How to find balance in your life as an interior design business owner
For many interior design business owners, life at home and life at work tend to blur together as one. They are often the same or heavily connected. Some may spend long hours at the office and can ‘switch off’ upon leaving their desk, while others blur the lines between their job and life by working from home - making the switch-off part a little trickier. Dedication as a business owner is important, but at some point, everyone needs to be able to disconnect from their business and their business identity and step fully into the other parts of their life. It’s important for people to find a way to feel like more than just their professional title - no matter how much they love it.
Here are our top tips to help you find your own personal balance between personal and professional life in the world of interior design.
Know your boundaries - and honor them
You’ve probably heard this before but only you can be responsible for respecting your boundaries. When running a business it’s important to know your limits when it comes to hours worked, the energy given, time spent on projects, etc. The first step is being really clear on what your business, and personal, boundaries are. The second step is ensuring the people you surround yourself with, be that clients, work colleagues, or loved ones, know what they are. If we don’t communicate our boundaries clearly, that's when lines blur and we can feel ourselves getting drained or maybe even frustrated with others.
From designing to client relationship management to the general running of your business, interior designers can very easily find themselves working long hours and prioritizing work over their self-care and personal life. Small business owners and freelancers often dive deeply into their work, because let's face it, you wouldn’t be doing it if you didn't love it! But it's important to remember that success doesn’t just relate to sales, revenue, or successful marketing. Ensuring you are healthy, well-rested, and connected to yourself and loved ones is all a part of your success, and having clear boundaries will help you achieve it.
Working long hours when a deadline is looming is the logical answer, and yes sometimes it may be necessary, but consistently pulling 12-hour days for weeks on end will most likely result in burnout - meaning you have to entirely step away from your business. Many designers will know that it’s hard to be creative and offer high-quality work when you’re exhausted.
Remember, creativity requires a certain level of energy.
To set boundaries ask yourself the following questions. You’ll see it’s not just about the hours at your desk but also how you handle your business on a day-to-day basis:
How many hours do you wish to work per day?
How available do you want to make yourself be for your clients over emails or over the phone - can you set clear guidelines on when to contact you?
How often will you check your emails per day?
Do you have a personal and a professional line of communication that you can switch off when you are not working?
Do you have CEO days dedicated to growing your business where you don’t take on any client work but focus on your business?
Have you planned your next vacation? Communicate them ahead of time to your clients. And if you can’t take a long vacation right now, can you plan a 3-day weekend away from your business?
Are your deadlines realistic? Can you give yourself more legroom when working on projects to feel less stressed?
Journal on other ways that you feel pressure in your business and how you can set better boundaries for yourself. The key is to communicate them ahead of time. You won’t look less professional, on the contrary. You’re making it easier to work with you! Now your clients know exactly what they can expect from you!
Prioritize your energy - consistently
Instead of overworking, ensure you dedicate time to yourself as a means to refuel. From taking walks in nature, eating foods that feel good to your body, connecting with loved ones, meditating, and exercising. Ensure you have tools you can access that help you to balance your energy, especially during crunch time at the end of a project. The more you’re doing the more you need to make sure you take care of yourself.
And, make sure you can identify when you’re doing too much. By the time burnout hits, it’s often a little too late.
Remember that it's okay to say no.
There are no rules that state that you have to take on every single design opportunity that shows up. Know that you can tell a client you are happy to work with them, but you aren’t able to begin right away. This relates back to…. you got it….. Boundaries.
PRO TIP: Plan these self-care moments ahead of time so you don’t miss them! Set a reminder on your phone to meditate even if it’s just 5 minutes, schedule a lunch break in your calendar where no one can book a call with you, etc.
Create a set workspace that you love
Having a workspace that is conducive to your creativity and productivity will make a huge difference when you are trying to create more of a home and life balance. Especially if you work from home. A spare room is a great idea if you work from home or clearly separate an area of a room to work in. Having a space that is separate from the part of the house that you would relax in. Once you’ve completed your work for the day you can simply shut the door to signal that it’s time to disconnect. If you’re working in an office this can be easier, maybe you have a set routine that allows you to switch from ‘work mode’ to ‘me mode’?
If you do have a home office, this is also a great opportunity to showcase your style. Whether you meet clients in person or online, the design of your space and home will help to essentially sell your services! This is your area of expertise, so make it shine! Even though we know it’s always harder to dedicate time to your own project, this is a great place to show your expertise. Why not make it a fun social media project as well?
If you find it too difficult to fully separate your home and work life, shared workspaces, or coworking spaces, are a great option. These spaces are designed for freelance and independent workers. Interior designers can rent out a desk in a communal space where others will also be working. You can reserve a desk for a day, week, or even months, and you will be able to keep your physical home separate from work.
Have passions outside of your work and business
Running your own business requires passion, love, and commitment - which is why it's not surprising that many designers can’t think about anything else besides design. However, to truly find the balance it’s important to consider your life outside of work - and nourish it.
Having a passion, be it creative or not, outside of work will help to boost not only your well-being, mood, and energy - but it will improve your creativity as a whole. The more we challenge ourselves to different things, the more creative ideas flow.
Is there something you’ve always wanted to try? Or a hobby you loved as a child that you stopped doing? It’s time to get out and do it! Try a pottery class, learn a language, become a member of your local museum, whatever it is, create time and space to do it.
Not only will these activities help you feel balanced and relaxed, but they’ll also clear your head so that when you return to your desk the next day, you’ll return feeling refreshed and ready to take on a new day of design.
Ask for help! Get the support you deserve
Last but not least, finding balance can’t be achieved if you’re trying to do it all by yourself! This is where asking for help can be really beneficial. Make a list of tasks you’d like to delegate - the tasks you don’t feel passionate about or you feel like you are missing the expertise to really perform in it and look for other professionals who would love to help you!
Do you need help creating a powerful, aligned, and remarkable brand that you love, one that you can trust will run itself should you decide to take a break every so often? Do you need help marketing your services? Do you wish to be featured in your favorite magazine? Click here to schedule a Complimentary Brand Consultation. We can’t wait to hear about your mission and to help you grow it into something even bigger!
Feeling supported in your mission is one of the most important self-care actions you can take that will help you elevate your business!
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