Tag Archives: self employed

Aug31

Quelle Surprise!

Posted on by
Standard
Quelle Surprise!

Yoo hoo! As I am self employed, I rarely take a day off or even a half day. Hey, if I don’t work then I don’t get paid because what’s PTO amiright? However, sometimes time off is unavoidable and that was the case this past Monday. My client was feeling unwell so I left about two hours into my shift and decided to head to chez mom and dad’s. They were watching one of my sweet nieces and I wasn’t going to let the opportunity for a play date pass me by. It was a glorious day of seventy degree weather and I couldn’t wait to run around and stretch my legs. After our Columbus Zoo trip last Saturday, Johnny and I literally didn’t move on Sunday so I could have used the exercise lol.

I arrived at my parents’ house as soon as they did and my niece and I went absolutely crazy outside. Bubble crazy to be specific! My parents got my nieces this adorable bubble blower that looks like a French Bulldog and provides beaucoup bubbles with a pinwheel mechanism. We ran and danced through the bubbles for a solid half hour plus. Only pausing for water and juice breaks and adding more bubble soap to the blower! We declared ourselves the Bubble Queens but my littlest Bubble Queen was ready for some lunch.

I stuck around for her meal and some more play, then went on my merry way home. Johnny wasn’t due back for another two hours and I knew exactly how I was going to spend my time: Kicking back and watching America’s Next Top Model AKA my number one guilty pleasure. I couldn’t wait to get home and have some me time and was shocked when I reached our apartment. Johnny’s car was in the parking lot! I was worried he wasn’t feeling well either but that wasn’t the case at all.

When he opened the door, my main squeeze proudly told me he took a half day so he could clean the bunny hutch and surprise me. Quelle surprise! He was also just as surprised that I was home early too! The hutch looked phenomenal and the bunnies were happily romping about with their dad. It was the absolute sweetest and I am the luckiest lady in the whole world. Johnny is the best bunny dad and husband and after my homecoming we enjoyed the rest of our half day together. Johnny played video games while I tucked into the new Rachel Joyce novel and then spent the rest of the day watching our new favorite sitcom, Abbott Elementary. It was the perfect surprise day off followed by a perfect surprise at home! ❤

^^^ What a guy!!!!

Have you had any fun surprises recently? What does a perfect day off look like for you? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan19

Moving Right Along

Posted on by
Standard
Moving Right Along

Howdy!! One of the comments that I get several times a week from the people I see and talk to frequently is: “I don’t know how you manage everything”. I have three jobs that keep me very busy, but I like to think that I have my juggling act down to a science. This isn’t something that happened overnight, rather something that has been perfected over time as I have been self employed for over a decade. It can be a delicate dance when you have a crazy schedule to keep your head above water. However, once you have it down, you can do that dance backwards and with your eyes closed! Here is what helps me:

I love my jobs:

The most important thing is to love what you do for a living and I certainly do! I love working with people with special needs, I love my blog, and I love being a social media manager. If I was absolutely miserable in any of these positions, I wouldn’t dedicate so much time to them. It makes me feel good to be a boss lady, but boss ladies know when to take a step back. As soon as I start feeling like something isn’t a good fit, I make immediate plans to change it and follow through until that is accomplished. It’s what keeps my work exciting and makes each day a joy rather than a chore.

It’s all in the timing:

Of course, time management is the next most important step to making a hectic schedule work. Through trial and error, I created a schedule that allows for me to complete every single task and be done when I return home so I can enjoy my evening with Johnny. Making a perfect schedule for yourself is like assembling a puzzle and once you get the pieces right, there is nothing that you can’t do. For a long while, I would still work a bit once I got home for the day no matter how badly I wanted to sink into the couch. The last step in my master schedule was eliminating this and I feel even more capable because I’m using my evenings for what they were intended for – relaxing!

Listen to yourself:

No one knows you better than you and rather than push yourself, you need to listen to yourself. I can’t tell you how many times I avoided taking breaks or simply a day off and it did me no favors. It made me resentful, exhausted, and overwhelmed. Honestly, this is one of the major things I still need to work on but I am getting better at it. You can only push yourself so much until you break so don’t let yourself get to that point. If something is feeling off, don’t just brush it aside because it’s your mind and body sending you a message. Listen to it because burnout is a very real thing and you have all of the tools to prevent it.

