 So are you ready to step up your game? Let's go. 0:01:25.880 --> 0:01:28.479 Hello guys, and welcome back to stepping Up. I hope 0:01:28.520 --> 0:01:31.280 you are having a fantastic day wherever you're listening from. 0:01:31.480 --> 0:01:35.080 Do you, guys ever just think back randomly to COVID lockdown. 0:01:35.400 --> 0:01:38.080 I can't believe that it's literally nearly the end of 0:01:38.120 --> 0:01:41.360 twenty twenty four and the whole lockdown thing happened. And 0:01:41.959 --> 0:01:44.920 since then, you know, working from home has become such 0:01:44.959 --> 0:01:47.960 a huge thing. People who always worked in offices are 0:01:48.040 --> 0:01:50.360 now able to be more flexible and work from home. 0:01:50.760 --> 0:01:54.600 People who even rented spaces or had their whole workplace 0:01:54.840 --> 0:01:57.279 in an office. I know a lot of business owners 0:01:57.320 --> 0:01:59.760 who decided to let everyone work from home, and that's 0:01:59.800 --> 0:02:03.120 like a normal thing. Now with technology, there's so much 0:02:03.160 --> 0:02:05.640 you can do online, you can have meetings, you. 0:02:05.600 --> 0:02:06.760 Can catch up with each other. 0:02:07.360 --> 0:02:10.359 While this is great in many different ways, it can 0:02:10.520 --> 0:02:13.520 make juggling the demands at home a bit easier. 0:02:13.680 --> 0:02:15.080 So if you need to be there with the kids, 0:02:15.120 --> 0:02:16.000 if you've got little. 0:02:15.760 --> 0:02:18.880 Ones, it's been so important and it's something that you know, 0:02:18.919 --> 0:02:20.679 we've kind of had to learn to do from day 0:02:20.720 --> 0:02:23.040 dot and for people who run their own business, they 0:02:23.080 --> 0:02:25.399 definitely know what this is like. But with all these 0:02:25.480 --> 0:02:29.560 positive come a lot of negatives. It's something that even 0:02:29.639 --> 0:02:31.880 when you try to focus on one aspect of your 0:02:31.880 --> 0:02:34.320 life such as home, or such as the kids, or 0:02:34.400 --> 0:02:36.400 just work, there's always going to be the demands of 0:02:36.400 --> 0:02:38.720 the other areas pulling you. And you feel that the 0:02:38.760 --> 0:02:40.840 most when you are trying to work from home. 0:02:41.040 --> 0:02:41.200 Now. 0:02:41.240 --> 0:02:43.959 Granted, I work from home usually two to three days 0:02:44.000 --> 0:02:46.720 a week, and for when I'm in my deep planning 0:02:46.800 --> 0:02:49.440 and I need to really like focus on the podcast 0:02:49.600 --> 0:02:52.200 and coming up with episodes and also like marketing and 0:02:52.240 --> 0:02:54.880 all that stuff. It's a godsend. And I also obviously 0:02:54.960 --> 0:02:57.760 need a film, but I tend to get a little 0:02:57.760 --> 0:03:00.680 bit baddy by the time you know, Tuesday to noon comes, 0:03:00.720 --> 0:03:03.480 which is literally now, so I'm struggling to even speak 0:03:03.480 --> 0:03:07.240 English now, and I feel like, you know, I'm not 0:03:07.320 --> 0:03:11.360 like an overly social person. I enjoy being around people, 0:03:11.440 --> 0:03:13.600 I love my friends all that stuff, but I'm not 0:03:13.680 --> 0:03:16.760 someone who I guess I'm trying to say is withoutstanding 0:03:16.760 --> 0:03:18.120 like an asshole, because I do. 0:03:18.160 --> 0:03:19.240 I love being around my friends. 