A slower and more sustainable life
Personally, I follow the no discard routine. I only feed my sourdough starter before baking a new loaf to ensure I have an active starter. This works well for me but I know there are some people out there you like to keep their sourdough …
You may be reading this blog and think: yes, I want to slow down my life but how? There are so many commitments. The To-Do list does not seem to get any shorter. You may even have noticed that you start things but don’t finish …
Remote work is becoming more sought after these days. There are some companies that are fully remote and encourage a better work-life balance for their employees. Most companies and bosses fear this step though as that would mean to lose control. But the employees of today are demanding more remote working opportunities. I wanted to share in this blog post some ideas for remote work in Europe. So how do you find the ultimate remote job opportunity?
I’ve been working remotely a few years ago. The company was new in Europe and hadn’t set up an office yet. I was the first employee in the UK and it was a great opportunity to work remotely and enjoy a slower pace of life. Jobs like mine in Social Media are easily done remotely. The team is communicating via Slack and email most of the time. There is no reason why employees working in digital jobs still have to commute to the office every day.
However, flexible remote work in Europe is not as widespread as you would think – even in jobs like mine where you would think that is easily possible. Yes, there are some forward-thinking CEOs who want to attract top talent and have therefore taken the step to create fully remote teams. But they are in the minority. Many employees these days, however, demand more flexibility. They want to chose when and where to work from so only employers who allow this flexibility will continue to attract top talent.
The below list is not exhaustive but the fields in which I have first-hand experience in working remotely. Be that as a permanent employee of as a freelancer. I will over time add more blog posts from guest bloggers on this topic. Digital nomads who work from anywhere in the world, freelancers who set their own work schedule or people like you and me who had the opportunity of working remotely. Follow the blog if you want to learn more and read some of these stories.
Most jobs in translation demand a translation degree. However, if you are highly specialised because you have been working in a specific industry for a long time you may be able to get around that. There are so many agencies specialising in translation and you can sign up with some of them or source your own clients. However, a good source can also be job platforms like Indeed so check these out as well!
My tip is to ask around in your network and see if you can connect with people who need smaller translation jobs to start out. It is best to get some experience first and then reach out to bigger companies. Don’t sell yourself short! You set your own fees/rates and you need to know what your time is worth so ensure you thought about this.
Most jobs in translation pay per word or a thousand words. Find out how many words you can translate realistically in about an hour and charge that for 45 minutes of translation. This way you can ensure to hand in high-quality work but also allow yourself breaks when you need them.
You do want to ensure you have time for breaks and this way you also get some admin time. Don’t underestimate admin time as you will have to communicate with clients, write invoices and sometimes even chase invoiced. Ideally, you want to have that time calculated into your rate. Otherwise, you may find that you are spending much more time than you thought to make ends meet and earn enough. This is an easy enough trap to fall into if you are new to freelancing and most people I spoke to have experiences this.
These are currently a bit thin on the ground but they do exist. Mainly in the form of freelancing for several clients. You could be managing the Social Media channels of several small clients. Most likey you will be a jack of all trades: content creation, planning, scheduling, moderation, analytics and so much more! The world of Social Media moves fast and you will find that you also have to spend time on educating yourself on the latest trends, channels and best practices.
There are some companies that are fully remote and promote remote work in Europe so you may strike lucky especially if you are good at networking.
Don’t fall into the trap of offering your services for free! If you have experience managing Social Media – even if that is only your own channels, make sure to be confident and negotiate a fee. This will help you to make a name for yourself.
This may not be the most obvious choice for remote work in Europe but even as a personal fitness instructor in the times of digital media it is easy to work remotely. You can have classes via video conferences or record sessions so they can be played when convenient. Many people still prefer someone they can meet in a fitness studio but the coronavirus lockdown has proven that people are keen to stay fit and healthy and love following an instructor on Social Media. Find out which channels are right for you and concentrate only on a few. You don’t have to be on all of them and you don’t want to spread yourself too thin.
I’ve been teaching German for the past 15 years. Mostly in person either at the students home or my own. Sometimes we would meet in a cafe or a public park but lately I’ve moved most of my sessions online.