Go with the flow:

It’s no secret that my schedule is god lol. I have to admit, that I do tend to get a little panicky when my day isn’t moving as it should. This is why I am really making an effort to implement a go with the flow attitude. Being high-strung all day is exhausting and I always have to make a conscious effort to remind myself that things might not go accordingly to plan no matter how much you plan. While I do still experience some anxiety during a not to the T day, it has decreased substantially as I have to remind myself that even the most well thought out schedule needs some wiggle room.

I am well aware that there are still things that I need to work on when it comes to my work week. Keeping all of the above at the forefront of my mind helps me and I hope it does the same for you!

Do you follow the same schedule every day? How do you improve your work flow? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec8

Best Job Ever!

Posted on by
Standard
Best Job Ever!

Hello!! I have been working with people with special needs for a decade now and I simply could not imagine doing anything different. Don’t get me wrong, I love working on the blog and social media but my work community feels like home and it is a beautiful thing. Being able to help and work with so many amazing families is a gift and I don’t take it lightly. One of my greatest joys this year has been being reunited with my VERY FIRST client and her family. It has been like stepping into a time capsule from when I first started out and it feels like I never left. During our last session, my client presented me with this sweet gift and I will treasure it for forever:

IMG_1979

My client and I spent a snowy day inside completing household chores together. About halfway through, she said “Oh! I almost forgot. I wanted you to have this because you have always been there for me and I’m so happy you are able to work with me again”. Then, she handed me the little angel and I almost cried – not just because it was incredibly thoughtful, but because I feel the exact same way. I was ecstatic when her parents reached out to me and it feels so good to be back. It really is a high point of my week.

I love my job even on the most difficult days and it’s moments like these that always makes me eager for my next shift. I have received countless drawings, works of art, cards, and trinkets from my clients over my extensive tenure and I have kept them all. I have enjoyed my time with every family I have worked with and displaying these gifts where I can see them around my apartment is a constant reminder of that. I felt like the luckiest girl in the world as I placed my angel on my knick knack shelf directly across from my computer station. I see it every time I look up and I smile Every. Single. Time.

My work never feels like work because I am genuinely excited every time I hop into the car and venture to one of my clients. Here’s to ten more years in the best field EVER!

What do you love about your job? What would you change about your job? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar25

*Trying* To Take It Easy

Posted on by
Standard
*Trying* To Take It Easy

Hello!! The irony has not been lost on me that the past two times that I had any time off from work were spent being sick. I spent my week long holiday break this winter with RSV and had another week off due to a nasty virus at the beginning of the month. It was a huge bummer to be sick over the holidays, but I’d be a liar if I said it wasn’t awesome having some time off this second time around! As someone who has been self employed for almost a decade, it is incredibly difficult for me to justify time off – even if it is for fun things like vacations. However, after enjoying being sick more than I probably should have, I realized that I really do need to make an effort to *try* to take it easier. So, I have been doing the following:

Sleeping In:

I have always been adamant about waking up as soon as my alarm goes off because I need my jam packed days to run like clockwork. This proved to be very hard after a whole week of getting up sans alarm, though. After my sick spell, I have given myself permission to hit the snooze or even sleep for another extra hour. And guess what? My days still are going without a hitch and I feel much more well rested too. This isn’t an every day thing, but I have been taking advantage of getting some extra shut eye on the days where I have a bit more wiggle room. I have noticed a huge difference in my energy levels and will absolutely continue with this!

Face Masks:

One of my sick day rituals was using face masks so I could feel some semblance of pampered while I was a gross, sweaty mess lol. This is another thing that I have been sticking with and I have enjoyed a weekly face mask since the beginning of March. I tend to do this as soon as I get home one day during the week and even though it’s only a twenty minute process, I see its merits. Rather than diving into the next thing I have to do (computer work, cooking dinner, cleaning), I am able to take those twenty minutes to recharge and continue going about my day. This is a win/win because I love doing skin care and I feel like it gives me a second wind until bedtime. It’s amazing what taking twenty minutes for you out of your day can do!

Making Plans:

I can’t tell you the amount of weekends I have spent doing literally nothing because I am too tired. Then, I would go about the work week feeling disappointed that Johnny and I didn’t do anything fun at all. While we still have our lazy weekends, we have both been making an effort to do more and have a good time during our time off. Within this past month alone, we have reincorporated date nights and I have tried my best to make plans (and keep them) with my friends. For a long while, I was going through the motions of the work week without much to look forward to once the weekend rolls around. Now, Johnny and I have been adding at least one fun outing to our weekend and it has been fantastic. On Mondays, I feel happy with the hang outs we’ve had and am eager to see what we’ll do the following weekend.