0:03:19.320 --> 0:03:22.120 But I think for me, my cup gets filled up 0:03:22.160 --> 0:03:24.640 more when I'm at home with my family or just 0:03:24.720 --> 0:03:26.959 out with my family, like outside or something, you know 0:03:27.000 --> 0:03:30.360 what I mean, or in solitudes. Being overly social just 0:03:30.760 --> 0:03:32.520 isn't like at the top of my list, is what 0:03:32.560 --> 0:03:34.640 I'm trying to say, I guess. But when I am 0:03:34.680 --> 0:03:37.160 working from home two days straight, so Monday tuesdays, I 0:03:37.200 --> 0:03:40.120 do find my mental health can take a dive if 0:03:40.160 --> 0:03:41.720 I'm not doing the right things and if I'm not 0:03:41.800 --> 0:03:44.160 sticking to the right routine. Working from home can be 0:03:44.240 --> 0:03:46.760 such a hard thing to navigate, and if you don't 0:03:46.800 --> 0:03:49.200 stick to your routines and rituals and rules that you 0:03:49.240 --> 0:03:51.960 need to set for yourself, the lines between work and 0:03:52.000 --> 0:03:55.000 home can really start to blur. Because I know for me, 0:03:55.120 --> 0:03:57.480 especially because I work for myself, there's less of a 0:03:57.520 --> 0:03:59.800 sense of urgency unless there's a deadline, which yes, there's 0:03:59.800 --> 0:04:02.400 a lot, but I tend to let my work creep 0:04:02.480 --> 0:04:04.600 into my personal life and the time I'm meant to 0:04:04.640 --> 0:04:07.240 be with my family because that sense of urgency isn't 0:04:07.280 --> 0:04:08.640 there from the time I start. 0:04:08.880 --> 0:04:10.760 This episode is definitely for you if you are. 0:04:10.680 --> 0:04:14.160 Someone that works from home and you can't switch off 0:04:14.200 --> 0:04:16.840 after work has finished. You're sitting there in your loungery 0:04:16.880 --> 0:04:19.120 with your family, or with your partner, or by yourself, 0:04:19.320 --> 0:04:21.800 and you're still thinking about work. You're finding that your 0:04:21.920 --> 0:04:25.680 work is slowly but surely creeping into your personal and 0:04:25.800 --> 0:04:26.480 home life. 0:04:26.560 --> 0:04:29.560 And this is especially for you if you have been working. 0:04:29.400 --> 0:04:31.560 Home, even for a long time, and maybe you're a 0:04:31.600 --> 0:04:34.560 pro at it, but you find yourself just not as productive. 0:04:34.920 --> 0:04:37.240 I am going to be giving you the hacks and 0:04:37.400 --> 0:04:40.320 routines that I do every day that saves my sanity 0:04:40.480 --> 0:04:43.479 and my work and my business, because these are the 0:04:43.520 --> 0:04:46.040 things that not only keep my mental health in check, 0:04:46.400 --> 0:04:49.800 but they also keep me productive and really helping to 0:04:49.800 --> 0:04:52.279 set the lines between work and home. Now, the whole 0:04:52.279 --> 0:04:55.920 reason I'm actually recording this podcast is because a few 0:04:55.920 --> 0:04:58.560 weeks ago on Steface Planners, I posted a reel that 0:04:59.080 --> 0:05:01.640 was my work from home non negotiables, and there were 0:05:01.640 --> 0:05:05.880 things both holistically and productivity wise that I have to 0:05:05.920 --> 0:05:08.400 do every day when I work from home to keep 0:05:08.400 --> 0:05:10.480 me at my best. I also wanted to record this 0:05:10.480 --> 0:05:13.080 podcast because you guys are going to be finding out 0:05:13.160 --> 0:05:17.839 for everybody else. But we tonight are launching our brand new, 0:05:18.040 --> 0:05:22.440 revamped home and work to do list. Now, if you 0:05:22.480 --> 0:05:25.120 don't know what this baby is, this is literally the 0:05:25.120 --> 0:05:28.080 best invention ever. And this took me so long to 0:05:28.160 --> 0:05:30.600 nail it because there's nothing like it on the market. 