Embracing flexible work routines

Right, so here it is – my first blog! Eeeekkk! As someone with dyslexia, I’m not going to lie, I am panicking. So, apologies in advance for any spelling and grammar errors. I promise I have proofread this several times, but there may be a few errors that have escaped my attention.

Right, back on topic. I can’t do with getting distracted this early on in the blog, especially not my first blog, as the idea was to make a short blog – emphasis on the short.

First things first, a quick introduction. Hey, my name is Bethan, and I am a neurodiverse, neurodiversity coach who specializes in autism.. Phew now that introductions are out of the way, (you can find more information on my website should you so wish)

Today, I want to talk about working and what being productive might look like. I will start by admitting I have never worked an office job, but I have worked in schools, further education, and employment, and visited many different work environments. I am not going to talk about social workplace standards or sensory implications, as then I wouldn’t achieve my goal of this being a short blog post! I want to talk about how we work and how other people and society judge productivity.

I want to chat about how society has made us believe that we should be working between certain hours and that while at work, we need to be productive. Well, that might work for some people, but it doesn’t for many, and it certainly doesn’t for me.

A example being I am currently sat here at 6 am, working and have been for the last hour or so. Why, you might ask? Have you got a massive deadline? Overworked? The answer to these questions, at the time of writing this, is no, I am not. (Though I do struggle with sleep, I promise you no alarm was set in the writing of this.) I’m working because the ideas are flowing, the excitement and energy are there, and so I am riding my productivity wave while it is here. This is something I am now so privileged to be able to do, but last year when I started my self-employment journey, I still fought against this notion. I would argue with myself simply because it wasn’t happening within work hours. I would say to myself unproductive phrases like, “You’re going to be knackered, you will regret it by the end of the day (aka 5 pm), just go back to sleep, if you have to be up then do something else.” Well, the fact is I probably won’t be working until 5 pm (unless this wave continues until then, which secretly I hope it will as I could get so much shizzle done). I am working because the energy is right, as I like to describe it, my brain is braining, and I’m not fighting against it.

It is likely if I tried to go back to sleep and wait for my alarm, what would happen is I wouldn’t go back to sleep, becoming increasingly annoyed that I can’t sleep as my brain continues ping-ponging, one of the loudest being it arguing with me, putting pressure on me to sleep. Then I struggle to get out of bed and continue to struggle to get ready for work, only to sit in front of the computer frozen, trying to will those ideas and energy back, resulting in me becoming increasingly frustrated, achieving nothing but the compulsory tasks (i.e., attending meetings) and continuing the argument with my head, feeling like a failure, and probably ending up ultimately doomscrolling on my phone.

Let me tell you, my workdays look very different now. I still need some structure, so I do create working days and times, but these are flexible. I don’t feel bad if it doesn’t happen (well, sometimes I still do – it’s a journey).

I try to work in a way that suits me. You’ll often find me in different rooms in the house with my laptop and something playing on my iPad on repeat. Often, I won’t be sat at a desk, much preferring to work from the floor, a comfy chair with a blanket burritoed around me, my bed, standing at the window so I can people-watch, or even pacing while dictating as I am now with a fidget object in my hand. I know I think best when I am moving, and this way my whole body’s moving, so that’s got to equal even better thinking, right?

I am no longer afraid to work when that productivity wave hits, provided it’s suitable and safe to do so. I walk away when I can’t achieve anything, refocusing my attention or just going for a walk, taking a nap, or reading a book or even allowing myself a good cry. I forgive myself a lot more on those days when I can’t achieve things on that to-do list my brain is forever creating.

Basically, if you are reading this, I am not here to tell you how you should or shouldn’t work. I also appreciate that if you work in fields like hospitality, the structure has to be different.

But what I am saying is that we have been led to believe that working happens between a set of hours and looks a certain way, and that isn’t the case for many of us. It certainly isn’t for me. If you were looking through my window right now, many people wouldn’t see me as working hard, but that just isn’t the case (check in with me in a few days, and then it might be the case).

I think we have learning to do and need to move away from this fixed notion that working or being productive has to look a certain way.

So my question to you that l would love to know is, how do you work best?

And don’t worry if you’re still trying to figure it out.