March 19, 2020

Self-Isolating, Working From Home Tips

March 19, 2020/ Sonia Nicolson

Ever since moving to Iceland 4 years ago, I have worked from home. All over the world, we are preparing to self-isolate in a hope of avoiding COVID-19 and slowing doing the growth of the Corona Virus. I thought it might be helpful to pass on some tips for working from home.

Create A Workspace

The dining room, a shared desk, a soft office aka bed (though you need to be pretty dedicated to working). You don’t need much to create an at-home office and if you are also home-schooling your kids, why not add them into the office with a small-scale desk. We brought up the coffee table from the basement and have set Mia up with a ‘corning office’ too. It’s actually kind of fun.

Get In The Zone

Nothing changes - you’re going to work, you just aren’t going into work. Set our alarm, get up, shower, get dressed, have breakfast, and go to work. Finish work, make dinner, catch up with the family, chill, go to bed.

As much as PJs or leggings are comfortable, don’t be tempted, you will not get in the right headspace. Dress for work, dress to send a signal to your brain. You don’t need a suit on but your PJs probably won’t cut it.

READ: Self Employed Uniform

It will be hard at first but it gets easier and you will find routine and productivity.

Pace Yourself, It Could Be A While

For some, this is the norm anyway, but for others, it can be hard. Day 1, 2, 3 of isolation and you might find yourself glued to your computer and even working longer than usual. But how long can you keep that up? Make sure you are looking up, moving your eyes and body, eating and fueling yourself, and drinking water.

To-Do lists

I use a bullet journal and plan out my week and days. I also have a desk weekly planner which I use to make notes on and scribble. I find writing out a to-do list for the week and then listing goals for each day gives me an overview and targets to meet. If you have a plan, goals, then you have a strategy in place. No plan and you’ll get no work done.

Switch Off Social

Don’t have Facebook open all the time. Try to only check your social media in break times - i.e. 11 am coffee break, lunch, 4 pm chill break. Right now it is easy to get sucked in and overwhelmed by all the news, stories, stats, and feeds. It can lead to anxiety. Try to limit how often you are exposing yourself to it all.

Communicate

If you usually work with colleagues then don’t lose this. Set up skype or Facetime calls, and use apps like Slack to communicate. Use your breaks to call family and friends, this is a great time to check in on people.

Playlists

If the task in hand suits, then I pop a Spotify playlist on. Often I find that fast paces music makes me work faster, so this can be beneficial. Depends on the task though.

No TV

This is not the time to have the TV on in the background, you will quickly lose your focus and get distracted. TED talks and skillshare online learning is one thing, Netflix is a completely different story.

Eat, Fuel Yourself

Whether you have stocked up sensibly or gone mad in the supermarket, plan meals and allocate who is cooking them if you’re sharing the duties. Meal planning is a great idea and will help you sensibly get through the larder and not waste food. Try to not eat at your desk. If you do have an outdoor space, use it. Get some fresh air, vitamin D, and enjoy the break.

Move Your Body

Hop on YouTube and find a stretching video, try Yoga with Adriene, and other at-home workout videos. This is a great way to start the day before you sit down at your desk. Do this with the kids too, look up Cosmic Kids Yoga.

I also use the app Calm for meditation and to help me wind down for the day. There are loads of yoga tutorials online if that’s your kind of thing. If your body is used to the daily exercise, keep moving.

How are you finding working from home?

Coronavirus, Recession...Don't Panic

March 16, 2020/ Sonia Nicolson

It’s a scary time for all of us but if you are sitting at home, worrying about how this will affect your or your partners’ work/business, current and future clients and customers, and overall income then this post is for you.

The Coronavirus is serious, no one is immune and COVID-19 is on all of our minds. As we self-quarantine all over the world, here are some things you (and your family) can do to help weather the Coronavirus storm.

watch the video

Create Helpful Content For Others

Just like this post, keep posting relevant information to your audience.

Provide More Value To Your Community

Both online and off.

