Blogging Tips // A Stress Free Mind

Snap found here

There is nothing I love more than scrubbing an item off my to-do list. Yes, that makes me a sad sad human, but there really is no better feeling than when all your errands are run and you can kick back, make a cuppa and put Modern Family on.

This last month has been bu-sy, I have about 6 jobs at the moment - teaching, dog walking, various recordings & concerts, assistant choreographer on a show and blogging (if that counts as a job.. more pleasure).

All in all, this means I have to stay on top of things or my head feels like it's going to implode.

So here are my 5 top tips for staying sane and getting organised for your work & blogging adventures!


1. De-Clutter Your Room & Work Space
I cannot get anything productive done if there's a mass of clutter around me. I'm my own worst enemy with this one - I LOVE things being tidy yet just can't help throwing my clothes/shoes/hairdryers etc on the floor after I've used them. My mum calls it my 'Floordrobe'. So this is why I do most of my blogging/song learning in my lounge which is a more neutral, relaxing, (tidy) space.
Do whatever you have to do to feel relaxed & de-stressed - hoover, wash up, paint a wall, whatever it is that's distracting you from your work. Make sure you do it before you start work or you will find your mind wondering & thinking- 'I really don't like that shade of puce on my statement wall, maybe I'll just quickly look up wallpaper ideas on Pinterest' and before you know it, work is out the window and Pinterest has taken over your life!

Picture here

2. List Making
Have a couple of list making methods up your sleeve.
a) On the go - I carry around a little notebook like this to scribble down ideas that come to me when I'm walking the dog or on the tube. I prefer writing things by hand - it makes me feel more productive!
b) You're mobile/Ipad/Laptop whichever you find easiest to use. I like to jot down ideas on my 'Notes' on my iPhone for blogging ideas and use my 'Reminders' for my To Do lists.

Tip: Make sure you note down ideas/ errands as they pop into your head! If you're anything like me, you'll forget within seconds of thinking of your golden nuggets and then that nugget is gone forever! Should have written it down.

Free printable to do lists pop up a lot on Pinterest, I prefer simple ones such as this or some of you might prefer a DIY rip off to do list ! 

Photo from here

3. A Daily Schedule
Without giving yourself a rough timetable to stick to, you will find yourself pressing that snooze button one too many times, eating at awkward intervals -giving your blood sugar levels a hard time, therefore unable to work to your fullest potential. I'm a sucker for lie ins but William isn't, so having him around is a good thing for my being proactive and making the most of my day. I like to use the 'Calendar' on my iPhone which is super easy to use and also just a bog standard wall calendar as a visual reminder! (I like the ones with pooches :) ) This gives me no excuses and a routine to stick to so that I don't feel guilty when I unwind at the end of the day with a hot choccie.

Find these great printable calendars on landeelu

PUGS!

4. Regular Tea Breaks
You will find your work being of much higher quality if you give yourself some space from it for 20 minutes. You'll also feel better in yourself if you've stretched your legs, gotten some fresh air or had a slurp of coffee/tea. If you find yourself getting stuck on a certain area of your work, go outside and have a breather and eat a banana. Don't get bogged down in something which, at the time seems huge and important, but actually if you step out of the swamp you've put yourself in and come back to it fresh in the morning, will probably not seem as stressful as you thought and a fresh idea or pearl of wisdom will probably come to you.

 Pinterest snap

Pinterest Snap

Can you tell I'm a tea lover <3….coffee - bluergh.


5. Think Ahead!
This is the most important in my opinion. If you have a lot coming up in the months ahead then you don't want to find yourself panicking in two months time that you'd forgotten about an important deadline. Especially with Christmas on it's way, there's a lot of distractions and temptations to steer off track. So make sure you're not only making lists for today/tomorrow but also for a few months time. Get things done as early as you can to take the stress off a bit. Make sure you're always one step in front of your work, this way you'll have peace of mind, a clearer head and more time to do fun things like Christmas shopping and drinking gin!

Yummy Christmas Tipple

I hope you've found this helpful my friends. Happy Holidays! Only 14 more sleeps!!