It’s time for a piece of tough love–if you can’t follow a daily routine, working from home due to illness probably isn’t your jam.
And I get it…any person with a chronic illness has ups and downs. There are going to be days when sleeping is the best thing you can do for your business. (Yes, I just said that.)
But when you want to work from home due to illness, your clients need to know when their projects will be finished. You owe it to them to know you can make those deadlines (or you need to have a killer back-up plan). If you can’t find the energy for 30 minutes a day to work toward your goals, you MUST start here first.
I’m not speaking as a well-polished, have all my shit together entrepreneur. I don’t pretend to be that person who is trying to sell you success in 60 days using three simple strategies. I had to build up to being able to work longer hours serving my clients as a virtual assistant. There was one “super special” moment when I had to step away from all of my clients because I couldn’t get out of bed.
But along the way, I learned three things about how to get productive when you work from home due to illness:
1. Find Your Routine.
Anyone else feel super frustrated when they hear that successful CEOs wake up a 4am and run 5 miles before they go to the office? I mean, if the Miracle Morning could cure the brain fog and pain I feel before my feet touch the ground, I would be ALL IN. But this is not my truth.
I have a simple list of musts in the morning. I need to change my clothes (even if it’s just to another pair of pajamas. I need to brush my hair, wash my face, and brush my teeth. When I’m working, I’ll get a cup of chai tea and head over to my desk. I give myself 30 minutes or so just to get my brain awake and working. And then I jump in. I know by about 3pm my energy will be fading so I try to get it all done early.
But let’s get clear: There are days this most certainly does NOT happen. The beauty of a routine is that it’s waiting there tomorrow so you can try again. In those moments, I try to sit in gratitude that I can work from home due to illness. I don’t have to put on “real” clothes, commute to work, and then sit in an uncomfortable chair all day.
2. Make a To-Do List
The heart of productivity is understanding when your brain works best and prioritizing what you need to do during that time. When you have a chronic illness, you need to realize this WILL change based on the season your life is in or what you symptoms are like at the moment. Just like you check in with your body to know when you need to sit down or take a nap, you need to get the same awareness about how your mind is functioning.
Last week, I fought with brain fog. Simple tasks like scheduling social media for clients were so difficult. So I sat down each morning and decided three things that I need to accomplish that day. (This can be in life OR business.) I committed to doing these things if at all humanly possible, even if it’s from bed or in between long breaks.
It’s not always pretty to get that list done…but I’ve learned that this is the best way I know to make the most of my time. It’s such a precious resource when you’re sick that you have to make each moment count.
3. Take It Five Minutes At A Time
You can do anything for five minutes. (Seriously, try it.) When I’m struggling physically or mentally, I break down each of the three tasks I need to accomplish into five-minute segments. An easy way to do this if you need some structure is to set a timer on your phone.
When I finish each micro-task, I ask myself if I feel like I can do more. Nine out of ten times, I can. The beauty of this system is that you can push yourself in a non-threatening way. Because you’re constantly checking in with yourself, it’s easier to catch yourself before you push things too far…because this type of self-sabotage is your worst enemy.
The key to making this work is your mindset. You have to radically accept that you can stop whenever you need to. It doesn’t work if you won’t step away and listen to what your body needs. Remember, you have to take care of yourself before you can be of service to anyone else.
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I know these aren’t the only strategies out there to work from home due to illness so add your tricks below and I’ll feature them in a coming post!