0:05:31.000 --> 0:05:34.440 It is this beautiful, beige little booklet and when you 0:05:34.520 --> 0:05:37.960 open it, one side says home to dos and then 0:05:38.000 --> 0:05:41.599 the right side says work to dos. Now, I've revamped 0:05:41.600 --> 0:05:44.919 this so she's looking good, she's looking fresh. And I 0:05:45.200 --> 0:05:48.080 made this at a time where you know, Stepfa's planners 0:05:48.160 --> 0:05:51.359 was really ramping up and I personally was struggling between 0:05:51.480 --> 0:05:54.200 work and home. So I loved this because it helped 0:05:54.200 --> 0:05:57.320 my brain distinguish my work to dos and my home 0:05:57.360 --> 0:06:00.279 to dos. But what I've changed about this is which 0:06:00.320 --> 0:06:03.000 to do list also has a space that says others, 0:06:03.040 --> 0:06:05.440 so you don't have to use it for home and work. 0:06:05.480 --> 0:06:08.320 It could be for home and kids. It could be 0:06:08.440 --> 0:06:11.480 for personal and I don't know, bloody health and fitness. 0:06:11.520 --> 0:06:11.800 I don't know. 0:06:11.800 --> 0:06:13.919 It could be anything you want For someone like me. 0:06:14.279 --> 0:06:16.799 I like to use it for not only home and work, 0:06:16.839 --> 0:06:19.640 but for SPP and also my personal brands and YouTube 0:06:19.640 --> 0:06:21.800 and like the content and have them on each side. 0:06:22.160 --> 0:06:24.760 So I'm so excited that you guys get to find 0:06:24.760 --> 0:06:27.799 out about this first, and I'll be posting a real tonight, 0:06:27.839 --> 0:06:30.200 so make sure you hop on over and cheer me 0:06:30.320 --> 0:06:32.080 on and let me know if you're going to be 0:06:32.120 --> 0:06:35.280 grabbing one. Now, let's get cracking into today's episode. Now, 0:06:35.320 --> 0:06:37.800 before I get into the routines and rituals, the first 0:06:37.800 --> 0:06:40.320 thing I want to cover that you need if you 0:06:40.320 --> 0:06:42.360 are someone that works from home is I want you 0:06:42.440 --> 0:06:47.200 to create a dedicated workspace that feels nice. Not everybody 0:06:47.480 --> 0:06:50.000 can have a home office or even a desk, and 0:06:50.040 --> 0:06:51.919 I'm very aware of that. I was definitely one of 0:06:51.920 --> 0:06:55.640 those people. But I want you to have something that 0:06:55.800 --> 0:06:58.000 tells your brain this is work time or this is 0:06:58.040 --> 0:07:01.120 my workspace. Now I'm pure going to talk about officers 0:07:01.160 --> 0:07:04.000 for a minute, or a desk, for example. On my desk, 0:07:05.160 --> 0:07:08.120 I have things that make me feel good. So obviously 0:07:08.160 --> 0:07:10.120 you want it to be functional, you want your planners 0:07:10.120 --> 0:07:12.920 on there. But I have things on my desk that, 0:07:13.280 --> 0:07:15.560 as Marie Condo would say, spark joy. 0:07:15.880 --> 0:07:18.200 So I've got I'm literally looking at it now. 0:07:18.280 --> 0:07:22.240 I've got this bloody cloud teacup that I bought that 0:07:22.320 --> 0:07:24.600 Ryan gave me so much. It about because no, I 0:07:24.600 --> 0:07:25.920 don't use it, but I just like it. 0:07:25.920 --> 0:07:26.400 It's cute. 0:07:26.440 --> 0:07:29.480 I've got a cloud what's we mean clouds? I've got 0:07:29.480 --> 0:07:32.040 a cloud mouse pad. I've got a cloud wrist pad. 0:07:32.120 --> 0:07:34.480 I just have things that make me feel good. You 0:07:34.520 --> 0:07:37.400 guys know how important our environment is, especially the case 0:07:37.440 --> 0:07:40.000 when you are spending a lot of your time in 0:07:40.040 --> 0:07:45.080 this space and doing these activities. So even thinking about functionality, 0:07:45.160 --> 0:07:46.520 if you work on a laptop, do you have a 0:07:46.600 --> 0:07:47.400 laptop stand? 