Do your part and help an elderly or unwell neighbor out. Pop a note through the door offering to get supplies and write your phone number on it so they can call if they are lonely.

Your online audience probably looks to you for value and advice, they respect you and your reassurance possibly means a lot. So don’t go quiet. Spread love and support amongst worry and fear. Give relevant information, ideas of things to do at-home, easy meal ideas, Netflix watch lists, TED talk recommendations, how to help in your community, and link to other content creators who are doing great stuff.

DO post ‘time to reflect’ posts, self-care ideas, money-saving tips, DIY tips
DON’T be negative, scaremongering, or add to any panic

Improve Your Business Structure

Whether you run a physical business, online business, juggle clients, make products or run passive streams, this will affect you in some way.

If you have clients and customers, your number one responsibility is to make sure you are focusing on them, keeping them happy, and delivering on your work. Do not get distracted. People will be feeling more vulnerable and it’s easy for them to not spend money, to not invest, to not buy so make sure you are delivering on your end and treating your clients and customers like gold. Always.

Focus on the backend of the business

Get those blog posts that are sitting in your draft folder finished and published.
Add pin-able images to your site and start pinning on Pinterest, you will see a return with traffic increase and potentially sales too.
Update your email sequencing, I use Mailerlite and recommend them
Add new email opt-ins and refresh your email sign-ups, your list is invaluable at a time like this.

Passive Income

It’s not too late to start brainstorming ways to toughen up and possibly add more passive income. Passive income is a great way to invest your time into something which will add value and bring revenue over time, with less effort in time (making money in your sleep).

For example, if you have ever thought about making a product then focus your time and mind on designing that product. If you have something to teach, a skill you can pass on, then consider planning the curriculum to teach an online course. These forms of ‘passive income’ can literally make you money whilst you sleep, and can be a huge undertaking initially but pay off in the long term. If you foresee a quiet period ahead, start thinking outside the box and diversifying in your business structure to help in a possible recession.

As an entrepreneur, this hasn’t affected my business too much as of yet because all my work is online. I write blog posts, create social media content, upload videos to YouTube, sell products and teach online. If I need to meet someone, I can do that on Skype, FaceTime, zoom.

Right now, more people are at home and looking for things to do so videos and courses are ideal.

This is what I have added in the last year

A new range of prints to our shop
Iceland Family Life Merch line
Currently writing the curriculum for 2 new online courses for skillshare

Update Your Website & Graphics

Give your social media, online presence, and CV some love and possibly overdue attention. I often leave my CV and portfolio until I have some ‘downtime’ and can update the images and information. Social media is something we are often on every day but updating bio’s and header graphics can bring a new lease of life and possibly attract new clients. Offer to do this for others, you never know where it might lead also.

Security Blanket

It’s human nature to panic, at times like this we can go into survival mode BUT this is not the time to panic. When we panic, we tend to make bad decisions and act out of character, dramatic and often selfish. Think about your long-term planning and goals. Don’t act on fear now. Be mindful of your spending. Don’t panic buy, hoard supplies, or binge on something.

The best way to weather a storm is to be prepared - this is when a ‘rainy-day fund’ of cash comes in very handy. We all know ‘cash is king’ meaning having access to money, not having it tied up in bonds, stock, property, etc. Recessions happen, and they will happen again, so if you don’t have a fund then start to make one and don’t touch it. Stash a 3-6 month budget, you may be very grateful for it someday.

Recessions Happen

Learn from this, and the last recession, and prepare for the next recession. Be proactive and plan so you can ride the wave of recession.

READ - How I Survived The Credit Crunch

If You Have Money, See The Opportunity

It sounds bad but if you have some money to play with, if you’re lucky enough, then this is the time to seek out opportunity and invest in the stock market. At times like this, the stock market is very reflective of the situation and fear. If you can see opportunity whilst everyone else is panicking then you will come out on top. Think long term, play the long game. Investors invest in stock at times like this because they know the market will turn around, eventually.

