Transform Morning Chaos: Practical Techniques for Self-Employed Professionals to Start the Day Calm and Focused

Struggling with morning anxiety as a self-employed professional? Discover how to transform your mornings from chaos to calm in our latest episode of the Morning Mindset Podcast. I’m Craig Skelton, and today, I'll walk you through practical techniques designed to manage the unique pressures of being your own boss. From waking up early with intention and incorporating exercise to practicing mindfulness and setting achievable goals, you'll learn how to craft a morning routine that grounds you and sets a positive tone for the rest of your day.

Moreover, we dive into strategies like time blocking, staying offline during your first hour, and building a supportive network to further reduce stress. Consistency is key, and I emphasize the importance of maintaining these habits to achieve lasting benefits. If you're ready to tackle morning anxiety and start your day with control and calm, tune in for actionable insights. And if you find these tips beneficial, don't forget to subscribe, like, and share the podcast to help others create more manageable, stress-free mornings.

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Looking for one to one mentoring, visit my website to see how it works craigskelton.co.uk

Chapters

• 0:00 Managing Morning Anxiety as a Self-Employed
• 7:28 Mastering Morning Anxiety Strategies

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome to the Morning Mindset Podcast with me, craig Skelton. Each day, we kick off your morning with positivity, actionable insights and the motivation you need to conquer the day. Whether you're looking to develop a positive mindset, persistence or simply starting your day on the right, this podcast is your daily dose of inspirational and practical advice. Today's podcast is all about managing morning anxiety and finding techniques to ease the stress before starting your day. As someone self-employed, you're your own boss. That sounds empowering, which it is, but with that freedom comes a unique set of pressures too. There's no structure unless you create it yourself. There's no unless you're yourself, and no support unless you seek it out. And that freedom can often turn into a source of stress, especially first thing in the morning. The moment you wake up, you might already feel like the of your to-do list is on your shoulders, or uncertainty about where your next lead or your next client is going to come from, or how much you're going to get paid this month, or how are you going to get paid, and that can spiral into anxiety before you've even had a chance to get your first cup of tea of the day. When you're stuck in that cycle, it can feel like you're already behind before you've even started. But the thing is, your mornings don't have to start this way, you can take control of them. Anxiety is very real. It's often the anticipation, stress that comes with being self-employed you've got to perform, you've got to, you've got to be on it, you've got to. And that pressure is compounded with the fact that you're the only one that's responsible for everything, whether it's getting leads or converting those leads into clients and handling the finances or delivering on what you say you're going to do. We have to remember remember that anxiety at its core is just a signal. It's your mind and your body preparing you for the challenges that you're about to face. The problem is when this signal becomes constant and it does wear you down, it will wear you down. So instead of it motivating us, it paralyzes us. How do we transform that anxious energy into something far more productive? Let's look at how some techniques and some of the techniques you can do to ease that, ease that morning anxiety and set a calm, productive tone for the day.

Speaker 1: 2:16

The first thing you can do is start with a grounding morning routine. The first step to managing morning anxiety is establish a grounding routine, something that pulls you into the present moment before you might start races into the tasks that are ahead. So a structured morning routine provides you with an anchor that can prevent you from drifting into chaos. Here's a simple routine that you can try. The first thing is to wake up early. I'm not talking about 4 am 5 am. The first thing is to wake up early. I'm not talking about 4am 5am kind of thing. I'm talking about just starting your day with intention setting a time for your alarm that gives you space before diving into work. It gives you that extra space to get that calm before you start in the day.

Speaker 1: 3:01

Some people I know start the day with going to the gym or going for a walk or doing some sort of physical exercise which does ease a physical tension, which is often a major, a silent contributor to your anxiety. But movement brings it back into the body and helps you reconnect with yourself. So it can be just going for a walk or five minutes of gentle stretching, whatever it is, focusing on your breath. These all help to start your day with good intention. You can also practice mindfulness, breathing or meditation, taking a few minutes. If you meditate, this is the perfect time to focus on the sensation of your breath when you ground yourself like this. Set the tone for the day rather than letting the day. How are you going to feel?

