Our chief inspiration officer likes to think he knows a thing or two about staying inspired.

Here are some simple exercises to help you stay inspired whatever your working from home looks like.

1. Tiny Habits & Routine

Start inspired…

If you live on your own and are working from home, don’t wait for the elusive hand of motivation. Take your day by the horns.

After you wake up and put your feet on the floor, say “it’s going to be a great day.” To wire the habit into your brain, smile immediately.

Source: Tiny Habits by B. J. Fogg; also read Atomic Habits by James Clear

Scrambled eggs and smoked salmon on toast for breakfast in Restaurant 178 - Fairlawns Hotel & Spa, Walsall
Scrambled eggs and smoked salmon on toast for breakfast in Restaurant 178 – Fairlawns Hotel & Spa, Walsall
Bedroom in the Junior Suite - Hythe Imperial Hotel, Spa & Golf, Hythe, Kent
Bedroom in the Junior Suite – Hythe Imperial Hotel, Spa & Golf, Hythe, Kent

2. Routine & Momentum

Start inspired…

Make your bed. Period. No, really, making your bed in the morning sets you off to a great start. Bed? Tick. Momentum can build from small, simple, positive actions. The little things in life do matter. And after you’ve put in the hours at your home office, well, your bed awaits.

Source: Make Your Bed by William H. McRaven

3. Defusion & Self-Compassion

Work inspired…

Be flexible about how much work you might realistically be able to get done if you’re balancing child care.

Distance yourself from negative thoughts using defusion. Notice the thought and then thank it: “I’ve noticed I’m having the thought that…. Thanks mind!”

Source: The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris; also read A Liberated Mind by Steven C. Hayes

Children playing in a family room – Abbey Hotel, Golf & Spa, Birmingham

4. Systems & Productivity

Work inspired…

Common sense isn’t common practice. That page-long to-do list is great as a catch-all, but less effective as your battle plan.

Take your 3 top priorities – must get done and move you forward; highlight just one. Break this down in to next steps and get to it!

Recommended: 12 Week Year by Brian P. Moran; Make Time by Jake Knapp & John Zeratsky.

5. Deep Work & Flow

Work inspired…

You’ve scheduled strategic work time. Now use Cold Turkey website blocker to make this time truly distraction-free.

You may also find the use of white noise or repetitive instrumental music to be effective at facilitating deeply engaging work time.

Recommended: Deep Work by Cal Newport; Indistractible by Nir Eyal.

Piano entertainment in the Atrium Bar - Gonville Hotel, Cambridge
Piano entertainment in the Atrium Bar – Gonville Hotel, Cambridge

6. Meta Skills & Learning

Stay inspired…

The number of quality online learning sites is impressive and growing. But what about optimal learning – how ‘best’ to learn a subject area?

Do you swot (blocked practice)? No, try interleaving instead – providing intelligent variety in your studies to improve learning.

(NB. Not to be confused with the fabled ‘multitasking’.)

Source: Mind for Numbers by Barbara Oakley

7. Framing & Resilience

Stay inspired…

The Stoics were a tough ol’ bunch. Half philosopher, half psychologist. Eminently practical. For a good life, nay, a better life, try framing (re-positioning) setbacks as a test of your ingenuity. This will take deliberate practice, but will help you to move forward faster.

Recommended: Dialogues and Essays by Seneca; Discourses, Fragments, Handbook by Epictetus.

8. Something to look forward to

Stay inspired…

We all need something to look forward to.

That’s why we’re currently offering our monetary gift vouchers with extra value (up to £50 more) and extra time (24 months to redeem).

Here’s to adventures to come.

Stay safe, stay inspired,

Your Classic British Team.
#InThisTogether

More Inspired

Location

Arrive

Nights

Promo Code