I have been on the grindset mindset for so long and, although these seem like small changes, they are huge to me. I plan on continuing with all of these improvements and adding new ways to make things easier for myself when I feel like I need it. I already notice a difference!

How do you take time for yourself? What are some improvements that you have made recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan30

Work Goals Achieved (YES!)

Posted on by
Standard
Work Goals Achieved (YES!)

Howdy! As the transition from 2022 and 2023 happened, one of my main goals was to work a lot more online. While I love my job as an Independent Provider, I wanted to try new things too and what I was most interested in was taking my online work to a new level. This was such an “asked and answered” situation because on January 4th of 2023, I began working as the in house writer for a tech entrepreneur in Massillon, Ohio. This was an absolute dream come true!

image_6487327(28)

With this job came the responsibilities of handling social media for several different accounts, writing blog posts and press releases, as well as office admin work. It honestly doesn’t even feel like work because it is so much fun! Like my job as an Independent Provider, I know that it’s something that I’m not only excellent at, but I genuinely enjoy too. It truly doesn’t get much better than that and I have lifewithlilred to thank. That is how I got noticed for this opportunity in the first place. ❤

At the end of 2023, my time with a long term client came to an unfortunate end and that was really hard for me. I assumed that I would be working with that family for forever and I was wrong. It was also stressful because I needed to find a way to make up for the hours lost. Once again, asked and answered. My online boss gave the okay for additional hours on Monday and, better yet, I get to do that in person! Every Monday, I have been going into the office for training and am learning so much. It gives me the chance to work with the companies my boss owns in an entirely new way and it is thrilling!

The cherry on top to my online work extravaganza has been accepting another new role. Starting this past December, I became the social media manager for a local metalcore band called Constellations. I created all of their social media pages from scratch and handle their content calendars, scheduling, and promoting. This is something that I have wanted for so long and I am very proud of myself for taking the plunge and tossing my hat in the ring when they were looking to hire someone. I took a big chance and it paid off big time. 😀

It’s safe to say that I am a pretty busy gal between all of my jobs, but it is the best kind of busy ever. I love everything that I do and I can’t wait to see what opportunities come my way next!

Have you achieved any goals recently? What is your favorite part about your job? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec4

A Lil Red Update

Posted on by
Standard
A Lil Red Update

Helloooo darlings! Is it just me or have these past few months been crazy? I feel like I have been going nonstop and am so looking forward to Christmas break even though I literally just took time off for Thanksgiving lol. Even though I have been on the move between all of my jobs and I am exhausted, it hasn’t been bad at all! In fact, I have made quite a few changes to my work schedule and have been enjoying it – even though this change requires me to get up at three AM a few mornings during the work week. 😮 So early, I know but so worth it!

Since October I have been providing transportation to one of my old clients to take him to work. I pick him up at seven thirty in the morning, but that doesn’t mean that I can sleep in until I have to leave. After lots of mental math, I realized that I would need to get up at three for my morning to go like usual. Get up, work out, take care of the bunnies, shower, take the buns out to play, write, and work from home for my other job for two hours. After all of this, it takes me to seven o’clock when I have to leave.

The mornings are a doozy, for sure, but I have so loved seeing my old client again that I don’t even care. What’s even better is that our day together doesn’t end once we get to his job because I have recently became his job coach too! I got my job coaching certification a few years ago for another client and, unfortunately, it fell through. I never sought out another client for that particular aspect of my job so it was most exciting for the opportunity to give it a shot. I like to think I’m rocking it, but my client takes the cake and it has been a great experience for both of us. 🙂

My work in the field isn’t the only thing that has been keeping me busy busy because online work has been nuts too. Gotta love peak advertising season! Between lifewithlilred, my job as an in house writer for a tech entrepreneur, and potentially creating a podcast with a local celebrity, it’s safe to say that I have had a lot of quality time with my computer. It’s a lot, yes, but once again it is extremely fulfilling and I am thrilled with all of the ways that my different jobs have been taking off. I feel so proud of myself and it keeps me motivated to keep working hard to achieve even more of my goals.