Keeping Little Kids Entertained At Home

I have Mia home right now - not because we are quarantined, just to be clear - so here is some Instagram accounts that might help if you’re at home with little people:

7daysofplay - Playful Learning • Crafts • Sensory Fun
busytoddler - Making it to naps, one activity at a time
mothercould - PLAY AT HOME & EASY RECIPES
welcometomommyhood - activities for preschool and Montessori classrooms
happytoddlerplaytime - Happy Toddler Playtime
studiodiy - embracing color + making life a party
recycleplay - the best-recycled crafts and activities for kids

And remember to go out for fresh air, a walk around the block or to a local park probably won’t mean interacting with too many people and if it does, try to keep a 2m distance apart.

Invest In Yourself

Catch up on reading
Binge-watch Netflix
Catch up on vlogs (wink wink)
Use this time to learn and take an online course like Skillshare
Watch some TED talks, teach your kids stuff
Teachers Pay Teachers - an inexpensive online store to help you teach any subject
Get some fresh air (try to stay 2m apart from others)
Have a spa day
Clean the house, declutter
Stick a good playlist on and have a dance party (just you, haha)
Finish those craft projects
Jump on YouTube and learn a new skill (knitting, editing, whatever)
FaceTime friends and call people
do some ‘quick meals for busy mums’ meal prep - amenuforyou

This Craziness Will Pass

Do Not Panic.

Stay home, stay safe.

Take care of yourself.

Invest in yourself, use this time wisely.

Yes, we might all catch some for of the Corona Virus so keep that in mind but by staying home we are all doing our bit to help slow the spread down, and that way the health care services can cope better. It’s not worth risking the health of others. You might feel that you are healthy and not affected, or could fight it off BUT it’s not necessarily you that you need to be concerned with - think of those you could carry it to.

how are you coping, do you have a plan in place?

Do What You Love, and the sh*t that comes with it

March 03, 2020/ Sonia Nicolson

What does ‘doing what you love’ really mean, and look like?

Since moving to Iceland 4 years ago now, I have worked for myself. Working for myself is an easy phrase to type or say but the action of making it happen and being successful, as in profitable, is a different story. Working for myself looks like running this blog, posting on Instagram (now 2 accounts), collaborations, filming editing and uploading videos to YouTube, running an Etsy shop, commissions, online course creation, client interior and architecture projects and all the marketing and admin that come with it. I don’t say yes to everything, it’s not all fun and games. I’ve learnt many lessons along the way so I wanted to take a minute and discuss what working for yourself and ‘doing what you love’ really looks like.

Build a life you love

People today seem to think that they can find their passion and do that every day, all day long. Easy, right? Your life will be amazing. Your work will be wonderful. You’ll never be bored. You’ll never get stressed. You’ll never have money worries, and you’ll only do what you want to do.

In reality, all that is kind of false.

Everyone’s an Entrepreneur

I feel like I hear this everywhere I turn right now. On blogs, Instagram, podcasts, YouTube, Facebook. Maybe that’s just a reflection of what I’m listening to and attracting but is it true? Are we in a generation of entrepreneurs?

Most entrepreneurs start out either with an idea or a solution. The main aim is to make a difference, either in someone’s life or as an impact on the world. A lot of these entrepreneurs will claim they can teach you how to ‘build a life you love’, ‘'build your business’, ‘build your following’, etc and a lot of them are very successful at it - if you’re willing to put in the hard work then hopefully you’ll see results. This can, of course, make a difference in your life, work and purpose. But then it doesn’t appeal or apply to everyone. Not everyone wants to, or should, be their own boss.

80/20

Running your own business can take about 80% of your time (spent on marketing, admin, etc) to allow for the creative part, that part that you’re really passionate about, and there’s only 20% of your time remaining. It’s a juggle and a struggle, and it’s not often how you imagined you’d be spending your time.

Live a Creative Life

As creatives, our personalities don’t necessarily lend themselves to being the boss - at least not straight away. My advice is to build up loads of experience, learn from others. Work in different companies, on different projects, with different clients, and budgets, and problems. Try hard, ask questions, work late, stick around, sit in on meetings you don’t need to be in (if allowed), offer ideas, find solutions, build your confidence.

