Every so often I have the urge to change things around in our house. Moving furniture, optimising our ‘flow’ through the house, rearranging kitchen cupboards etc.
Andy finds this amusing and mildly frustrating.
For me, though, it’s about improving our home when I see that a different configuration would work better for how we use certain spaces.
The same is true for the workday. It really is.
Maybe for a while you decided to get up early and exercise before work, or meditate, or read a book. Or simply get a moment to yourself before the rest of the house wakes up (✋🏼 yup that’s me!). But come winter, things may change with the dark mornings, the cold temperatures and you adjust your day accordingly.
I’m a big fan of reflection (you probably know this by now) and a crucial bit to review regularly is how your workday is structured.
There really is an optimal (or better) time to do certain work and while it may differ from person to person, I know that many of my clients, for example, have benefited from the following:
- Clearing time in their calendar for focused work, e.g. at the start or end of the day, depending on their preference;
- Blocking notifications and closing certain apps (Hello Teams and Slack!) during focused time;
- Paying attention to when certain tasks feel easier vs harder, e.g. tackling something unpleasant first thing in the morning and getting it off their list;
- Being intentional about how they use their time in the office, e.g. collaboration and meetings, vs their time working from home, e.g. more focused, solo work;
Some of these steps can feel daunting, such as setting your status to ‘do not disturb’ so you can work without interruptions. But it’s essential for your focus and with a bit of communication, and letting your colleagues know how long you’re unavailable for, this shouldn’t be a problem.
If you’ve recently returned from your summer break and you’re ready to get back into work mode and start to reclaim some of your focus time, try the above. I am sure you’ll find a better work rhythm with some of these adjustments.
And if you’ve returned to a job where you’re dreading Mondays and you’re not given the space to do your best work, let’s talk! You can book a free 30min discovery call with me and we’ll discuss how coaching can help you make your next move with confidence.
Have a great week!
Eva