Invite Calm Into Your Work Day: 3 Overlooked Productivity Hacks
Listen to this post (or read on…) 🌱
Invite calm into your working day for greater productivity and relaxation.
Let’s reimagine productivity so that our time at work feels more manageable and peaceful - whether in the office, at home or in a hybrid environment. This, in turn, offers greater clarity, focus and engagement. Perhaps it won't get rid of our stresses and worries altogether, but it can make for a more enjoyable and meaningful experience at work where we are able to be fully present. It is possible to be productive with self-compassion by giving yourself grace. I have found a way to achieve and maintain more balance, enabling me to manage and complete tasks in a sustainable way whilst feeling less overwhelmed, some of which may resonate with you.
Experience a sense of calm | Photo by Amy-Jo Lynch
I was enchanted by this sunset view at Sandbanks Beach in Poole, which represents my sense of calm. Being by the water is my happy place. Working for myself gives me flexibility and agency over my time and location, so I treasure moments like this with my partner.
With intention 🌱
As you may know, I am goal-oriented and a planner by nature. In this blog post, my intention is to share a thoughtful and proactive approach to productivity at work that fosters a positive growth mindset, promoting self-care and wellbeing. I call this calm productivity, which I continue to cultivate as a Wellbeing Coach, making the leap of faith to pursue my dream and take Be Your Own Date full-time this year. As you can imagine, embracing this shift to focus on growing my coaching practice and reimagining my relationship with productivity has proved invaluable in making the transition. I hope that sharing my experience and insights will inspire you.
Calm productivity 🌱
Have you ever wanted to get lots done, yet don’t know where to start? You end up feeling stressed and out of your depth, culminating in outcomes that bear no resemblance to your intention! I want you to experience a sense of calm, leaving you feeling well and at ease. This helps to create a soothing environment for you to focus and flourish at work with confidence. Inevitably, you will encounter obstacles at work, so navigating these experiences calmly sets you up for success in your career. It feels incredibly satisfying and empowering to focus your energy and attention on what is within your control. You can be work-focused in a happier and healthier way; give yourself permission to make space to cultivate calm productivity.
How to embrace calm at work for enhanced productivity 🌱
The Pomodoro Technique, time-blocking, deep work and Eat The Frog are effective productivity techniques…but what have you missed?
As a mindful coach and entrepreneur, I think it is important to invite calm and ease into your work day (and I can help you to do it!).
Here’s how:
1. Choose a planner that you are excited to use each day
Your motivation is key! Carve out time for yourself to gather your thoughts, prioritise your most important tasks and gain clarity on your schedule in one place. Plan and prepare to manage your time and energy to start and end your day positively!
Consider your preferred method of written communication. For example, is it handwritten, digital or a bit of both? My Wellbeing Planner is coming soon. It is an elegant digital planner designed for daily use to cultivate calm productivity and help keep yourself accountable with compassion. Consider it your personal growth space that guides you to focus, organise and reflect - all while taking care of yourself, one day at a time. Subscribe to join the waitlist.
**Exciting update: my Wellbeing Planner is now available. Get Yours! ✨**
Pro tip: Plan your day around your self-care routine and wellbeing practice rather than trying to squeeze it in.
2. Rest
Slow down to speed up. Pause to recentre and refocus.
Listen to your body, trust your intuition; lean into ‘more being and less doing’ to relax and replenish your energy levels. This is also an opportunity to make space for your creativity to surface and flow, like coming up with different ways to solve a problem that’s been bugging you, reflecting on how to manage a stressful situation effectively, or making adjustments to perform a task or project more sustainably. This may seem counter-productive at first and even bring up feelings of guilt, particularly when working in a fast-paced environment where you are faced with a high workload and recognise a work culture that perpetuates “the need to be seen to be doing something”. But with practice, you will experience that rest is productive and can improve the quality of your work, otherwise burnout beckons.
What does rest look like at work?
comfort breaks between meetings
lunch away from your desk and screen, somewhere quiet
your wind-down period to ease into the transition of logging off from work and embracing other areas of your life that matter to you
relaxing walks to get a breath of fresh air and returning to your desk feeling more refreshed
3. Practice mindfulness
Mindfulness is a state of awareness, paying attention to the present moment - not the past or the future - without judgement. Leading with a mindful presence at work supports full attention to your responsibilities and your connections with colleagues, suppliers and clients. Mindfulness techniques empower you to cultivate self-awareness and calm your mind and body, especially useful if you are feeling low, stressed, worried or anxious. This is one of the reasons why I am so inspired by my Mindfulness Life Coaching training.
Imagine…
arriving to a virtual or in-person meeting feeling grounded
pausing to give space for a measured response to an unexpected question
feeling less overwhelmed in navigating uncertainty, like a restructuring and transformation process within your organisation
calmly handling a difficult conversation that you have been dreading
To get the most out of mindfulness, it helps to be intentional and practice consistently, preferably on a daily basis. If you feel calmer and relaxed, the people around you will pick up on this, fostering a more positive and comfortable working environment for all. It boosts engagement and focuses your mind on what needs to be done. Essentially, mindfulness can make you more productive. I encourage you to experiment with different mindfulness techniques to find the ones that work best for you. For starters, taking slow, gentle deep breaths, which I describe in more detail in 7 Steps To Improve Wellbeing And Confidence At Work.
Pro-tip: Consider habit stacking. Connect all 3 productivity hacks to cultivate calm productivity and thrive, such as scheduling time for rest and tracking mindfulness practice in your planner. Simple, accessible and even more powerful when combined! Don’t forget to subscribe to join the waitlist for my Wellbeing Planner.
Form a new habit today and start small. Which calm productivity hack are you most interested in pursuing first?
Nurture calm productivity through coaching 🌱
Wellbeing Coaching with Amy-Jo | Photo by Sapna Odlin
I would love to guide you to invite calm into your work day, transforming your life and career. Partnering with me for 1:1 Wellbeing Coaching will leave you feeling seen, heard and empowered as you take meaningful steps toward accomplishing your personal and professional goals whilst taking care of yourself. If you are unsure about what you’d like to work on together or where to start, coaching is an effective way to connect through conversation in a confidential space. Get clear on your intentions and way forward. Click the button below to book your discovery call.
Did you find this article helpful? 🌱
Share this article with someone in your circle. You never know who may need to see this. And if you haven’t already, subscribe to my mailing list for more self-care and wellbeing inspiration. For now, you can start to invite calm into your work, one day at a time.
Be kind to yourself. Be Your Own Date.
~ Amy-Jo ☀️
Disclaimer: The content of this blog is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. For that, you will need to speak to your GP and/or local health provider.