I’m not one to quote Oprah but she said “Are you going to get bored with your job, yes. Are you going to get restless, yes. Are you going to love every second of it, no”…“Your job is not always going to fulfil you.” And of course she’s right, there will be days where you don’t feel like going…go anyway. “Your job is not who you are, it’s just what you’re doing on the way to who you will become.”

Building a working framework isn’t glamorous

Routine is important in life, in work, in our jobs and in building a framework for our future self. Think of your future self. Think back 1, 2, 5, 10 years ago and imagine what you would say to yourself about growth and personal development. Now think 1, 2, 5, 10 years ahead and start working on what that future self needs, now. Massive question…Are you happy in your life, where it’s going and in what you have achieved so far? If no, doing just read on, it’s time to make a plan and start it today.

Become an Expert

Routine can be boring, mundane but the action of doing something over and over and over again, eventually makes you become an expert. Over that time you will no doubt get good at it. Now apply this thinking to your skillset, especially the items you aren’t so keen on; sketching, CAD, writing, presenting, making phone calls.

This has helped me with things like working under pressure. Sure, it gets easier with time, you learn how to respond to pressure and priorities. Juggling it all is something I still find challenging, and probably will for a long time; projects, clients, employees (haha Ingimar), contractors (both online and off), suppliers (both online and off), and deadlines.

Clients

Working with clients is possibly one of the best and most challenging parts of my work. The best for obvious reasons; you wouldn’t be working without them, but clients often don’t understand the process, or that they might not be your only client at one time, yet they will demand your attention and creativity whether you’re ready or not. I’ve had a client give a project brief on a Monday and they’ve expected ideas to follow pretty much instantly.

“It doesn’t matter what you do and how much you love it, you will still have a tonne of sh*t you have to deal with in order to do what you love.” - Marie Forleo

Wearing all the hats

Facing the good and the bad in business is a necessity, it’s just how it works. Working for myself means I wear many hats, some I don’t like as much as others, some I wish I didn’t have to wear (especially on Monday mornings). For me, like many, that’s unanswered emails and following up on phone calls. But my biggest pet business peeve is having to chase up fees from clients who haven’t paid - it’s so disrespectful and rude.

Be your own Boss, in time

Having said all that, I love it and it’s all worth it. I love Layoutlines, I love Iceland Family Life, I love my work, I love working for myself and I love that I’m building my little empire. But remember it takes time. Respect the time it takes to build your empire. Those who rush, make mistakes.

Yes, I get impatient at times, I want to see the numbers higher and the pressure less. But all of that comes from my boss; me. That’s what being your own boss sometimes looks like. And that’s completely normal, we all do it. So I keep on writing these blog posts, picking up my camera, doing commissions, designs for clients, chasing fees, opening emails, and replying to DMs. You just have to do the ‘sh*t’ to make the good stuff keep happening.

Let’s embrace all the stuff we don’t necessarily love about building our empires and think of our future self. Turn up to work, even when we don’t want to. And once we are in a routine, going with the flow, open to new ideas - that’s when the magic will happen. What do you think?

Working From Home Guide 2023

August 29, 2019/ Sonia Nicolson

It’s a crazy time right now and, as we all settle into working from home for the foreseeable future, I thought I’d share a Working From Home Guide. Here are my top tips for working from home and how to make the most of your space to create a ‘home office’.

Working from home seems like the dream to many and, though it does come with many more pros than cons, it can be filled with distractions and motivation zappers. After all, your bed is warm and cozy, and your sofa is comfortable and only a few steps away…and you’ve almost finished binge-watching [insert series].

Get The Right Desk

Ok, so back in your office you might have one of those adjustable desks so you can stand more but in reality, at home, you’ll probably just sit. Try to use a good chair and be aware of your posture, the right chair for your new ' workstation is so important. Think of your back and look after it. If you can order a new one then do that but it might not be an option right now. If you plan to have a home office then it’s worth investing in a good setup. If you have the budget for it then look into an adjustable desk and make sure it’s one that can be raised and lowered easily so there’s more chance you will actually adjust it. Look at where and how you work - do you actually work at your desk, where it currently is? If not then rethink the space, turn things around and face a different direction. Get your set upright and you will be more productive.

