When I stopped my ‘rise and grind’ mentality, great things started to happen.

2020 is a year I’m sure that all of us will remember for the rest of our lives, it’s a year that impacted all of us personally?and?professionally.?

In January 2020 I set off to Indonesia to go and live my #diginomad dream, I set off on my adventure bright eyed and with a backpack full of Summer clothes ready to see the world. At that point The Selfhood was six months old and I had an exciting and expanding roster of clients. I’d wake up: surf, get to work on projects, explore the islands and take calls in the evenings or early mornings. My work allowed me to work remotely and I loved every single thing about it.

During my time away I’d had virtual meetings in-between surfing and exploring and I’d set up a healthy pipeline of new business waiting for me at home. When I touched down on to home turf in the UK in February 2020 I had a fire in my belly and I was raring to go. Within two weeks of getting back from my South East Asia adventure the UK was in lockdown and my entire pipeline had dried up.?

After a few days of living exclusively off of frozen pizzas and staring at the walls in my flat (while simultaneously crying) I spent the next 2 months working day and night to promote myself and secure new business so that I could pay my rent. Things got busy quickly and over the course of the next year I became fully addicted to working all hours of the day.

I’d wake up at 7am and be at my desk until 10pm at night. I’d be back to back in client meetings and juggling multiple projects, eventually I ran myself in to the ground. My unhealthy work habits got so bad that my physical and mental health suffered, big time.?

In July 2021 I was referred to the hospital for my increasing heart palpitations and my hair had begun falling out. It was concluded that my health issues and lack of sleep boiled down to one thing: stress.

From that moment on I made it my mission to create a balanced lifestyle that worked for me, not the one that the entrepreneur books tell you to strive for: the 4am starts, 3 hours of cardio and no eating until the ‘bread was won’.

Don’t get me wrong I still work very hard, it’s just that some days don’t start until 11am and some nights don’t finish until 11pm. I’ve learned to tune in to my creativity which naturally ebbs and flows and due to the nature of my work. Sometimes I’ll have my best ideas at 12 o’clock at night.?

After a constraining schedule took a toll on my health and I vowed to allow myself the flexibility to work at a healthy pace. A recent?Microsoft survey?found that 48% of employees report that they are burned out at work, and I really believe that a change in routine and allowing for flexible working will massively encourage teams to work more?productively.??

Creativity cannot be forced. Ideating on the spot is a huge ask! This runs particularly true for introverts or those who digest information internally and need time to process briefs.

When I dropped my guilt around not being on a strict 9-5 schedule I saw things change so much. I started working in new places, meeting more people, feeling better about the work I was producing and most importantly my creativity flourished.

I truly believe that exercising our creative muscles allows our confidence to flourish. We become better problem solvers, we think differently, we become more open minded, we communicate better and we explore new avenues within our work which allows us to grow. We cannot progress our skills when we’re stuck in our comfort zones.

Understandably, not everyone is able to change their working hours, nonetheless what employers can do is continue to embrace flexibility. Microsoft also found that?79% of those who use a laptop say that the work they do is the same, regardless of where they are working from. What does this mean? I believe that?giving teams creative thinking days and the liberty to work from new locations outside of the office are a few of many ways that productivity can be enhanced.

Sure, we need the office to encourage collaboration and stay social. URL contact is just as important as IRL contact, however it’s so important we let our teams and collaborators thrive in new spaces and stimulate lateral thinking.

I for one know that my mental, physical and creative health prospers in new spaces and my work is at its best when I’m unconfined to a restricted work cycle.

I’d love to know how you encourage creativity within your teams and your own work habits?

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