5 Productivity Hacks for Wellness Entrepreneurs

Let’s be real: there was a reason we all quit our steady job to venture off on our own and open our own businesses — we were craving FREEDOM!

As creatives, we had no interest in sitting behind a desk taking orders from someone else all day. We wanted to be the ones to call the shots, exercise our creativity as we pleased, and work for ourselves without having to fit into a corporate box.

But we weren’t aware of the time management paradox.

All of a sudden, we had 24 free hours in front of us each day, all of which could be spent working… and now, well, we work more than we did before.

I’ll never forget a friend of mine who left her highly successful medical career to be a yoga teacher. After a year of working as a freelance wellness professional, she decided to go back to work because she was ‘tired of working all the time.’ She craved her monotonous 9-5 schedule back, because she somehow spent less time working in that environment!

As entrepreneurs, it can be extremely difficult to separate personal life (and time!) from business, and maintain a healthy balance between work and ‘real life.’

After 8 years as a freelance creative, I’ve picked up a couple techniques that help me spend my work hours wisely — and spend the rest of my precious time on personal growth, self care, or spending time with friends and family — and today, I’m sharing them with you!

Keep reading for my top 5 productivity hacks for wellness entrepreneurs.

1. Hack #1: Find Your Daily Rhythm

Figuring out when you’re most productive is key. Personally, I find that I’m the most alert in the morning, and that’s when I feel the most ‘on top’ of things. I always try to get a good chunk of work in from 9am-1pm, and then I take a good 2-3 hour break in the afternoon to move my body, eat, and rest.

During these morning work sessions, I limit my time spent in group chats or on social media, because I want to maximize my focus time.

2. Hack #2: The Pomodoro Technique

If you procrastinate when it comes time to sitting down and diving into a big project, this one’s for you. Instead of teetering between social media and the blank document in front of you all day, the Pomodoro Technique helps you navigate between deep focus on work and quick breaks to help you maintain your levels of concentration.

The Pomodoro Technique is made up of short spurts of uninterrupted work for 25 minutes with 5-minute breaks in between. If you need to concentrate for longer than 25 minutes, you can do several “pomodoros” in a row, and take a longer break after.

For example, when I work on a web design project, I often do 3-4 pomodoros back-to-back, because when the timer goes off for my 5-minute break, I find that I’m deep in a flow and want to delay my break until later. When I work on shorter projects, like checking email, I find that one 25-minute pomodoro is perfect.

Try out Focus Timer or Tomato Timer to implement the Pomodoro Technique into your schedule!

3. Hack #3: Create an Inspiring Workplace

If you don’t love the environment you’re working in, it can be so easy to feel unmotivated and uninspired. Creating a workspace that you enjoy being in is essential to maintaining productivity levels.

(And, no, you don’t have to have a Pinterest-worthy office to love your workspace.)

For example, I’m 100% more productive when I use a second monitor and have an external keyboard and mouse, so wherever I’m working from, I try to replicate that setup. I also love playing some ~groovy~ jams to get in the zone when I’m working. Check out my curated playlist on Spotify.

Think about what helps you focus most — mood lighting, motivational quotes on the wall, classical music playing — and make sure to include those elements in your workspace. Recreate a setup for success!

4. Hack #4: Password Manager

Nothing kills a work vibe like trying to log into an account and forgetting your password, then spending half an hour figuring out which email you used to sign up for the account so you can reset it… yikes.

LastPass and 1Password has saved me so. many. times. while working on client projects. It’s quite literally the most useful service ever: password manager, digital vault, form filler, and secure digital wallet. It not only gives you the ability to save literally every digital business detail securely (including bank accounts, credit card details, your Mailchimp login), it also allows you to quickly & safely share your login details with colleagues and collaborators.

Having one system remember ALL of your passwords (and keeping your information safe) is essential. LastPass has a free option for individuals with premium plans starting at just $2.99. 1Pass is a paid service that you can share with friends and colleagues. Click here to try 1Pass for 14 days free — and then just $2.99 per month after that!

5. Hack #5: Track Your Cycle

This one’s for the girls. If you really want to hack your productivity, tracking your menstrual cycle and paying attention to the follicular phase (aka the week after your period) will result in much higher levels of motivation and concentration.

Week 2 of your cycle is always the best time to start a new project, because it’s when you’ll feel upbeat and full of creative energy.

I definitely try to get as much done as I can during this time, especially the work that requires more creative brainpower. Once I get closer to the end of the cycle, I try to wind down my work and focus more on administrative tasks as my body feels more fatigued.

My favorite hormone tracking app is Hormone Horoscope Lite. It’s the free version and gives you tons of insights around each day of your cycle. I highly recommend checking it out!

Working for yourself gives you so much creative freedom, and it can be the BEST job in the world — if you make sure to take time for yourself and your loved ones, rather than spending all 24 hours of your day working.

I hope you found these productivity hacks helpful! Don’t forget to SAVE this post on Pinterest, and follow Good Karma Works on Instagram for more!

About the Author

As a fellow wellness professional for over seven years, Angela founded Good Karma Works on the belief that by supporting a network of other wellness warriors she is supersizing the global healing process.