Professionals and small business/home office workers have tremendous
freedom to schedule their days, arrange the furniture, choose the music
and take care of themselves at work. Unfortunately, they also have all
the responsibilities, make all the decisions, and carry all the burdens.
The result is too often we forget to take care of ourselves. Use the
advantages you have! The following tips can make the day go easier and
help you work smarter, better and healthier.
1.
In the morning, limit caffeine to one cup. Or better yet, switch to
herbal teas! Start out calm and you're more likely to stay that way
through the day.
2. Use up-beat music and humor (I love my daily Far Side calendar!) to get your morning off to a great start.
3.
Make sure your first appointment of the day is a great one! Meet a
friend for breakfast, greet co-workers with a big smile, schedule a
favorite client first thing in the morning. Start the day with some fun!
4.
At mid-morning, stand up, stretch and move around, at least for a
moment. Take several deep breaths, wave your hands above your head, be
silly, dance a jig, move your body!
5. Eat a light lunch of
fruits, vegetables and carbohydrates. The traditional soup and salad is
great, or a half-sandwich and an apple. Your body needs sustenance, not a
heavy load, so lighten up!
6. Take a few minutes during your
lunch break to do something totally different: read poetry, call an old
friend, take a nap, go for a run. What you do is not as important as
getting your mind and body away from your work. Take a real break!
7.
During the afternoon, stand up and stretch at least once every hour.
Gently arch your back, touch your toes, or touch the sky. Turn your head
from side to side, and take some deep cleansing breaths. And while
you're at it, smile!
8. When stress and work pile up, take a
mini-vacation. Close the door (or go to the restroom, or a broom closet
if you have to!) but get alone, close your eyes, and imagine a tropical
island, or your favorite picnic spot. Life is good! Breath slowly, and
relax.
9. Once a day, do something "extra" - call an old client
to check in, thank a colleague for a referral, send a note to a friend.
Have fun with this. Make it a game to combine business with pleasure and
broaden your circle of contacts. (Hint: Send a quick 'thinking of you"
email! People love 'em!)
10. At the end of the day, clean off
your desk, and straighten up the office. The janitor will do the routine
stuff, but take pleasure in closing down for the day. Develop a routine
that signals the end of the day, it's time to quit, time to go home
