When you first decide you want to start a business, you may not initially take into consideration just how large and never-ending the workload will be. Many people take the road of entrepreneurship for the money, and without thinking about all of the other factors—the money is what motivates them to begin their journey.
As a business owner, you quickly learn there’s an extremely thin line between work and life balance and that same line can almost become nonexistent if you allow it. It can be so easy to give your business your all—mentally, physically and emotionally that you begin to experience burnout. Waking up day in and day out to pour into your business is amazing, but if you’re pouring from an empty cup because you aren’t able to sustain caring for yourself then your business will suffer greatly.
Running on fumes does yourself and your business no good. In order to successfully grow your business, you must prioritize self-care and time to yourself. We’re sharing four strategies that you can implement as a business owner to make sure you’re taking care of yourself, because when you take care of yourself—you’re essentially taking care of your business.
Self-Care 101 for Entrepreneurs
Strategy #1: Establish a daily self-care routine
Creating and establishing a self-care routine is so important. Whether that’s not getting on your phone when you wake up first thing each morning, taking a warm shower before you start your day or stepping outside to get a little vitamin D, whatever self-care looks like to you, do just that. It’s important that you take time each day to do something for yourself—not your business or anyone else. Establish a consistent routine and you’ll instantly start your days off in a better mood.
Strategy #2: Get in the habit of doing things that make you happy
We hear it all the time “do things that make you happy” but rarely do we actually take that advice into consideration. When it comes to indulging in self-care, you have to make sure you’re doing things that truly and genuinely make you and your soul happy. Whether that’s taking an hour bike ride every single evening, meditating each night before bed or taking a lazy day to yourself, get into the habit of doing things that make you happy and stick to them!
Strategy #3: Delegate
If you asked any business owner right now, they may tell you that in the beginning of their startup, they had an extremely hard time delegating to others within their business. As a business owner, when you learn the privileges of delegating tasks to those you trust, it will truly make all the difference. As much as you may want to complete every single task in regard to your business, sometimes it’s just not possible. There may be someone who’s better at the said tasks than you are, it’s OK to delegate! As long as you have people on your team you can trust, delegating will make your life so much easier.
Strategy #4: Learn how to be OK with saying “no” more often
You have to be OK with saying no and actually meaning it. Sometimes as business owners, saying no can be a bit difficult or may even leave an uneasy feeling. Learn how to be OK with saying no more often and understand that saying no isn’t wrong, mean or a bad thing. There will be several times when saying no is the best and most appropriate response in the situation, so make sure you’re applying it appropriately. Saying no goes hand-in-hand with taking care of yourself as a business owner because you’re setting boundaries that others will have no choice but to accept and respect.
Finding that balance between life and work is key especially when it feels like your life is completely centered around your work. Take meaningful steps each day towards your goals and embrace feeling positive and proud that you are able to constantly create something new. Finding that time to prioritize your self-care won’t be an easy task at first, it takes time and consistency, but you can do it!