With all of these changes to my work schedule, I am patting myself on the back and giving myself an “attagirl” for being all done with my holiday shopping! I knew there was a reason that I started around August because it’s one less thing I have to worry about now. Well… Except for wrapping everything lol but, otherwise, it’s a wrap. I can’t wait to keep working my hardest until my holiday break and hope the new year starts just as strong!

What has been going on in your wonderful world? How has work been going for you? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May9

Content Creating 101

Posted on by
Standard
Content Creating 101

Hello!! This past week, I shared my pro tips for working from home and self employment that were very well received. So, I decided to do one more 101 post with a focus on content creating. For almost four years, I have been creating daily content for lifewithlilred and I am very determined to continue this streak for as long as humanly possible! These are some of the tips that help me stay motivated and creative and maybe they’ll be helpful for you too:

Patience is a virtue:

Over the past several years, influencers and content creators have made a big splash online and I’m sure we all have a favorite personality with millions of viewers. It might be easy to think that you can immediately start publishing content and hit it big but that is far from the case more often than not. Every popular influencer started off with minimal views and they worked hard to increase them. As a content creator, it is important to be patient and continue posting even if you think no one is seeing it. At the end of the day, this is what you have to do to boost your visibility so stick with it and don’t compare yourselves to other people – nothing good ever comes out of that!

Content is everywhere:

Chances are, you are not going to stumble upon instantly viral content and if you have, then you are SO lucky! Although you might not come across million view worthy things when you are out and about, there is still content everywhere. Sometimes, it helps to think small instead of big in terms of content, especially when you are feeling uninspired. Then, you can appreciate all of the little things that are just as post worthy too. This always helps me! Take a walk and post about how you felt in nature, write about your favorite knick knack at home; if you think that it is worth writing about, then it is. Simple as that. 🙂

Never stop learning:

There is, truly, a lot more to content creating than meets the eye and the online world is changing constantly. There are always going to be new social media platforms, trends, and techniques to learn and it’s important to stay up to date with them. Myself, for example, didn’t get an Instagram until the end of 2021 and I regret that because it’s literally the easiest platform ever and I just said “hard no” lol. Educate yourself by learning about SEO, analytics, trending topics, and ways to increase your visibility and incorporate it into your content. There are so many tools out there to help you, but they’re only going to help if you familiarize yourself with it first.

Have fun:

At the end of the day, I genuinely think that content creating is fun. I love to write, take pictures, explore, and I enjoy being on social media. If you are not feeling the joy of creating something, then it might be a good time to reevaluate what you are currently doing and see where you can improve. It’s okay to take breaks and give your mind a chance to refresh so you can get back to creating and having a blast while doing so.

Stay organized:

I cannot recommend a publishing schedule enough, especially when you are first starting out. This helps your viewers know when to expect your posts, look forward to them, and keep checking in. When I first began lifewithlilred, I was posting willy nilly with no set schedule and I quickly learned the benefits of establishing one. I went from twice a week content to every other day to every day in the near decade of my page’s existence. Having this set in stone schedule definitely assisted my page’s visibility. Create a schedule that works well for you and commit to it. Content is being created every second of every day all over the world. Random postings are very easy to get lost among the crowd!

When it comes to content creating, be patient with the process of it, stay motivated, and have fun. Whether you are getting one view or a million, you created something you were proud of and that’s the best thing of all!

What is your favorite social media platform? What are some of your content creating pro tips? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May6

Self Employment 101

Posted on by
Standard
Self Employment 101

Hello! In a recent post, I shared my pro tips for Working From Home 101 and I thought I would share my thoughts on self employment as well. For close to a decade, I have been working under the best boss in the world – myself! At times, it is stressful and difficult, but it is also so rewarding and I truly couldn’t imagine working under someone else ever again. I love what I do as an Independent Provider for people with special needs and as a Content Creator and I have had years to perfect my method. All of the following works for me and maybe it will be helpful for you too:

Organization is ESSENTIAL:

When you are self employed, it is up to you to handle everything and if you struggle with organization, it can be a struggle. Thankfully, I live to organize and thrive with a fairly strict schedule, making this aspect of self employment one of my favorite things. Sticking to a schedule and staying on top of things eliminates any surprises from interfering with your work flow. To keep myself in check, I follow these steps:

Paperwork: Getting behind on your paperwork is one of the absolute worst things that you can do. This is why I refuse to end a day without completing all of my forms both tangible and online. I also set aside time at the end of every month to complete my mileage log for my taxes. I am very meticulous about my paperwork and keep everything organized in a filing cabinet in my office. It just makes things easier to have everything I might ever need at the ready and even if it is annoying sometimes, my businesses wouldn’t thrive otherwise.