Select your subject(s) depending on your skill set. Languages are an obvious choice but you can also teach so many other subjects and the more specialised you are the easier it usually is to attract students.
In the past, I’ve focused on client acquisition and used platforms like Gumtree here in the UK. But I also created my own Social Media channels and done some paid advertising campaigns which helped in client acquisition. You may decide to work with a school that enables you to teach remotely. There are plenty of opportunities and I will include a few platforms that I’ve used in the past soon.
These are just a few ideas of how you can find remote work in Europe. I will add more over time and I am also keen to hear from you! Have you worked remotely in the past or are you currently working remotely? Are you a digital nomad and travel from country to country? I would love to hear from you! Contact me and I’d love to interview you or include a guest blog post.
Disclaimer: This post contains affilitate links – I will earn a commission if you buy any item. Not only is oat milk very cheap and locally produced but it is also a more eco-conscious choice than say, almond milk. Making your own oat milk is …
The usual breakfast routine for me is granola and oat milk, both homemade. A great option for the busier weekdays. However, for special occasions, we love making this quick vegan palmiers recipe. Traditionally more of a sweet snack for the afternoon, we have discovered it …
Coronavirus has changed working patterns for many people, in particular, for people like myself who work in digital media. Most employers were hesitant and had only a restrictive working from home policy in place before coronavirus. However, now that they have been forced to allow their employees working from home and being productive during lockdown they are embracing it and see the opportunities.
Many people who have not worked from home, especially line managers, are hesitant about the concept. They worry that people will not be as committed when working from home. They fear that employees will do other things, take longer breaks and many fear the loss of control. Many bosses will have asked themselves how can working from home and being productive work for the long-term? Can it? What are the benefits? Well, let me tell you there are a few and not only for the employee but also for the employer!
However, the positive side of working from home is that your staff will be enjoying a much better work-life balance. They will be able to set their work schedule so that it suits them. Maybe they prefer to work later or have a longer lunch break or start earlier and finish earlier. As long as this works for your job the flexibility that working from home gives you is liberating.
I’ve worked from home a few years ago and I used the time in the morning to go for a run before work. I felt more energised during the day and felt good because I was physically active. I’ve taken up this habit again and now run three times a week. What activities have you picked up when working from home?
More companies are stressing how important the mental wellbeing of their staff is to them. But then they tell you that they want you to be in the office. Why? Because they want to ensure they are in control on when and how much you work. A more relaxed and trusting relationship with staff, however, will ensure they are more engaged, focused and dedicated to their work. If your staff has more time to enjoy their free time and the employer is doing all they can to enable remote work where possible the company will ensure less staff turnover and that their workforce has a better work-life balance.
But not everything is easy and straightforward if you are working from home. There are so many challenges that you need to navigate. Some questions you should ask yourself when you consider working from home and being productive.
Do you have a proper work set up? A good chair? Maybe your employer is providing you with the equipment you may need. Ask and see what they are willing to reimburse so you can set up your working from home office and ensure you stay healthy and focused.
Are you allowing yourself enough breaks? This one is a biggie. Despite what line managers think people actually work more, longer and take fewer breaks when they are not in an office environment. Ensure you are taking enough screen breaks and consider using a timer to remind you of when to take breaks.
If you have kids the challenges multiply. They may not understand that you are working and no matter how often you stress that you cannot be disturbed kids sometimes change your working pattern. Maybe you will be taking a longer lunch break or start work earlier. Try and find a rhythm that works for you. Also, try and set up rules when you cannot be disturbed. You want to avoid having your kids storming into the room when you are on an important client call.
The biggest challenge I encountered was that I just worked way longer than I ever did in an office. I was doing so many overtime and no one was thanking me for it. I just got tired and ended up having hardly any times for friends or myself. The trick: set boundaries. Do not accept that meeting at 7am in the morning or 8pm in the evening just because you are at home. Whatever your schedule is that you set for yourself, stick to it!
