Finding Balance

I thought I would give you all a bit of an update following my previous Setting Boundaries blog post I wrote at the beginning of January after a pretty stressful 2019. I knew I needed to make some changes for my business, but mostly to prioritise my own health and wellbeing so that I could continue doing what I love and help my clients the best I could.

A lot has changed since then, I’ve been working hard to set boundaries and find more balance in my work and life, so that I can be on top form when I’m in PT/Coach mode, but equally able to switch off at the end of the day into relaxed non-coach, non-business owner mode! It’s a tricky balance to find, especially for a small and still a fairly new business.

One of the things that I realised made it challenging to switch off from work was the fact that my desk was (or used to be) my dining table! Apart from when I was with clients, this is where I was spending most of my days. It was fine for a while and I actually really enjoyed working from home, but the table slowly got messier and more desk like as the hours spent at my laptop got longer and the line between work and life became very blurred. I had no transition time from work to home life, I had to suddenly try and switch between modes just like that and it often wasn’t easy. I realised the value in the work to home commute!

So, I decided it was time to get my own office and official New Waves base!

Not only have I found an office to make my own, but it’s also the perfect space for my personal training clients and a quiet, calming area for my one to one health coaching consultations. I’m still in the process of moving in, tinkering with cushions, plants and final touches, but I can’t wait to share more photos of the space and details with you very soon.

I’m hoping that the room is going to not only help me to separate work and life physically with a completely different space and a sense of ‘going to work’ and ‘going home’ but it also allows me to determine my working hours properly too. For the first time in 4 years I now actually have clear open/close times which feels really good. I’m also allowing myself to take Fridays off as I work most Saturdays. This I admit is more of a goal, I haven’t quite got there yet, but this tends to be when i’ll schedule in something just for me as a bit of self-care time after a busy week. This Friday I’m looking forward to trying a float room treatment for the first time. I hear it’s very relaxing, so I’ll share my experience with you soon!

Other changes I’ve made to improve that vital work/life balance:

• I’ve been making time for my hobbies, particularly creativity. I’ve had a calling for years now to start watercolour painting. I’d be walking on the cliffs and would think ‘i’d love to sit and paint that’ and remind myself yet again to start. Then one day a 6 week beginner watercolour course at Iris and Dora popped up on my Facebook feed! It was meant to be. We’re just one week in but i’m already so glad I signed up and loving my Tuesday evening creative me-time.

• I’ve really fine tuned what programmes and services I’m offering so that I can spend more time making them the best they can be and provide more value for my clients. I get much more job satisfaction that way too!

• I don’t look at my phone for at least the first 30 minutes of every morning. In this time I do 5 minutes of meditation or mindful breathing, 5 minutes yoga flow and 5-10 minutes of strength exercises followed by my morning cup of coffee which I really cherish whilst reading a few pages of my book or writing in my journal. All of this before any of the outside world with all the noise and pressures can get in. It really helps me to manage stress and sets me up for a positive and productive day ahead. I’m not saying this routine happens EVERY morning, but most and I can definitely notice the difference.

• I’ve been prioritising going for either a walk or a run every single day no matter what the weather is doing or what I have on that day. To be honest this has been the easiest target that i’ve set myself as being outdoors in nature is my favourite thing and I often just go for a walk or a run to process thoughts. Some days it’s been a quick 20 minutes round the block and other days its been 2 hours whilst listening to a podcast, depending on the time available. Either way it’s a non negotiable for me and my wellbeing.

I hope by me sharing what changes I’ve made inspires you to think about what you could do to find some more balance in your life. I definitely don’t have everything figured out, but I feel so much more balanced than I did last year and heading in the right direction. Nothing is permanent, things get in the way and we have to go with the ebbs and flows of life, but I guess that’s what makes it interesting and what makes us resilient! Stay tuned for another update soon!

So, I decided it was time to get my own office and official New Waves base!

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