Scheduling: One of the benefits of self employment is making your own schedule. This freedom can be utterly intoxicating if you are used to waiting around for a schedule from a previous job. However, don’t enjoy it too much! Falling into the trap of “I’ll do it tomorrow” or “I have plenty of time to get it done” sets you up for failure. Creating a schedule that works for you and that you know you can commit to is only going to help you!

Taxes: Filing your taxes is going to be different than usual when you’re self employed and I cannot recommend getting familiar with this process enough. All year, my “tax” file in my cabinet gets a lot of use and by the time tax season rolls around, I have nothing left to do but schedule an appointment. When you learn what things can be “written off”, you can not only save money but step up your record keeping game. It’s a win/win and, of course, if you have any questions along the way, call the person who does your taxes!

Stay Cool:

When you are self employed, you are making the plunge from “employee” to “business owner”. It is very easy to get overwhelmed by this and the best thing that you can do is to keep a level head. Staying cool, calm, and collected allows you to make rational decisions for your business and it’s never good to make these calls when you’re stressed. As the owner of two businesses, I know firsthand that juggling so many different things can be intense. Whenever I notice that I’m feeling the pressure of this, I allow myself to take a break, clear my head, and start fresh.

Keep Learning:

Even if you are your own boss, you should never stop trying to learn new things to improve your business. Find a mentor, take classes, do your own research, and ask questions. You don’t want your business to plateau, but grow! My mentor has helped me SO much in skill development, educating myself, and mastering new things. Finding someone to take you under their wing or at least brainstorm with can boost your business in ways that you might not have even considered. Be curious, ambitious, and willing to learn – it will take you far!

Enjoy Yourself:

Being self employed is something that not everyone has the luxury of doing and it’s something that I feel very lucky for. I remember this often and even on crazy busy days, I am still happy that I am doing it all by myself. Shifting your mindset from “this is too much” to “this is pretty awesome” will make your days so much more enjoyable, even under stress. On rollercoaster days, just put your hands up and enjoy the ride because you never know where your business will take you!

My businesses have thrived from being highly organized and highly motivated and I feel so proud of that. These tips help me out every day and gives me the drive to keep going forward in my own self employment!

What are some of your self employment pro tips? What is your dream job? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May1

Working From Home 101

Posted on by
Standard
Working From Home 101

Hello! One of my goals for 2023 was to gain more opportunities to work from home. On January 3rd, this was answered through a partnership with a tech entrepreneur and I have been his in house writer ever since! It is the absolute best and now I spend my mornings working from home doing what I do best: Content creating and social media. At first, this new job was a bit stressful on top of my work schedule as an Independent Provider for people with special needs. However, I have gotten my work from home flow down pat and these simple adjustments keep my days running like a fine tuned machine:

Sticking to a schedule:

This seems like a no brainer, but a solid schedule is how I achieved optimum success. Once I learned that my mornings were going to be different, I immediately formed a schedule and a new wake up time based on how long it takes me to complete everything else I need to do. Unfortunately, this meant starting to get up at five AM every morning and that was really hard at first! However, after about a week, my body adjusted to the “early bird” BS and I am so thankful for that lol. I was able to work out to the minute how long it would take me to take care of Mel and Pen, shower, write for lifewithlilred, eat breakfast, and start WFH while still making it to all of my afternoon clients on time. In writing, it seems like a lot but this schedule sets my day up to run smoothly and I would be lost without it!

Break time:

I am an on the go type of gal and one mistake that I made when I began WFH was not allowing myself a break or two. This is why I now eat breakfast almost every day and when I have spare time, I watch an episode of Assassination Classroom on CrunchyRoll. It might not seem like it, but sitting in an uncomfortable chair in front of the computer for hours on end can be really draining – especially when you have another job to go to after! Whenever I am feeling stiff or my brain needs a breather, I know it’s time to get up and stretch or tool around on Facebook for five or so minutes to get myself back in check. All work and no breaks leads to burnout and I now know that taking a ten doesn’t hurt my work flow but help it drastically.