Avoid All The At-Home Distractions

That super comfy sofa, Netflix, a full fridge, kids, argh. Try to be strict with yourself and treat your work/office like you would if you were going out to work. I try to start my day by 9-9:30 am and finish by 4-5 pm. I have my breakfast before I get to my desk and keep a lunch hour where I try to take a walk, move my body and enjoy some fresh air. I start dinner prep at 5 pm but if I’m still finishing tasks then I will keep working until 6 pm. Sometimes I work in the evening, depending on my workload and deadlines but I try to keep weekends work-free, where possible. Working from home becomes a habit, and if you get good at it then it can be hard to walk away from. Be strict but fair with yourself.

Sit Near The Window

Expose yourself to as much natural light as possible as this will help you focus, concentrate and can promote a happier mood - plus you’ll have access to fresh air. Natural light is better for photography so grab those Instagram shots. If you don’t have large windows or live in a country with long dark winters, like here in Iceland, invest in a daylight light - this can also help with waking up in the mornings.

Avoid getting hit by Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) a form of depression related to the change in season. Don’t brush this off as the winter blues it can get serious. Symptoms usually start showing around autumn/fall and continue throughout winter. It can zap your energy, mood, and motivation. Make sure to move your body, go for a walk and get some fresh air, be social (if you can). Fuel yourself, eat well and go easy on yourself - often we can be our own worst critics.

Become A Plant Lover

Don’t sigh, it’s not just a trendy interiors thing but plants are both pretty and practical - they clean the air helping with co2 levels so what’s not to like. I’m a sucker for succulents, and house plants like ivy and spider plants which are easy to look after (seemingly). My love pottering with my plants and looking after them - yup, I’m a plant lady.

Get An Essential Oil Defuser

This is the one we love, add a few drops of lavender oil to the water and it will relax you. I did this in our bedroom whilst I was breastfeeding Mia and have continued to have it on in the room as I get ready for bed or whilst I enjoy some me-time. A defuser is a great gadget to have at home and you can add different oils to help with your mood.

Surround Yourself With Pictures

These can be of your family, friends, happy times, inspirational quotes, pretty artwork, etc. Post-it notes might not look cool but they’re useful and can be great for covering your screen with ideas, notes, to-do items, and so on. I use them when planning my online courses to help structure lessons as I can easily move topics around and stand back from the course to really see the overview.

I’m a list-lover, lists on my phone and in my bullet journal (what did we do before bullet journals, have random lists everywhere?!).

Pinboards are back and make great physical mood boards, brand, or vision boards so why not try this to help keep you visually stimulated and on-brand. I am currently making a vision board which I’ve never done before. Try making one by looking through magazines and cutting out anything that “sparkes joy” as Marie Condo would say. Write words or quotes relevant to you, print images, add text, textures, and materials, flowers, or whatever works for you. Keep it somewhere you will see it every day as a reminder of what you want in your life.

Music

I use Spotify on our Sonos to play playlists or just listen to the radio. I’m pretty bad with music and would honestly listen to whatever - I’ve been known to listen to the same CD in my car for months without bothering to change it. Having playlists set up where I can easily stick them on in the background is good for me. I like chill, coffeehouse kind of playlists.

Dress For Work

This helps with the point above and will help you take working from home more seriously until you find your flow. I recommend you dress comfortably but not too comfy or you’ll just lounge around the house. Working from home comes with the big advantage of being in PJs but I find I work more productively if I actually get up and dressed, ready for the day. This might mean hair brushed and makeup - some mascara and lippy - to feel a bit more put together.