0:07:47.960 --> 0:07:49.240 Do you have a mouse? 0:07:49.360 --> 0:07:51.800 Is using an actual mouse over the little mouse pad 0:07:51.800 --> 0:07:53.240 on the laptop that's going to make you work a 0:07:53.280 --> 0:07:56.360 lot quicker. Maybe thinking about investing in that. That's the 0:07:56.400 --> 0:07:59.160 type of stuff I'm talking about. So you obviously want functionality, 0:07:59.160 --> 0:08:01.240 but you also want it to make you feel nice. Now, 0:08:01.280 --> 0:08:04.120 if you can't have a desk or an office at home, 0:08:04.320 --> 0:08:07.960 then one thing I recommend you having is a work caddy. 0:08:08.080 --> 0:08:10.920 This can be a bag or just a normal caddy 0:08:10.920 --> 0:08:13.640 that you buy from Kmart or Ikea where you put 0:08:13.680 --> 0:08:15.640 things in there and you grab your laptop and you 0:08:15.680 --> 0:08:17.200 know you can just take it. You could take it 0:08:17.240 --> 0:08:20.000 out onto the patio, on the balcony, whatever you want 0:08:20.040 --> 0:08:22.400 to go and work. Now, in this caddy, you would 0:08:22.400 --> 0:08:26.120 have things like your planner, pens, highlighters, a timer, anything 0:08:26.160 --> 0:08:28.960 you need for work, and then also the things that 0:08:29.000 --> 0:08:32.640 make you feel good. This also extends into your actual 0:08:32.840 --> 0:08:36.720 computer like desktop. So I have a digital vision board 0:08:36.880 --> 0:08:39.360 on my desktop as my wallpaper, and I made this 0:08:39.440 --> 0:08:42.240 on Camber did a full YouTube video on this as well, 0:08:42.280 --> 0:08:43.600 so I link that in the show notes. 0:08:43.640 --> 0:08:45.400 Because it's super easy and it's really. 0:08:45.320 --> 0:08:48.199 Nice, it's inspirational, and it reminds you why you're doing 0:08:48.240 --> 0:08:51.160 the things you're doing. Once you've created a really nice 0:08:51.200 --> 0:08:54.559 dedicated workspace or a work caddy that makes you feel good, 0:08:54.920 --> 0:08:57.560 let's move on to having set routines and rituals and 0:08:57.720 --> 0:09:01.559 rules in place so you can stop work filtering into 0:09:01.559 --> 0:09:04.440 your life and also learn how to switch off. Now, 0:09:04.480 --> 0:09:08.440 the first thing is to stick to your set working hours. Now, 0:09:08.480 --> 0:09:11.000 I'm the biggest hypocrite when it comes to this, and 0:09:11.040 --> 0:09:12.920 I'm not going to pretend that I'm not. In the 0:09:12.960 --> 0:09:16.480 past have tried to stick to working hours. I got 0:09:16.520 --> 0:09:18.520 to a point where I have to say that whatever 0:09:18.679 --> 0:09:22.880 doesn't get done after this certain time, tough titties. Really 0:09:23.040 --> 0:09:26.360 it's too bad, too sad. And that really does help 0:09:26.400 --> 0:09:29.319 me create that sense of urgency that I need because 0:09:29.360 --> 0:09:32.640 I work well under pressure, so that helps having that 0:09:32.720 --> 0:09:35.760 kind of mindset. Now, of course I run my own business. 