The other night, I was on the phone with my partner (who recently started working on his business full-time) and he said, “Wow… I think this is the first time I’ve SPOKEN today.”

It was 9 p.m.

File that under “things they don’t tell you when you start a business”. 😉

Now, you and I both know entrepreneurship is awesome! Being your own boss? Building your dream business? Spreading an impact throughout the world? Sign me up for more of that!

A work-life balance can be really hard when you work from home!

But if I’m being real – and you know me, I’m all about that realness – there’s a whole lot that Instagram doesn’t show about being a business owner….

Like those days when you stay in your PJs all. day. long.

Or talk out loud to yourself just to make your voice still works.

Or start having long, in-depth conversations with your dog (“…anyways, that was my day. How was yours?”).

We do what we’ve got to do to make it work!

With that said, it’s easy to fall into, well… a bit of a rut. But it’s all good, yo — sometimes we’ve just got to shake up our routine.

If you’re finding yourself feeling a bit disconnected and stuck, I’ve got 5 ways to bust out of it and keep your brain sane. Let’s mix things up!

1. Put on some background noise

I love having background noise while I’m busting a groove on my computer. Ironically, my go-to is The Office!

Whether it’s a band, a tv show, or a movie you’ve seen 100 times, having some background noise can help you feel more connected, especially if the only person you’ve seen that day is your pet. Just make sure whatever you have on isn’t distracting you from the task at hand — AKA don’t put on that Netflix series you’ve been dying to binge.

2. Schedule social time

It is waaay too easy to stay in hustle-grind-mode as an entrepreneur. Next thing you know, you’re on day five of no human contact, your eyes are red and glassy from staring at the screen, and wait… is that the same coffee-stained shirt you wore yesterday?

Make a point to connect with your loved ones. Whether it’s a quick coffee date, a Skype session, or even just a phone call, human time is so good for the soul!

3. Change up your scenery

Have you ever found yourself staring at your computer completely unable to get any traction on what you’re working on?

Sometimes a change of scenery can be like hitting the reset button in your brain! Try switching up where you work every once in awhile. If you’ve been sitting in your kitchen, move outside. Better yet, leave your house completely! Find a cozy coffee shop, a local library or coworking space, etc.

You may just find yourself full of new energy, ideas, and focus!

4. Take breaks

Anyone else guilty of sitting and working for hours on end with no breaks? While I love a good productive work sesh, studies show that breaks aren’t just good for your sanity… they’re good for your productivity, too!

There are plenty of ways to incorporate breaks into your schedule: power hours, the Pomodoro Technique, 90-minute intervals, etc. If you’re new to working in structured time blocks, try a few different methods out and see which works best for you.

And no matter which structure you choose, just remember to give your brain a rest every once and awhile. Take a short walk, play with your pets, grab some coffee, or just chill, you feel me?

5. Remember to breathe

At the end of the day, you’re busy building your dream! That is a BOSS move. With that can come some craziness, and that is a-okay, friend.

When the going gets tough, remember to breathe. If today feels extra cray, there’s always tomorrow. Give yourself the space to take a break, reset, and come back refreshed. Take a shower, change your shirt (or don’t), eat some chocolate, listen to a 10-minute meditation, watch that TV series you’ve been dying to see… do whatever you need to do to give your brain a break. Then come back tomorrow and keep doing yo thang!

Remember, you may be working solo, but you’re not alone. We’re all here rooting you on!

Now, let’s chat in the comments: What are some of your go-to strategies for breaking out of a work from home rut? 🙂