Helen Appleby’s Post

🌴 Remember to take time off if you're self employed 🌴 When I first started my business, I thought, "I'll take time off when I'm not busy." The reality? I never took a break and I faced serious burnout. So at the start of the year, I schedule at least 1 week off every quarter. My rule is: it can be moved, but never cancelled. Today is my last day before a week away from my laptop, and it’s a crucial reminder that regular breaks are essential, especially for self-employed people who don't have annual leave they need to use up. Rest is vital to keep your thinking fresh and to remind others how vital you are! To all my fellow self-employed connections, how do you ensure you get your much-needed downtime? #SelfEmployment #WorkLifeBalance #MentalWellness

Way too true. Many of us struggle to disconnect, but a real mental break can do wonders for productivity when it’s time to get back at it in the New Year. Some great tips here to check out!

TALK IS CHEAP! If you really want to know what someone truly values, take a look at their schedule. It’s easy to forget that our schedule is more than just a list of tasks; it’s a reflection of who we are. It's one thing to say that family is important or that health is a priority, but do our actions align with our words? Do you carve out dedicated time each week for the things you claim to value most? I’ve been there, juggling too many commitments, feeling overwhelmed and burnt out. Once I got clear on my priorities and started planning first for myself & family, second for my business and third for everyone else, only then did my schedule start to reflect what mattered most. So tell me, if you were to be real honest, does your schedule today reflect what's most important to you?

I'M SWAMPED! This time of year there seems to be so much to do, so many people to see it can lead to feeling overwhelmed. While effectively managing your calendar and being intentional about what you say yes to will help temper these feelings, there is another strategy to managing overwhelm: Take a look at your surroundings. If you are knee-deep in physical chaos, the act of deliberately organizing your work environment is crucial for minimizing overwhelm and promoting productivity. Decluttering is often associated with improved thinking, reduced stress, increased focus and heightened creativity. The holidays can be a slower time of year for many businesses. Consider using this downtime to declutter and organize so you can start 2024 with a fresh perspective.

  After working hard for long hours and toughing it out, we at least expect success. However, more often than not, at the end of the day we are exhausted and still have a long list of tasks to complete. Why does this happen? According to the authors, working adults have a fundamental misunderstanding of what it means to be resilient. Yes, resilience involves working hard, but it also requires one to stop, recover, and then begin the hard work again. Recovery is key to maintaining good health, but also preventing lost productivity. To build resilience, you need to be willing to stop. This means spending some time away from your phone, eating lunch away from your desk, and actually using your vacation time. #resilience #rest #recharge #rechargeyourself #work #hardwork #opportunity #growth #balance #worklifebalance #breaks #vacation #relax

Have you heard of the “Hemingway trick” to help you with your productivity? Stopping mid-sentence (even metaphorically) can help you to get a clean break from work while also helping you to hit the ground running the next day. It could even improve your overall productivity.

Build resilience by strategically stopping to recharge. Create recovery periods for toughness. In "The Future of Happiness," Amy Blankson suggests using apps like Instant or Moment to track phone usage. The average person turns on their phone 150 times a day, 😱potentially wasting 2.5 hours. Be mindful, limit distractions, and reclaim valuable time for focused work and self-care. #Resilience #Productivity #WorkLifeBalance #StrategicStopping

"Society seems to have got completely caught up in a never-ending cycle of busyness – and when we don’t stop to pause and question it, we continue to make the same mistakes.[...] Without allowing people adequate time to recharge and reset, they suffer. And so will the systems relying on them." This is such a great article and a perfect example of the kind of radical thinking that all workplaces probably need to start considering to curtail the burnout epidemic we are on the brink of. Jo Hunter is clearly a leader who understands that happy, healthy people who are able to balance their wellbeing needs with their career make the most effective employees. What do you think about having August off? Are you for or against? #workbalance #employeewellbeing #inspirationalleadership #burnoutprevention https://lnkd.in/emmcR-WA

📅 Beat year-end stress! Learn five savvy strategies to tackle those last-minute requests. From clarifying tasks to mastering prioritisation, these tips will help you stay ahead for a smoother transition. #YearEndStrategies #LessStress

Great article. Resilience is about how you recharge, not how you endure. Yes, resilience involves working hard, but it also requires one to stop, recover, and then begin the hard work again. Recovery is key to maintaining good health, but also preventing lost productivity. To build resilience, you need to be willing to stop. This means spending some time away from your phone, eating lunch away from your desk, and actually using your vacation time.