Speaker 1: 3:43

The second thing to do is set realistic goals and prioritise, feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of what you think you need to be doing. But the reality is not. Everything is urgent and has to be done right now. So if you use a to-do list, use it. If you don't, then start with a brain dump. Everything you need to, you need think, needs to get done on that day. Once that is out in front of you, then you can prioritise, ask yourself what absolutely needs to happen today. Focus on those one or two key tasks that will move you closer to your larger goals, and don't confuse being busy with being productive. A to-do list a mile long is a recipe for anxiety. Narrow it down and give yourself permission to focus.

Speaker 1: 4:29

The third thing to do is use time blocking and take breaks. Time blocking is a game changer when it comes to managing anxiety. When you're self-employed, your time can sort of run away with you and it just takes control. There's no one telling you when to start or when to stop. But blocking is about creating intentional periods of focused work and intentional periods of rest. Start by blocking out chunks of time for specific tasks. For example, you might dedicate 9am to half 10 to client work and then 10.30 to 11 for doing admin tasks whatever works for you, and this is about what works for you. And during these blocks, the important thing is focus on one thing multitasking feeds anxiety because your brain is constantly switching between tasks, never feeling engaged. Equally important breaks push through your morning without pause. Show that taking breaks, whether it's going for a walk, deep breaths or just away from your desk, improves focus and it lowers your stress.

Speaker 1: 5:30

And the fourth thing to do is limit social media and email in the first hour. One of the worst things you can do for your anxiety is check your phone first thing. Emails, notifications. Social media can throw you into a reactive mode before you've even had a chance to see yourself For the first half of your day. Stay offline. Resist the urge to check your inbox or scroll through social media. Scrolling through social media feeds Get your anxiety by pulling you away from your priorities and forcing you to react to outside demands before you've even started your day. Instead, focus on your internal landscape, your thoughts, your breath, your intentions. This can help you set a calm, deliberate tone for the day.

Speaker 1: 6:16

And then we move on to affirmations and visualization. Your mindset shapes your day, so it's crucial to begin with positive, affirming thoughts. Self-employment can often make you feel uncertain and insecure, so remind yourself of your strengths, which are important. Incorporate your daily affirmations that reflect your confidence, your ability and your worth. For example, I'm capable of handling today's challenges, I trust in my ability to succeed, or I have the freedom to shape my day and my future. And pair these affirmations with visualisation. Picture yourself navigating the day and my future. And pair these affirmations with visualization. Picture yourself navigating the day with and accomplishing your goals works with you. With visualizations, by imagining success, you can start to create a mental pathway that makes it feel far more achievable. If that works for you, just do it.

Speaker 1: 7:04

And then, moving on, to create a supportive network being self-employed. Being self-employed can feel isolated. Don't have to go out alone. Create a supportive network. Being self-employed can feel isolating. You don't have to go out alone. Build a support network Fellow business owners, fellow self-employed people, fellow entrepreneurs who understand your struggles, whether it's through online communities or local meetups. Connecting with others can help reduce anxiety. Feeling like you're on this alone.

Speaker 1: 7:28

And just to wrap up, morning anxiety is something that we can all relate to, but it doesn't have to control your day. By implementing these techniques grounding yourself with routines, setting realistic goals for the day, blocking time out, staying offline, affirming your worth and building a support network can ease the anxious tension and set a positive, productive tone for the day. And remember, the key to this is consistency. These strategies might not aid the anxiety overnight, but with time, they can significantly reduce impact. So that's it. That's today's morning mindset podcast. Thank you for joining me on today's podcast. If you found this helpful, then please don't forget to subscribe, like and share it with anyone who you feel will benefit. And then, yeah, have an amazing day, stay motivated, stay focused, stay positive and run your own race.