0:09:35.800 --> 0:09:38.200 Things come up when we have campaigns or launches, like 0:09:38.280 --> 0:09:42.080 it's our birthday month. Things happen, but generally it helps 0:09:42.200 --> 0:09:45.720 me to really be strict with set, start and stop time. 0:09:46.160 --> 0:09:48.200 One thing that really helped me as well. If you're 0:09:48.240 --> 0:09:50.640 someone that's really bad with time management, like say you 0:09:50.679 --> 0:09:53.120 sit down to do a stin of work and the 0:09:53.200 --> 0:09:55.240 next minute the day is done, and you feel like 0:09:55.240 --> 0:09:57.760 you've done nothing because you ended up scrolling on Instagram 0:09:57.880 --> 0:09:59.719 or you got distracted with something else. 0:09:59.559 --> 0:10:00.880 Like the The Bloody Week. 0:10:01.000 --> 0:10:04.480 I ended up spending eight hours learning about automations, like 0:10:04.640 --> 0:10:05.720 I got into ZAPI. 0:10:05.760 --> 0:10:07.120 I don't know if you guys have heard about it. 0:10:07.160 --> 0:10:08.720 I should do a whole other podcasts on it because 0:10:08.720 --> 0:10:09.360 it's so cool. 0:10:09.720 --> 0:10:12.720 But I ended up spending eight hours trying to create 0:10:12.760 --> 0:10:17.080 my own automation so our notion space would automatically send 0:10:17.080 --> 0:10:19.200 files to our Google Drive and I got there in 0:10:19.240 --> 0:10:21.760 the end and it's so so so amazing and smart. 0:10:21.760 --> 0:10:24.199 But did I have time to do that? No, and 0:10:24.240 --> 0:10:25.080 that was not my intention. 0:10:25.400 --> 0:10:28.160 So my hack for helping you, I guess, be better 0:10:28.160 --> 0:10:31.000 at time management so you can understand how long until 0:10:31.040 --> 0:10:35.000 work is done. I downloaded a count down timer to 0:10:35.120 --> 0:10:37.880 my computer. So every morning, I hop on the computer 0:10:38.000 --> 0:10:41.199 and I input my work hour ending time, So I'll 0:10:41.240 --> 0:10:43.439 hop on and say maybe four pm or two pm, 0:10:43.440 --> 0:10:45.679 depending on who's getting the kids that day, and then 0:10:45.720 --> 0:10:47.880 it starts to count down. So it really helps create 0:10:47.920 --> 0:10:50.640 that sense of urgency that I wasn't feeling before because 0:10:50.720 --> 0:10:53.000 I visually in my face. I need it to be 0:10:53.040 --> 0:10:55.320 in my face so I can remember shows me how 0:10:55.400 --> 0:10:57.240 much time I have left, so then it pushes me 0:10:57.280 --> 0:10:59.640 to work faster. You really need to have these clear 0:10:59.679 --> 0:11:03.160 bounds injuries with not only people you work with, but 0:11:03.200 --> 0:11:06.600 also yourself, because you need to have that time for 0:11:06.640 --> 0:11:09.240 yourself and your family. Now, the next thing I do 0:11:09.400 --> 0:11:13.400 is I integrate certain things into my routine that works 0:11:13.440 --> 0:11:15.040 with my brain, not against it. 0:11:15.440 --> 0:11:18.400 What I mean by that is we all are different. 0:11:18.760 --> 0:11:21.600 Some people work really well in the morning, some people 0:11:21.640 --> 0:11:25.040 work better late morning. Most people generally work best between 0:11:25.160 --> 0:11:27.839 nine am and twelve pm. That is, I think they 0:11:27.840 --> 0:11:30.120 say sixty percent of the population. But then there's some 0:11:30.160 --> 0:11:32.680 people who are more night ours, and then there's people 0:11:32.679 --> 0:11:35.839 like me who work better soon as I pretty much 0:11:35.880 --> 0:11:38.160 wake up and brush my teeth. I think it's because 0:11:38.200 --> 0:11:40.880 I have less time to get distracted, and I'm the 0:11:40.960 --> 0:11:44.200 freshest in the morning. Honestly, even when it hits like 0:11:44.240 --> 0:11:46.120 ten o'clock in the morning, I'm kind of done by then. 0:11:47.640 --> 0:11:50.000 So I want you to find out what time of 0:11:50.080 --> 0:11:52.080 day you are at your best, and that is the 0:11:52.160 --> 0:11:54.040 time you're going