READ: My Self Employed Uniform

Work Outside The Box (when you can)

Not that your home is a ‘box’ but I really recommend trying this. Change up where you work once a week by heading to your local library, a coffee shop (though coffees can really add up), try a friends place (also great for collaborating and bouncing ideas around), an open office space (check Facebook to see if there’s a place like this in your area) or if your budget allows, rent a desk in a shared office space (great for networking and collaborations). I do have what I call a ‘soft office aka my bed where I often edit photographs, plan my Instagram feed, and download clips for my YouTube videos. Road trips are a great place for thinking, I love to dream up new projects and discuss them with Ingimar. My favorite place for planning and daydreaming is in a hot tub (lucky me, I know). Escape from behind your laptop - get some space and distance for good perspective.

The True Gem Of Working At-Home

…that you can have your office assistant/motivator with you, aka baby Mia (can also be your pet).

Becoming a Mum has motivated me on an entirely different level, something I didn’t expect. Though my time, energy, and focus are so precious now, and my brain is still a bit baby brain blurry, I have a bigger reason, purpose, and even more, drive to succeed.

I feel like I’m creating my legacy, I’m building my dreams not just for me but for Mia and our family. Mum guilt plays a huge role in my day and I often feel like I can’t win. If I’m working, I should be playing with her and if I’m playing with her, I should be working. It’s hard but I want her to be proud of her Mummy, to see me working, and to know why it’s important.

She is 21months old now and that time has flown by. She has taught me that time is precious and you can’t get it back - every minute away from her has to count. Time is a precise commodity. I have to work smarter, not harder - now more than ever.

I used to work as an Architect, in a very stressful and highly male-dominated, competitive environment. It was a classic case of the last one in the office meant you were the hardest worker. It’s nonsense. Busy doesn’t mean successful. The hardest worker doesn’t make them the best. The self-employed Mum-life is far busier and I probably get more done now. I don’t want to work a 10, 12hour day building someone else’s dreams when I can work on my own dreams.

Be Proud Of Your Accomplishments

Working from home takes a bit to get used to so don’t be too hard on yourself. You have to manage your time, juggling things, be your own boss and possibly look after the kids too. Celebrate the wins, even if they are small. Keep track of them in your journal, stats, income, clients, projects, and look back on the last 30 days.

I did this recently with my Etsy shop and compared it to last year and was so surprised at our growth. I now keep track of all my social media accounts and following. It puts less pressure on to see the slow and steady growth other than just looking at the actual numbers. It makes it easier to be more realistic about growth and targets and on yourself.

Learn to look back often on what you are building, and have already accomplished and celebrated it.

this post was originally written in 2020 and has been updated

5 Tips To Grow Your Instagram fast

April 17, 2017/ Sonia Nicolson

We’re sharing our top tips to help you grow on Instagram fast. We all know that being consistent is crucial on social media, but with the removal of Instagram likes, we need to focus more on the shares and saves. Let’s get focused on educating our audience, sharing value, and prepping for launches, new product releases, and sales. We’ve got the best 5 tips to grow on Instagram.

Consistency - post consistently on Instagram
be consistent in when to post and how often so your followers know what to expect. Find out what time is best for you to post on Instagram and stick to that. Post daily, weekly, or whatever your schedule allows but stick to a plan.
Show more of YOU on your feed
by you, we mean your face. Don’t be shy, post pictures where you’re in them to help your audience connect with you. Use Instagram stories to capture your normal life and share more of a behind-the-scenes view. Once you feel ready, try Instagram live to really connect with your followers.
Educate
Share value with your followers and build trust, build a brand, and educate them on what you are doing by sharing more. Prepare them for when you’re ready to launch or sell; the more they know, the more they’ll be ready to support you.
Save and Share
the save and share options on Instagram are the new likes so you want to create content that your audience is going to save and share with theirs. Write in the caption that you want to be tagged and credited, and do the same if you share someone else’s post. Graphics work well as they often share value and work on other people’s feeds.
Use the DM
feature to connect, not spam - send genuine messages to people to reach out and build community. Send a friendly message to new followers thanking them for the follow and ask what they like and want to see more of. Connect with people, it is social media after all.