I just got back from a meeting of fellow bloggers and a few women got on the topic of gaining weight. One woman couldn’t figure out why she had gained 20 pounds since she quit her corporate job. Was it depression? Was it an illness? Was it something more? I quickly raised my hand to give my opinion!

When you have an office job, chances are you have to park your car and walk inside.  When you work at home you walk across the living room. When you have an office job you get up to use the copier, the bathroom, get coffee, meet with clients, walk back to your car to go to lunch, etc. When you change to a job like blogging – you rarely get up from your chair and when you do – it’s to walk 10 or so feet.

Let’s talk about snacking! When you have an office job, chances are you either bring your lunch or plan to go out to lunch. Either way you don’t have a fully stocked fridge beckoning you to open it every time you get up to stretch or to take a break. I snack when I take breaks. A handful of pistachios here,  an ice cream sandwich there…..next thing you know you are sitting at your computer for 12 hours a day – snacking and eating all the while and you’ve gained 20 pounds.

So what do you do? Pack your lunch if you have to and only eat the snacks that you bring “to the office”. When you take breaks, walk around the block instead of to the fridge. Spend less time eating lunch and more time walking during lunch hours. You will find yourself more productive with more exercise so it’s a win win!

I’m going to have to agree with Shannon, the weather definately affects my focus level.  So then I thought, what about a whole season?  Can it be that you are more productive during the different seasons? 

Well, it’s finally here, my favorite season, fall!  Just walking outside to get the paper you feel light as air ready to take on the world and maybe even go for a jog (I drank another cup of coffee instead J.  Summer in SC is pretty hot and VERY humid.  If you have errands/appointments during the day, then by the time that you return, you feel pretty tired and exhausted.  I guess it would stand to reason that I’m not as productive.  What about winter?  I guess in the winter there’s nothing to do but huddle indoors and work….so maybe I am more productive.  I’ve never really thought about it but will pay more attention when the temp drops below 55 degrees (to a Southerner – that’s cold).  We’re used to flip-flops and tank-tops for most of year.….not sweaters, hats, gloves, parkas, and boots.  I don’t know how you Northerners can stand it.  But, I guess you can get used to anything.  In fact, our northern friends look like their going to pass out when we hit 90…which is most of the summer.  So, my parting advice:  If fall is YOUR most productive season…..seize the day so you can slack off laterJ!!

Do you suffer from a “little” anxiety as you build your home-based business?  Feel like you’re just waiting for all of your work to show results?  Anyone who operates a home-based business probably has probably experienced this.  You market your product/service, network, work on your website, submit press releases etc.  But here’s the problem….a lot of what you end up doing, at least in the beginning, is WAITING.  You know that that just one phone call, one client, one opportunity can transform you from the Waiting to “Working like a crazy person”.  So how do I maintain my sanity?

Breathing and meditating.  I learned this from a yoga show on FIT TV.  I basically watch….I don’t actually do the exercises J, except for this breathing thing….this I can do from the couch.  Breathe in through your nose slowly for 4 seconds, hold for 16 and exhale through your mouth for 8.  As your lungs get stronger go up to 5, 20, 10 then 6, 24,12 and so on.  You get the formula.  You can almost feel a chemical change in your body.  Your shoulders relax, oxygen gets to the brain, some of the tension seems to leave your back and when you’re done, you feel like you can get back to it.  It works even if you’re not waiting but working like crazy.  Try it……Practice It…..It works!