6 Ways To Keep your Cool as an Interior Designer
/
Life can get really overwhelming when you’re trying to thrive in your interior design business AND manage your personal life. It feels like there’s just so much going on and it never gets any easier.
Well, enough is enough! It’s time to feel better. Less anxiety, better health and improved productivity.
Doesn’t everyone want this?
I put together just a few tips here to make your life easier and find a little more balance in your life.
Plan Plan Plan -remember this point from my email last week? The more you plan, the better off you’ll be. I suggest google calendar to add both personal and business engagements. You are welcome to put this on separate calendars, but I find it better to keep everything on one, so that I have a full picture of what’s going on in my life. You can also do things like prep meals in advance, get your bag ready for your next client consultation,
Multi-task-sometimes this is just what I have to do to get everything done! I’ll give you an example. Every morning I walk on the treadmill and answer emails. It’s important for me to get my exercise in and of course it’s also important for me to check my emails. So this is a way that I can get both done. And to be honest, it makes walking on the treadmill significantly less boring.
Exercise and meditate-I’m sure both of these things have been suggested to you before. These are probably two of the best things you can do for your health. Exercising is magnificent for both mental and physical health. Adding in even just 15 min of exercise per day and you’ll start seeing the benefits. If meditating overwhelms you because it’s something you haven’t tried before, don’t stress. There are several meditation apps where you can start with something as simple as a 3-minute meditation. Fyi, this will feel like a long time when just starting out. But the more you practice, the easier it gets. Also wanted to mention that meditation is just breathing. That’s the most simplified way I can explain it. You can’t do it wrong, and having thoughts is very normal. It’s a common misconception that the goal of meditation is not to think, but we are humans and being completely devoid of thought is unlikely. The goal is to let those thoughts move through you. And the more you practice, the quieter those thoughts will get.
Stop working at a specific time-I suggest picking a time each night to stop working. I know that can be hard, but it’s absolutely necessary. Every once in a while is fine of course, but you should really try and create some more work-life balance by shutting your computer and walking away early enough to actually have a life, or at the very least, get a bit more rest. I am really good about this, and even stop working at 3pm on Fridays when I can manage it. I do not check emails or work on the weekends. This is a boundary I always stick to and am so glad that I do. I have a family and it’s important for me to spend time with them. I’m a mom! But whether or not you are a mom, you are a human. And humans need breaks.
Hire a design assistant-were you waiting for this one? A design assistant takes things off your plate. And how could this not be a blessing? A design assistant is also great for those whose businesses’ have grown tremendously but are not quite ready for a full-time employee or long-term commitment. Choose how many hours you want your assistant to work for you and what tasks they can take off your plate. This is a great way to add more balance as an interior designer.
Eat a balanced diet. Research has shown that gut health directly correlates with mental health (including stress). What you put in your body is important. Take some time to pin some healthy recipes on pinterest, plan your meals and build a shopping list each week. This is a game-changer. I suggest putting up some sort of meal-planning board on your refrigerator or on the wall in your kitchen so everyone knows what’s for dinner. Note on meal prep: even just cooking only the protein or only the veggies can save you a lot of time and stress. You can also prep things like rice, quinoa, and oatmeal in advance. Take a look at your meals each week and ask yourself which of those things would be helpful to prep. Also wanted to say, always make time to eat. I know life can get stressful and you forget or you prioritize other things, but seriously, eat! Your body needs it so that you can feel amazing and full of energy.
Note: Remember to START SLOW. Just like a crash diet, going too hard all at once is not a sustainable life-change. I like to implement a new habit for a week or two and then add new ones as I feel comfortable. A walk can change your mental health and gets you some exercise. Maybe start with a walk 5 days a week and do 15-30 minutes. Then the next week start planning 3 meals for the week, and make sure you are getting 3 meals a day. Then the next week you could add in something else you’ve been wanting to add, or maybe make your walk or other exercise routine a little longer. What can you commit to this week?
Would you be interested in more health-related posts? Respond to this email and let us know! Another way to offer your feedback is to take our 2-question survey here.
XX, Danae