There may be the odd occasion where you have to take a call outside of your usual hours but ensure that is not slowly becoming a routine. That is how it crept in for me. Aks for the meeting to be moved to a more suitable time. Maybe it can be recorded and you can catch up during your normal working hours. Find solutions that ensure you don’t have to work overtime. If you do have to work early or later one day, take the time off during the day and have a longer break.
In these days where many employers provide lunch for their staff, you may struggle to find the time and prepare your food at home. You may find that you are skipping lunch if work meetings are scheduled over your normal lunch break. Block the time in your diary so people do not book meetings when you would like to take a break. My tip to ensure you have enough time is to already have an idea in your head what you want to cook during the week. A light lunch is ideal but you could also prepare some lunch options at the weekend and freeze them. That way you only have to defrost them and heat them up at noon.
Working from home is a great opportunity to increase your personal well-being. It is also a way for companies to foster a more trusting and long-lasting relationship with their employees. Working from home and being productive can work for the employee and the employer if both sides work towards this goal and are understanding of the other side.
In your personal life, you will have more time for activities that are important to you and you may find that your life slows down to a more natural pace. I’ve certainly found this to be the case whenever I had the opportunity to work from home. I’ve had more time for myself and I could be more productive in my day job.
A win-win situation for both sides. Let’s hope that employers around the world have learned their lesson and will enable more flexible working from home arrangements when the lockdown is being lifted eventually. Working from home and being productive can work!
How have you experienced this situation? How do you feel about working from home and being productive? Have you made any changes in your life? Was your employer supportive and how do they see the situation now?
At the end of May up until the end of June, you will have seen the elderflower trees flower here in the UK. It is a great opportunity to go foraging and collect some of the scented elderflower sprays. If you ever wondered what you …
One of my rituals every week is baking my own bread with sourdough starter. Now personally I follow the no discard rule as I hate wasting anything and the bread still turns out fine. I’m also a bit lazy and don’t want to feed my …
Disclaimer: This post contains affilitate links – I will earn a commission if you buy any item.
I love making empanadas and have started recently to make them vegan. My partner is vegan and I just wanted to come up with a few new vegan empanada fillings so I can vary the fillings.
To make empanadas it would be best to use an empanada press. These are easy to handle and you will get a beautiful shaped empanada.
In this blog post, I am going to share my favourite empanada filling recipes. I love how creative you can get with fillings and the choice is huge. If you want to try some new recipes try the ones below and share in the comments how you liked them. If you made any alterations please share that as well!
I used to like making empandas with cheese so I always wanted to try make them with some kind of vegan cheese. Preferably homemade of course. Previously I just chopped some veg and used that as fillings but I think fillings work better if they are in spread form. Especially for the small empanadas that we like. They work well as an appetizer or a small snack. I keep them in a freezer for when we need them.
This was one of my first tries and I loved the flavours. This spinach pesto recipe is easy to make. All you need is a food processor. I made it y bit coarser on purpose but you could always blend it a bit more if you prefer a smoother consistency.
This filling idea was inspired by my partner’s roots in Spain. Tomatoes are a staple in our household and I just had to try and make something special. Again, this filling is easy to make and we also use it as a spread on sourdough which is absolutely delicious.
Mushrooms are one of my favourite ingredients. I love them on pizza and as a side so I had to incorporate them in an empanada filling. I chopped them very fine and combined them with the sundried tomato spread and they are divine. If you love mushrooms this is the filling for you!
This was my first time making vegan cashew cheese spread and I am so pleased with the result! It is creamy and complements the empanadas so well! You can also use any bought vegan cheese of course but if you want to try to make it yourself try this recipe.
This idea was again inspired by my partner. The vegan cheese and the olives work well together. Just chop the olives very fine and mix them with the spread. You can also just add them on top as I did.
What are you favourite fillings? Have you tried any of these vegan empanada fillings? Leave a comment below and share your ideas.
If you enjoyed the recipe and want to find more head over to my recipe section and join my Facebook Group which focuses on homemade vegan recipes that are affordable and healthy.
Whenever I tried vegan cheese so far I was not sold. It is expensive and the consistency and taste never seemed quite right. I decided to make my own soft vegan cheese spread to use with my sourdough bread and as an empanadas filling. This …