to be doing your deep work. 0:11:54.200 --> 0:11:56.400 Now. I want to be getting into this a bit 0:11:56.440 --> 0:11:58.119 more later about task. 0:11:57.880 --> 0:12:01.640 Batching and time blocking. But this is so important because 0:12:01.720 --> 0:12:05.000 so many of us will use the best hours of 0:12:05.080 --> 0:12:08.720 our day doing things like emails and being in meetings 0:12:08.720 --> 0:12:11.640 that might not need as much like brain power as 0:12:11.679 --> 0:12:14.400 something as your bigger projects or something that's creative that 0:12:14.440 --> 0:12:16.280 you need to do. So that leads me on to 0:12:16.360 --> 0:12:18.880 my next point. About working with your brain, not against 0:12:18.920 --> 0:12:22.240 it is. For me, I always try to push most 0:12:22.320 --> 0:12:26.000 meetings to be after twelve because I know between morning 0:12:26.160 --> 0:12:28.600 to lunch that is my go time. That is my 0:12:28.679 --> 0:12:31.480 time to smash through like either making content or doing 0:12:31.520 --> 0:12:34.679 my projects, my deep work, anything creative like filming, that's 0:12:34.679 --> 0:12:36.800 when I have the energy. But of course, if you 0:12:36.880 --> 0:12:39.680 have any meetings that need a lot of brain power, 0:12:39.920 --> 0:12:43.080 definitely do that during your peak time. So for me, 0:12:43.120 --> 0:12:45.560 on a Wednesday, we have a marketing meeting, which isn't 0:12:45.600 --> 0:12:48.000 technically on my meeting day, which I'll get into later, 0:12:48.120 --> 0:12:50.240 and I have it earlier in the day because for 0:12:50.360 --> 0:12:52.319 marketing I need to have my creativity. 0:12:52.360 --> 0:12:54.200 I need to have my brain power. I need to 0:12:54.200 --> 0:12:55.240 be on for that meeting. 0:12:55.280 --> 0:12:58.520 But all the other meetings are more operations and logistics, 0:12:58.520 --> 0:13:01.520 which isn't necessarily what's one of my roles my main 0:13:01.600 --> 0:13:04.680 role at SPP, So I kind of can be a 0:13:04.679 --> 0:13:06.480 bit of a potato, to be honest, and I usually 0:13:06.480 --> 0:13:07.079 eat lunch. 0:13:06.960 --> 0:13:10.439 During that time. My poor team then, when it comes. 0:13:10.160 --> 0:13:11.960 To the parts of the day that you are still 0:13:12.000 --> 0:13:14.440 working but you're at your worst, I guess you could 0:13:14.480 --> 0:13:19.520 say use that for really easy low brain power reoccurring tasks. 0:13:20.000 --> 0:13:22.040 These are the times we're going to be doing your emails, 0:13:22.040 --> 0:13:23.880 which I am going to touch on a bit later 0:13:24.000 --> 0:13:27.600 because I'm very strict about emails and light admin tasks, 0:13:28.000 --> 0:13:30.800 what I like to call catch all tasks, all of 0:13:30.800 --> 0:13:33.480 that kind of more mindless stuff that doesn't need a 0:13:33.480 --> 0:13:35.280 whole lot of attention. That is how you're going to 0:13:35.360 --> 0:13:37.800 work with your brain, not against it. Now, before I 0:13:37.880 --> 0:13:40.400 move on, just to do a quick recap. First thing 0:13:40.520 --> 0:13:43.920 is set up a dedicated workspace or work caddy that 0:13:44.040 --> 0:13:46.760 is functional and makes you feel good. The next thing 0:13:47.000 --> 0:13:50.840 is stick to set working hours, so set that boundary 0:13:50.920 --> 0:13:54.240 with yourself and other people of when you actually finish work, 0:13:54.280 --> 0:13:56.679 and using things like a countdown timer so you can 0:13:56.720 --> 0:13:59.720 actually feel that urgency and get things done quicker. We've 0:13:59.720 --> 0:14:02.560 got work with your brain, not against it. So scheduling 0:14:02.600 --> 0:14:06.319 your day so your really important tasks are done when 0:14:06.360 --> 0:14:09.240 your brain is at its best, and things that aren't 0:14:09.320 --> 0:14:12.520 so heavy for your mind you do when you start 0:14:12.520 --> 0:14:15.000 to turn into a sloth. Now this leads me on 0:14:15.040 --> 0:14:17.920 to my next point about how to hack your brain 0:14:18.120 --> 0:14:20.640 to work from home, and you could actually do this anywhere, 0:14:20.680 --> 0:14:22.480 even if you work in an office for anything. 0:14:22.520 --> 0:14:23.600 It's actually amazing. 0:14:23.800 --> 0:14:27.400 I actually got this idea from speaking to my friend 0:14:27.480 --> 0:14:30.120 Rachelle Fox, and we're talking about, you know, working on 0:14:30.160 --> 0:14:31.960 projects and things like that, and she is the one 0:14:31.960 --> 0:14:34.880 who suggested this tip for me, and it has worked 0:14:35.040 --> 0:14:38.200 incredibly for my brain. You know, when you walk past 0:14:38.200 --> 0:14:39.960 something and then you get a whiff of like a 0:14:39.960 --> 0:14:42.920 familiar smell, and it straightaway brings you back to a 0:14:42.920 --> 0:14:45.320 certain point in time or a certain memory, and it 0:14:45.360 --> 0:14:47.800 feels so real, the same as if you hear a 0:14:47.840 --> 0:14:50.280 certain song that you may have heard it like a concert. 0:14:50.320 --> 0:14:52.360 I still remember certain songs that were playing when I 0:14:52.440 --> 0:14:54.720 was bloody given birth, the Harper, not when it was 0:14:55.080 --> 0:14:56.960 like the end part where it's a real doozy, but 0:14:57.360 --> 0:14:59.440 near the start. Like there's certain things that just bring 0:14:59.520 --> 0:15:02.000 you back to those times. And that is because our 0:15:02.040 --> 0:15:06.040 brain has some really incredible ways of shifting gears and 0:15:06.080 --> 0:15:10.040 remembering certain things by our scent, our site and things 0:15:10.160 --> 0:15:14.240 like that. Whereas I'll read something or someone will tell 0:15:14.280 --> 0:15:16.560 me something and I'll forget five minutes later. But things 0:15:16.600 --> 0:15:18.960 like that are really powerful. Now we're going to be 0:15:19.040 --> 0:15:22.160 using that power that your brain has to hack your 0:15:22.160 --> 0:15:25.280 brain to get into a flow state quicker. You guys 0:15:25.320 --> 0:15:27.360 have probably heard of what a flow state is. It's 0:15:27.400 --> 0:15:30.800 basically when you are in such deep concentration of a 0:15:30.800 --> 0:15:33.760 particular task that time is just passing by and you 0:15:33.800 --> 0:15:36.360 don't notice, you don't notice what's going on around you. 0:15:36.360 --> 0:15:38.160 You're just solely focused. 0:15:37.720 --> 0:15:39.800 On your task and you're just so immersed in it. 0:15:39.960 --> 0:15:42.360 And that is the best state to be in for 0:15:42.760 --> 0:15:45.280 your work. The quickest way to get to this, and 0:15:45.280 --> 0:15:48.280 this is what Rachel told me is have a certain playlist. 