Self-Care For Entrepreneurs is Taking Care of Business
Guest Blogger: Gloria Martinez of WomenLed.org
The business world can be cutthroat. Entrepreneurs frequently burn the candle at both ends growing their business. Sleep deprivation, stress, and exhaustion are par for the course. Self-care – looking after your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing – tends to go out the window. However, that’s not good for you or your business.
Today, Project Passport explains why self-care is so important for you – an overburdened entrepreneur with many responsibilities:
Your health matters
Human bodies aren’t meant for sedentary lifestyles and modern-day “productivity.” Achieving your business goals won’t give your body the exercise it needs to stay in optimal shape. Eventually, your health will deteriorate, leading to a lack of enthusiasm and shoddy decision-making. A healthy body and mind are necessary to maintain a healthy business.
Your personal life matters
You have a life outside of work, including friends and family. Spending time with them is important –and is an essential part of self-care. It allows you to build deep, enriching connections and supports your emotional and mental growth. You need people in your corner when the going gets tough or when you need support.
Success is more than business success
Being successful financially and materially is important – you need to put food on the table, after all. But it’s one of the many ways you should strive to be successful and live a wholesome life, says Lifehack, not the only one. Some other examples of success are being a good father or a good mother, a partner, and a friend; having hobbies that make you happy; expanding your knowledge; and being surrounded by the ones you love.
Find harmony
For maximum well-being, establishing a work-life harmony is important. You need to be able to unwind, have fun, and leave time for personal growth while running your business. Even if you’re managing workers and have many people counting on you, you need to make time for yourself – you can’t look after your many duties without looking after yourself first. So find ways to reduce stress. Take breaks, go for walks, set boundaries, work remotely, and go on vacation more often.
Daily recovery, practicing self-care, is essential for your success. If you always find yourself busy with never enough time for yourself and your loved ones, you are harming and jeopardizing the very success you are striving for.
Simple self-care suggestions
Self-care isn’t complicated and it doesn’t have to be time-consuming. Here are some simple ways you can better look after yourself while still running your business:
1. Work out more
Some daily physical activity will give you a fit body, boosting your self-confidence and energy levels. You can hit the gym or work out at home. When you’re busy and can’t get away from work, some desk yoga exercises can be good substitutes.
2. Use relaxation techniques
When you’re stressed and overworked or dealing with difficult clients, relaxation techniques can help you blow off steam. They’ll center you, calm racing thoughts, and keep your emotions in check. Some simple ones to try out are stretching, meditation, and breathing exercises.
3. Add beauty to your surroundings
Surrounding yourself with beautiful and wholesome things is a simple but highly effective way to stay mentally and emotionally healthy. Clearing away negativity by decluttering your home, cleaning windows and doors, and creating rituals such as smudging will help to move you, physically and mentally as well as spiritually, into a better space. And if your home is more peaceful, you will find yourself more relaxed at work.
4. Delegate more
As an entrepreneur, understand the value of your time and energy. Successful entrepreneurs don’t do everything themselves – they put the right people in the right positions and then manage them. Paying someone to handle your tasks – whether major or minor like house cleaning – will ease your burden and pay for itself in the long run.
5. Say no
Saying no is critical for your self-care. It allows you to draw boundaries, prioritize, and avoid biting off more than you can chew. Besides being beneficial for you personally, it’s also beneficial for your business – it lets you create a sustainable, well-defined operation, according to myob.
6. Invest in the proper attire
Consider what you will need for your professional attire and what type of image you want to convey. If you will be standing for a long time, invest in a good pair of work shoes. Also, consider easy comfort in your wardrobe. The proper bra may take some research, but you will thank yourself for how much it relieves your body from strain and stress.
Conclusion
Many entrepreneurs frequently live on the edge of burnout. Going over the edge will destroy not just your health, but the very business you’re trying so hard to build. Be aware of the causes and dangers of entrepreneur burnout. Before you self-destruct, it’s important for you to step back, take a breath, and reprioritize. Self-care isn’t an option but a necessity.
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Project Passport is the new future of mental wellbeing, expertly designed to help clients take control of their lives and find the joy they are entitled to through proactive wellness solutions. Questions? Call 919-371-8127.