If you’re reading this article chances are you own a wedding business or you are just getting started with your wedding business. Either way, owning a business says something about you as a person. It communicates that you are a motivated, self starting individual who knows a thing or two about hard work. Early mornings, late nights, and countless hours in the home office or at the coffee shop, hustle is your middle name. We’ve all put in some crazy hours, and I’m guilty of pulling several all-nighters myself to work as hard as I possibly can. But at what cost?
What if I told you, you could do more in a day with less time, decompress when needed, and feel recharged to take command of your day. Working hard is fundamental to the success of any business, but balance and time for you as well as your family are equally as important. Here are 5 tips to Decompress and do more in your day with less time. Ready? Let’s go.
Tip #1: **Make your work day feel like a work day: **One of the most difficult and rewarding aspects of owning a business is the autonomy you have during a day. Want to go do some work at the coffee shop? No problem. Or maybe you need to step away from your workspace for a bit. The problem, however, is that work is so readily available at all times, you end up working all the time (trust me, there’s alway something to do). To combat this, it is absolutely IMPERATIVE that you begin to set hours for your work day. Meaning, I am going to begin working at 9:00am and at 5:00pm I am closing it down for the day. Whatever it is that works for your schedule and your business. Not only does this improve efficiency, but it signals to your brain when it’s time to work and when it’s time to decompress. When you have a concrete and definitive time set out for work, your focus will begin to improve because your time to work is no longer “limitless.” I am personally an early riser and love getting a head start on the day, so I am usually up by around 6 A.M. sitting at my desk by around 8 A.M. I typically take an hour for lunch and will exercise during this time. By 6 P.M. I am shutting logging off for the day, surprised by how much I was able to get done. This is single handedly the best tip I can provide to decompress. Planning and structure are major keys! (Cue DJ Khaled song)
Tip #2 **Me time is a must: **As much as we want to work all the time, we are not robots…Or maybe… All jokes aside, we are not endless working machines and our bodies need time to recharge and decompress from work. You absolutely must find time for yourself (an hour or two if you can) during your day to focus on you. I am a huge advocate for health and wellbeing so I will always recommend some type of exercise or health practice. Exercise is extremely effective in the decompression process because it releases all the feel good hormones as well as increases oxygen to the brain (winning) which ultimately will improve your performance and effectiveness while working. Whether it’s going for a walk, reading a book, watching a show you enjoy, you must find some time for yourself to recharge your battery to do more with less so you don’t burn out.
Tip #3 Your personal phone is personal: Technology has been created in a way that keeps us glued to it, checking it wherever and whenever we can. The latest research shows us that we as Americans check our phones, on average, 96 times A DAY. That’s a lot of phone checking. So if your client’s can access you through your phone, you best believe you will be checking your phone well after your working hours. It is important to make sure your work email is not kept on your phone and that clients do not have access to your phone until about a week before their wedding, in case of emergencies. When you are decompressing, leave your phone somewhere out of reach. If the emails or text messages are there, chances are you will check them.
Tip #4 **Sleep is underrated: **For whatever reason it is pervasive in our hustle culture that sleep is unnecessary and you should just go as hard as you can all the time. Medical journals beg to differ and sleep deprivation has been commonly linked to
- Decreased cognition
- Weakened immunity
- Diabetes
- Heart Disease
- High blood pressure
- Weight gain
- Memory issues
While it might sound good to brag about being the around the clock hustler, you will be far more productive and effective during the work day after you get a good night’s rest. It truly is a domino effect and one bad night of sleep can turn into days of inefficiency. So catch those Zzzzs.
Tip #5 Eliminate distraction: I challenge you at least once this week to remain laser focused during your work day and eliminate all distractions from your work area. Don’t hop on social media, don’t check your phone 96 times a day, and watch how much more efficient and productive you are when you sit down to work. This is the fundamental basis for decompressing and doing more with less time. Research has found that as an American society, we are wasting 21.8 hours a week distracted with chores, technology, and procrastination. 21.8 hours is almost an entire day! Imagine what you could do with almost a full day. Commit to focusing during your day, incorporate time for yourself, be intentional with what you do, and I bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the outcome. Cheers. : )
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