Communication is key:

When you work from home, obviously, your boss isn’t in the next room over so you can ask questions. Therefore, communication is key to WFH success. My boss and I are essentially on the same schedule in the morning, which means that we can hop on a conference call, game plan, and I know he’s just a call away if something doesn’t make sense. Working from home does give you some free reign, but that means nothing if you didn’t do what needs to be done correctly. I used to not be the fondest person of asking questions and now I know that this is a no no and I highly encourage check ins so everyone is on the same page.

Don’t forget to end your day:

When your home is your office, it is SO easy to forget to stop working lol. The saying goes to not bring your work home but what if your work is already at home?! Believe you me, whenever I get a new email or message from clients after hours, I want nothing more to respond immediately and that’s not good! Like any other job, clocking out at the end of the day means that you are done and it is important for your own well being to respect that. Unless it is an absolutely urgent matter, I consider my work day done at five o’clock and I am so glad for it. If you struggle with not being able to turn your work mode off, I cannot recommend setting up an out of office email enough and setting limits for yourself because you are only going to end up exhausted.

I have been working from home for five months now and it took some time for me to get the hang of it. All of the above helped me out so much and I hope some of these tips work for you too!

What are some of your own WFH tips? Do you prefer going to work in person or virtually? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar19

Lil Red: A Creature Of Habit

Posted on by
Standard
Lil Red: A Creature Of Habit

Hello!! At the moment, I have three jobs and my life has been very busy. I work as a provider for people with special needs, create daily content for lifewithlilred and complete online work, and I just began a new marketing gig in January. At some point this year, I will cut back on my work in the field and give myself more time to not only work from home, but relax with a less demanding schedule. For now, however, I am enjoying the ride and I love seeing all of the hard work I put into lifewithlilred come into fruition in my new job.

With three jobs under my belt as well as being a very active bunny mom, I have been asked a lot since the beginning of the year how I have been managing. I am no stranger to working several jobs at once so this isn’t a brand new situation for me, but it does help a lot that Lil Red is, first and foremost, A Creature Of Habit. Because of this, my days run like a fine tuned machine and all of the following components help me to achieve this:

Sticking To A Schedule:

My schedule is the most important thing to achieve optimum success during the work week. Without it, I wouldn’t have the time to care for the bunnies in the morning, create content, and work from home before going to a client’s home. This morning routine came into place this past November when Johnny and I brought Mel and Penelope home, but it became an absolute necessity when I started my new job at the beginning of the year. Of course, waking up at five AM is not my idea of a good time in the slightest. However, if I don’t, my work day wouldn’t end until six or so in the evening and that sounds like less of a good time to me. Sticking to this schedule has lots of obvious benefits and my weekend days feel very off when I don’t have to follow through with it!

Forming Good Habits:

Prior to bringing the bunnies home, I was able to sleep in a bit later and was never too pressed if I had to hit the snooze button once, twice, or several times! As wonderful as it was to get the extra Zs, this was a habit that I needed to break for my day to run smoothly. Believe you me, I would LOVE to hit the snooze every morning and if I am extra tired, I will every now and then. But, I like being able to relax when I get home from work rather than work more. Fighting the urge to hit the snooze is definitely a habit that I am glad to have made.

Another good habit that I have formed fairly recently is establishing a meal schedule. Since my days shifted to a much earlier time and I have a lot to do, I go from hungry to hangry really quickly and that is not okay. During my mornings at home, I have penciled in time to have an actual breakfast, pack a snack or lunch for later in the day, and not be completely ravenous by dinnertime. I have come to realize how important it is to fuel my body for long work days and it has helped so much in reducing how rundown I have been feeling.

Take A Break:

Going nonstop is my forte, but it’s not a good thing to be gifted in lol. If I have the time after online work in the morning, I have given myself permission to take a break. Usually I will give my brain some breathing room by watching one episode of Assassination Classroom on Crunchyroll or reading a chapter or two in whatever book I’m working on. Because I work for myself, no one but me tells me when it’s time to rest for a bit. If I had an employee, I would most certainly allow for breaks for them, so why not me too? Even little breaks throughout the day to stretch and hydrate are helpful and it keeps me from completely crashing later. Total win/win!

Creating a schedule and habits that work for me took a decent amount of trial and error, but I am fully satisfied with the end result. I am proud of the work that I accomplish and, honestly, look forward to getting up every morning to see where the day takes me!

How important is a schedule to you? What do you like to do during break time? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah