2021, I fancy, is a year in which we want to get going! So samey and slow was 2020 that, with light glimmering at the end of the tunnel (in the far distance), many of us are aiming to make this new year as full of positivity, resilience, and achievement as possible.

I have compiled a short list here of great accessories and furnishings that are likely to help you keep motivated and focused, and to ultimately function in the most productive way possible. With many of us continuing to work from home, and with the possibility of that set up being brought past the pandemic and into working norm territory, it is more important than ever that the time we manage to apportion to work is super productive.

That being said, these accessories are appropriate for many work environments and many ways of life, so dive in, whoever you are. And let these suggestions keep you productive and resilient for months to come.

1. A Physical, Paper Diary

I went back to keeping a paper diary last year. Of course, it being 2020, the diary did not end up as full as I had hoped. That being said, it ended up being an extremely valuable tool.

As brilliant as digital calendars are, there is something a little disconnected (ironically) about them. He connection between what you are writing and your cognitive focus on the content seems to be stronger when written by hand. There is also something precious about a diary, something personal. It is something I long to utilise, as opposed to the calendar on my phone which feels very clinical; something which I have no particular love for.

My diary contains creative thoughts, emotions, financial plans, to do lists, appointments, and pictures; it truly is an external hard drive for my brain, somewhere to keep thoughts when you don’t seem to have space left. I recommend you try it!

2. A Phone Box

My phone has driven me mad this past year. With so little to do, I felt extremely conscious of how drawn I was to it. so much time was wasted on doing so little because of that phone!

Now don’t get me wrong, phones are brilliant. But they are also a real drain. When working I have taken to locking my phone in a drawer. Out of sight out of mind. When I do this, not only am I more productive, but I feel so much freer and clear headed. Find a place for your phone to quarantine. You won’t regret it!

3. Good Quality Headphones

When working from home distraction is rife! One of the best things to do it invest in a pair of good quality headphones, that dumb down or even eliminate any external distracting noise. For me, even if nothing is playing through them, it helps me to narrow my world down to include just the task in hand.

4. White Noise and Background Music

I find that I like to have some kind of noise when I am working. I’m not sure why. Perhaps it makes the world seem less still, or perhaps it feels less lonely? But what I do know, is that it helps me to block out other distractions. Music, I find, is too interesting… I find myself flicking through tracks or singing along. White noise, meditation music or classical ambience make for excellent work mates. This type of ambience relaxes and focuses you at the same time. For example, I am currently listening to a playlist of rainfall, and am absolutely sailing through this article!

5. A Decent Chair

Discomfort makes it extremely hard to work well. The 21^st century contains many more people with back problems than the century before, largely because of bad posture from sitting at desks. A decent ergonomic chair might be worth the investment just to be able to work in comfort and concentrate without being distracted by a clicking neck or an aching back. A wise investment to encourage daily resilience.

By Chris Thomson

Being productive is also helped by good time management. A simple discipline that pays many dividends. Check out this archive blog… Good Time Management = Productivity and Satisfaction

P.S. Whenever you are ready… here are 4 ways we can support your personal and professional Conscious Goals:

1. Access Free Live Meditations & Energy Transmissions

Inside our private Facebook Group, The Conscious Professional Mindful Community where Neil leads live weekly community events. Join now for free.

2. Learn To Meditate With Neil Seligman In Just 10 Days!

Zen in Ten, our flagship online course, is a ten-day mindfulness challenge for people who need to slow down.  

3. Work With Neil One-To-One

See if a Conscious Coaching Partnership is right for you. Book a 15-minute discovery call with Neil here.

4. Bring The Conscious Professional To Your Business

See if The Conscious Professional training and coaching programmes are right for your team or workplace. Book a call here.

The Conscious Professional is dedicated to delivering inspiring corporate mindfulness and professional resilience training, conscious leadership coaching and workplace wellbeing services at the level of professional excellence. Thank you for following our blog.

The post 5 Accessories for A Productive 2021 appeared first on The Conscious Professional.

It’s been a rough year. The events of 2020 have changed many aspects of our lives, in many different ways. The aspect change with which most of us can probably identify is the way in which we work. For some people the change has been as small as donning a mask and regular hand washings, for others, the entire formula for the way that their job is done has had to adapt and mutate numerous times.

Looking after your wellbeing and mental health has never been more important. It was not so long ago that it looked like things might be slowly moving back into a more ‘normal’ place, but, yet again, the circumstances have changed. Some of us have moved back to working at home, some of us are going to be adapting within our workplaces again, but wherever you are for work, ensure that you are being conscious of your wellbeing, the wellbeing of those around you and promoting mindfulness in the workplace (even if that workplace is your own kitchen!).

Working at Home…

Working from home has been proven, by the circumstances of the pandemic, to be much more efficient than many people had anticipated. Although, for some of us, home working is going to be relatively temporary, there is no doubt that the widely experienced benefits of working from home are going to change how we do our jobs forever. So, if you are looking at a future with some amount of remote working within it, now is the perfect time to adopt some good habits and personal wellbeing hacks for the workday.

1. A Comfortable Space

We have talked about how to work from home on a few occasions this year, and this point is one of the most important to consider for both your productivity and your wellbeing. You must have a designated space in which to do your work. The reason for this is that it helps you to draw a line between ‘work time’ and ‘leisure time’, and it helps to reduce distraction.

To optimise the effectiveness of your workspace, make sure it is comfortable. His can be achieved by ensuring that, a)the surrounding area is clean, tidy and minimal, b) you are sitting in comfortable seating in a position that is good for your posture, and c) that you dress in clothes that are defiantly ‘day clothes’ but that are as comfortable as possible.

2. Change Location

This is a slight deviation from point 1. Although it is imperative to have a controlled work area at home, you may find that working in the same place with little human interaction or change a little monotonous. Boredom might seem like a tiny quibble, but bored brains are less creative, less inspired and less efficient. Why not take your laptop to a coffee shop for the afternoon (Covid depending)? This change of scene can really help shift some of that workload. You will find, as I do, that being somewhere else is energising and refreshing.

3. Breaks

When working alone, breaks are more important than ever, so ensure that you are taking them regularly. Without the bustle of a workplace, it can be easy to work for many hours straight, and find yourself very burnt out at the end of the week. It is also important to take mindful breaks that don’t just involve scrolling on social media. Get out for a walk, get some fresh air, go and buy yourself a coffee, sit in the park and meditate for ten minutes; make sure you get out in the world, get refreshed and get stimulated!

Working at Work…

If you have found yourself back at the office, there are also special considerations you should take as a result of the ‘new normal’. Mindfulness in the workplace has always been important, and with the stress we have all been under, it has become even more so.

1. Ease in Gently

You might be tempted, even expected, to jump back into work at the same pace that you did before everything changed. If you can keep up, go for it, but don’t put too much pressure on yourself right away. It will take time to readjust and for your brain and body to recalibrate to the intensity of working ‘from work’ again. So, if it feels like it is getting too much, just remember to take a breath and be kind to yourself.

2. Be Kind to Others

Isolation and a reduction in social contact will have left you a bit rusty when it comes to other people. Social skills are something that need to be practiced. Be kind and forgive your colleagues if some interaction feel a bit ‘weird’ for a while. Be patient.

3. Be Mindful of Your Own Feelings

Make sure that you are checking in on yourself regularly. Everybody has been affected and it is easy to try to bury how you are feeling by getting busy. Your wellbeing is something that should be monitored, and in times of sensitivity, it is something that must be looked after. It is OK if you feel a little less robust than you did before. With some care and attention to wellbeing, you will be back at full capacity soon enough!

By Chris Thomson

Feeling frustrated or emotion? Struggling with your job in 2020? Perhaps this article from our archives will help you to work out why you are feeling out of sorts… Reasons You May Be Emotional

P.S. Whenever you are ready… here are 4 ways we can support your personal and professional Conscious Goals:

1. Access Free Live Meditations & Energy Transmissions

Inside our private Facebook Group, The Conscious Professional Mindful Community where Neil leads live weekly community events. Join now for free.

2. Learn To Meditate With Neil Seligman In Just 10 Days!

Zen in Ten, our flagship online course, is a ten day mindfulness challenge for people who need to slow down.  

3. Work With Neil One-To-One

See if a Conscious Coaching Partnership is right for you. Book a 15-minute discovery call with Neil here.

4. Bring The Conscious Professional To Your Business

See if The Conscious Professional training and coaching programmes are right for your team or workplace. Book a call here.

The Conscious Professional is dedicated to delivering inspiring corporate mindfulness and professional resilience training, conscious leadership coaching and workplace wellbeing services at the level of professional excellence. Thank you for following our blog.

The post Your Wellbeing, Whether Working At Home or in The Office appeared first on The Conscious Professional.

