Work is everywhere; there is no clock in, clock out machine, and there is always an email to send or a design to make. Working from home has its benefits, but you have to learn to switch off and actually walk away. 

I have learned I am not very good at this; my boyfriend says ‘’I am Untamed obsessed.”

Successfully working from home, in my opinion is finding balance. You have to learn to make a life schedule and not just a work schedule, so you make time for yourself and not just your business. I find it incredibly hard to separate work from home, and if I don’t schedule in when I take a break, then I simply won’t take one which soon turns happy Emma into grumpy, crazy Emma.

A bike ride, a walk or tea and muffin on the deck can make a massive difference in productivity and mental state. 

I love my job; I get to design and make clothes, organise photo shoots, learn graphic design, write blogs and make pretty social media posts. Plus, all the boring business admin stuff which is not as much fun, but you can't have everything, right? 

It's fun and a constant learning game, but it is an insane amount of work, and I have to make sure I take a break regularly. When to stop working is a challenging problem and one I hear lots of people struggling with.  

Working out is essential for my sanity; It feels fantastic to switch off the mind and get a good sweat going. 

I struggled at the beginning to get motivated to work out from home because work is always there and would always win. A quick email would always turn into hours on the computer, and then things would always pop up all day long, and exercise would get pushed to the back. 

But now, I have scheduled to work out at least 4-5 times a week first thing in the morning for at least 20 minutes; I would like 30, but I am realistic, and some mornings I am far too busy. It’s better than nothing, and as long as I press play, I never regret it!

The fridge has never been so close and easily accessible as it is when you work from home. 

Staying healthy is very important to me. You can quickly fall into the trap of picking at unhealthy chips and chocolate all day long. I believe that preparation is the key to eating healthy. 

I find that I get so involved with what I am doing, and then all of a sudden, I am starving, and I have to eat now and quickly. I need to have easy, healthy options quickly accessible otherwise, I either eat unhealthily or shout at my boyfriend because I have become hangry! So I need to be prepared before this happens. 

Look after you first, and the business will follow.

It is essential for me and my relationships with my boyfriend, friends, and family to pull myself away from Untamed. I still struggle to find the right combination of Emma time, relationship time and work. It’s a constant mental battle. But it is essential to me and the business. 

Work hard, play hard and look after yourself; you deserve it. Time is precious, and every moment only comes once. You can do it all; it might just take you a little longer. 

Thanks for reading, and I will be back next week to tell you all about how Untamed grew through the pandemic.