Nobody said it would be easy… but no one said it would be this hard either.
Stress and burnout are realistic concerns for any entrepreneur.
You consistently deal with unusual work hours (it might be “five o’clock somewhere”, sister, but that doesn’t mean your workday is over… hello, CEO), fear of failure, unpredictable income, limited face-to-face interaction, etc.
Lack of sleep, stress, and burnout fuel our American work culture, all in the name of “getting ahead”. But eventually our creativity, productivity, and ability to make good decisions – the very things entrepreneurs need to succeed – suffer the consequences of the grind.
It is easy to become so focused on nurturing your business that you forget about nurturing yourself; such is the plight of every entrepreneur.
Listen up…
Self-care is critical to your success as an entrepreneur.
I cannot emphasize this enough. As a business owner, if you aren’t your best self, then there is no way you can expect to grow your business, let alone lead your team or anyone else working with you.
The only way to ensure that you will show up in your business as your best self is to make self-care a priority.
Now, before you try to compete with my teenagers in an eye-roll fest, I’m not suggesting you check out for an hour every day and spend money on lavish treats or pampering. Not at all.
I am referring to the habits and behaviors you incorporate into your daily routine simply because they give you fuel for your day and put a smile on your face.
Self-care is any type of activity that helps you improve and maintain your physical, mental, and emotional health.
These activities help you feel healthy, rested, and ready to tackle your work and responsibilities.
For example, if you were to open up my daily planner, you would see that I incorporate self-care activities at least eight times throughout my day… and I don’t leave the house for or spend a dime on any of it. Here are some examples:
- Start my day with some quiet time for spiritual/emotional healing
- Meal plan/cook
- Garden
- Read
- Walks with my dogs
- Soak in the tub
It’s the super simple things I do on purpose every single day that help me show up as my best self in every arena – as a business owner, leader, wife, mother, friend, etc.
I know what you’re thinking. You’re wondering how in the freakin’ world do I find time to fit any of those things into my day… let alone eight of them. I see you, sister. You don’t feel you have enough time to accomplish what you need to do, let alone what you want to do.
Fair question, sister. And my response is this…
Instead of trying to find more hours in the day, evaluate the way you choose to spend the ones that you have.
Make some business phone calls while you stroll your neighborhood or walk your dog. Listen to an audiobook while you’re cooking dinner. Listen to a podcast on your lunch break instead of mindlessly scrolling through social media.
Sister, I’ve been known to attend a Zoom meeting (or two… or ten) while weeding my garden. It works.
We celebrate the “hustle and grind” and reward those who run on little sleep because they are too busy building their empire to take care of themselves.
… and we wonder why so many in our culture are dealing with stress, burnout, health concerns, mental health struggles, etc.
Self-care can help you in so many ways. It can reduce your stress level, boost productivity, improve your mental health, clarity, and creativity. That, my friend, is where you will find your sweet spot. Why wouldn’t you want to make self-care a priority?
As an entrepreneur, self-care isn’t an option. It’s essential. The success of your business is counting on it.
Speaking of “essential”, my team and I have been working hard behind the scenes to create a one-of-a-kind planner just for you – The Essentials Planner. We have designed it to be the road map to your sweet spot in business.
And yep, you guessed it. Self-care is a significant part of the plan. Keep your eyes peeled for its release.
Want to be one of the first to hear about its release? We can hook a sister up. Subscribe to my newsletter (scroll to the bottom) and you’ll be one of the first to know.
XO,