This post is totally for my creative business owner friends! I don’t know about you, but this season has felt so busy lately. Here in Virginia, wedding season really ramps up in the late spring, summer and then fall, and I feel like I have been working non-stop! As much as I completely love my job, I know deep down that I definitely need some rest and relaxation too, so I can recharge and be the best I can possibly be for my clients and my family. I know I can’t be the only one who feels stretched thin in this busy time, so I wanted to share a few tips that are keeping me afloat as I power through the rest of summer and fall wedding season! Here are some ideas on how to create some balance between work life and personal life and finding time to rest! 

1. Ask for help from your support system: During this busy season, I have been heavily relying on my family and friends to help me- whether it’s my sister watching Violet so I can work on a wedding uninterrupted, or my friend showing up to assist me at a big wedding- your tribe will rally around you! The hardest part is just asking! And during a slow time at work, you can offer to repay the favor too! Win-win!
2. Block scheduling: I like to schedule all my meetings in one day, if possible, because it helps me stay focused and organized and I really get “in the zone!”  This last week, I scheduled three bride inquiry meetings all on the same day, Thursday, and i was able to really get in a groove in between meetings, preparing proposals, and taking extensive notes on each wedding! Then, on Friday, once I finish up work in the mornings, I can do something fun the rest of the day and take a break! 
3. Use an email auto-responder: Turning on an informative email responder is an AWESOME way to create some work boundaries and communicate those boundaries with clients and others who email you, while still letting them know that their email was received and that you will reply as soon as possible! When I throw my email responder up, it lets the sender know when I will be back in the office, how to reach me if it’s an emergency, and even links to a few of my social media accounts so people can stay connected with me until I return to my inbox. When I have my autoresponder up, it definitely helps me not feel pressured to respond to non-urgent emails immediately, and I can fully enjoy the present, while knowing my clients are taken care of as well 🙂
4. Rely on your workflow systems: For me, my workflow is mostly based in HoneyBook, which is the system i use for invoicing, contracts, etc! Read more about how I use HoneyBook here and here! Having a system in place really helps me with a lot of my “strictly business tasks” like sending new contracts out, updating invoices and receiving information from new clients! It’s seamless and intuitive, and saves me time on little tasks that take time and add up quickly! A few other workflow systems I use are  Quickbooks for accounting and Excel spreadsheets for flower ordering and recipe building!
5. Be accountable to someone who will force you to take some time off: Every now and then, my husband will just come over to my desk (or the couch) where I’m working late at night, shut the computer, and just tell me to take a break! It’s so hard to tell yourself to rest when you truly enjoy your job, but every time I DO take a break, I always come back re-energized and feeling more creative than ever! It’s so helpful to tell someone to encourage you to not overwork- it helps more than you know!

I hope these tips encourage you to create some balance between your work and personal life, and give you some freedom to take a break from work every now and then! 🙂

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Styled stock photo: SC Stockshop