We have quickly been plunged into a world where many, many more of us now work from home. Many of those many people will have always thought about what an idyllic idea this is, but working from home comes with some surprising challenges, especially if you have found yourself as a home worker unexpectedly.  

Indeed, there are many great joys to be found when working from your kitchen, living room, or even home office, should you be so lucky. From more flexible hours to more family time, a shorter commute to a longer lunch break, there are many reasons to enjoy this new situation… but beware the pitfalls! Here are a few top tips on how to master the art of working from home! 

1. Schedule Is Everything 

In your traditional workplace, you will most likely have some sort of schedule. Whether this is a tight schedule packed tightly with precision timed appointments, or a simple designation of when your tea and lunch breaks are, a schedule you will have. When you work from home you are much less accountable to others to keep to a schedule; nobody is watching. With this being the case, it is very easy to get distracted; why not watch an hour of your programme, extend your lunch time or lie in, nobody is watching? 

Thing is, this is a dangerous habit to get in to. What might seem like a bit of a holiday to being with can easily kill your long term motivation and seriously stunt your productivity. For your professional resilience and momentum maintenance, make sure you apply a schedule to your day. Depending how you work, it could be as simple as assigning a start, finish and lunch time, or as complex as assigning specific tasks to half hour slots for a whole workday. Whatever it is, making a schedule and keeping to it will see to your day having purpose and success.  

2. Normal Work Rules Do Not Apply! 

This is not a traditional workplace, therefore normal workplace rules do not apply. Although, as stated above, your resilience and productivity will rely on some structure, you cannot expect to work in the same way as you do in an office (or wherever your usual workplace may be). Instead of trying to replicate your work environment, listen and observe the rhythms and opportunities offered by working from home. This might mean work hours that are more spread out to fit in with family life. It might mean relaxing your dress code. Perhaps it might mean working less, but more intensely. You may have to relocate yourself throughout the day to remain focused. Find what works for you best in this new work environment.  

3. ‘To-Do’ Lists Have Never Been More Helpful 

These are a great way to make task completion more flexible. Instead of having a tight ‘one after the other’ approach to task completion, this system allows you to be more flexible with when and how you complete tasks. This allows for the ebb and flows experienced in a busy home.  

4. Get Dressed 

It is so easy not to get dressed. I have enjoyed many semi-productive work days in my pyjamas, but rarely are they more than that. Prepare to go to work as if you were leaving the house to do it. Get up, get showered, get stressed have your breakfast and start at 9 (or 10, or 11… but make sure you start at your intended hour). Take the day seriously, and serious productivity will be had!  

5. Designated Work Space 

Another common pitfall is to attempt to work in places and positions that you would usually associate with leisure; on the sofa, at the kitchen table, even in your bed. Again, in order to take your day seriously, it helps to have a location in your home that is dedicated solely to work. When you are in this place, it is work time, when you leave it, work is done. This really helps to create boundaries and clarity, and fens off unwanted distractions. Whether it is corner table in your living room or a full blow office, make space for work to happen.  

6. Be Kind to Yourself 

Don’t beat yourself up if you got distracted today, or if you weren’t at optimum efficiency, or if you were called away by family life and got a bit behind. You are only human, and working from home is surprisingly tricky. Keep striving to manage your home work situation better. Stay present and vigilant, and eventually you will find a working from home set up that works for you.  

By Chris Thomson 

The ‘To-Do’ List is a great friend to the home worker, here are some tips on how to compile a really great one! How to Make A Mindful ‘To-Do’ List 

P.S. Whenever you are ready… here are 4 ways we can support your personal and professional Conscious Goals:

1. Access Free Live Meditations & Energy Transmissions

Inside our private Facebook Group, The Conscious Professional Mindful Community where Neil leads live weekly community events. Join now for free.

2. Learn To Meditate With Neil Seligman In Just 10 Days!

Zen in Ten, our flagship online course, is a ten day mindfulness challenge for people who need to slow down.  

3. Work With Neil One-To-One

See if a Conscious Coaching Partnership is right for you. Book a 15-minute discovery call with Neil here.

4. Bring The Conscious Professional To Your Business

See if The Conscious Professional training and coaching programmes are right for your team or workplace. Book a call here.

The Conscious Professional is dedicated to delivering inspiring corporate mindfulness and professional resilience training, conscious leadership coaching and workplace wellbeing services at the level of professional excellence. Thank you for following our blog.

The post New to Working from Home? 6 Top Tips appeared first on The Conscious Professional.