0:15:48.760 --> 0:15:51.720 So for me, when I'm doing any type of scripting 0:15:51.880 --> 0:15:55.000 or more creative planning or writing or whatever it is 0:15:55.040 --> 0:15:58.800 to do with marketing, emails, writing captions, I will play 0:15:58.880 --> 0:16:01.840 this certain playlist that kind of taps into that creative 0:16:01.880 --> 0:16:03.160 part of my brain that says. 0:16:03.080 --> 0:16:04.280 Okay, it's time to do this. 0:16:04.640 --> 0:16:07.720 I also like to light a candle for this, and 0:16:08.080 --> 0:16:11.880 between the smell and the music, my brain shifts gears 0:16:11.960 --> 0:16:14.720 so quickly and I'm someone again. I've got ADHD. I 0:16:14.760 --> 0:16:19.640 struggle hardcore with this, but it is a freaking game changer. Now, 0:16:19.680 --> 0:16:23.520 things like deep work, I have another playlist and for 0:16:23.640 --> 0:16:26.080 both of these, whether it's anything to do deep work 0:16:26.200 --> 0:16:28.640 or creative I will always put my headphones on. They're 0:16:28.640 --> 0:16:31.600 the Apple headphones that can cancel out noises and it's 0:16:31.640 --> 0:16:34.120 bloody amazing. And if you're listening to this and you 0:16:34.160 --> 0:16:37.120 have ADHD, I highly recommend them. So my brain knows 0:16:37.200 --> 0:16:39.920 when the headphones are on, the playlist is on, it's 0:16:39.920 --> 0:16:42.080 go time. It's the same when I'm being creative, the 0:16:42.160 --> 0:16:44.880 headphones are on, the candles lit, the music's on, it's 0:16:44.920 --> 0:16:47.680 go time. It kind of like fast tracks your brain 0:16:47.760 --> 0:16:49.560 to know like, oh, yep, I know this, this is 0:16:49.560 --> 0:16:51.240 what we're doing. You kind of need to think of 0:16:51.280 --> 0:16:54.200 your brain like a child. You need to prompt it 0:16:54.360 --> 0:16:57.600 into doing the things. And these little things of using 0:16:57.680 --> 0:17:01.360 your scent, your smell, you're hearing and your site really 0:17:01.400 --> 0:17:03.760 does help you fast track into that flow state and 0:17:03.760 --> 0:17:06.320 get shit done quicker. I also want to add in 0:17:06.400 --> 0:17:09.000 terms of you know, doing these things like deep work 0:17:09.080 --> 0:17:11.959 or whenever you're trying to focus, the biggest and the 0:17:11.960 --> 0:17:14.280 best thing that you can do if you don't have 0:17:14.359 --> 0:17:15.800 to use your phone. 0:17:15.440 --> 0:17:16.080 Put it away. 0:17:16.200 --> 0:17:18.760 I actually physically put it in a draw. Putting it 0:17:18.800 --> 0:17:21.000 in a drawer and having that physical barrier of when 0:17:21.040 --> 0:17:23.560 you shut the draw again signals to your brain that 0:17:23.600 --> 0:17:26.119 it's go time, and the amount of times that we 0:17:26.160 --> 0:17:27.480 get distracted from our phones. 0:17:27.520 --> 0:17:29.679 We could be hopping on there just to quickly check. 0:17:29.520 --> 0:17:31.960 An email or whatever, or maybe you see it light 0:17:32.040 --> 0:17:33.879 up and you see a notification and you're trying to 0:17:33.880 --> 0:17:37.560 be working. Every time you get interrupted or switch tasks, 0:17:37.560 --> 0:17:41.679 that is thirty minutes for your brain to refocus. And 0:17:41.720 --> 0:17:44.760 that leads me into task batching. You guys know, I 0:17:44.880 --> 0:17:47.880 love productivity hacks and all of that stuff. Whatever makes 0:17:47.920 --> 0:17:51.359 my life easier, and multitasking is not for humans like 0:17:51.440 --> 0:17:52.240 that is not for us. 0:17:52.400 --> 0:17:53.320 It's for computers. 0:17:53.359 --> 0:17:55.720 And even then they struggle, like my computer hisses at 0:17:55.720 --> 0:17:58.639 me most of the time. So basically, the idea of 0:17:58.760 --> 0:18:02.520 task batching is there's grouping tasks that are similar together. 0:18:02.880 --> 0:18:07.560 So for example, one minute you're sitting there, you're being creative, 0:18:07.720 --> 0:18:08.600 you're maybe coming up. 0:18:08.560 --> 0:18:09.919