Prioritizing Self-Care for Business Owners: Unlocking the Power of Stress Relief and Personal Well-Being
The Importance of Making Yourself a Priority
Some months ago, I found myself laying in one of those trendy float spas, with nothing more than some rhythmic music, loads of Epsom salt, and my own thoughts. Like most people, my days are filled with all the things and I was extremely skeptical that I would be able to shut off my never-ending to-do list and simply relax. But after about twenty minutes, I could feel the stress melting away. The feeling was euphoric and in a lightbulb moment, made me realize that stress-relief, REAL stress relief, is something I needed to make part of my day-to-day, not once in a blue moon.
The Mindset of Business Owners and the Need for Self-Care
Most people operate on a need to do more, hustle mentality and business owners often have this mindset taken to the next level. You have to do MORE, and always, and faster–right?
With this mindset, not only is the to-do list never complete, but stress starts to dominate the days. When this crosses over into the different facets of life, the day-to-day can become downright overwhelming.
Suddenly, making yourself a priority seems impossible.
Without taking time to recharge our batteries, we run the risk of complete and utter burnout. And if you think you can’t manage things now, what will happen when you have a major meltdown due to all the stress you’re under and go OOO for an untold amount of time?
Unlocking the Power of Self-Care
It’s time to have your own “AHA!” moment and realize that without boundaries and taking time outs regularly, you WILL be overcome with the stress and perpetual busyness that comes with running a business and it will impact every area of your life negatively.
You are vital to your business, your family, your friends–and prioritizing yourself will benefit all other areas of your life. You deserve to focus on YOU. Consistently.
Practical Ways to Integrate Self-Care into Your Week
Not everyone has time to check out of life and into a resort in the Caribbean for some R & R. Maybe that tank of salted water isn’t for you either. But there are a few practical ways you can integrate some simple self-care into your week.
Schedule Self-Care
Chances are you utilize a planner, calendar, or some sort of app or tool to record and organize all of the things you need to do on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Likely, most of your agenda revolves around things other than yourself. Our solution is to schedule self-care the way you would a dentist appointment, business call, or a child’s soccer game. Put it on your calendar, set reminders in your phone, whatever you need to do to stop everything else and put yourself at the forefront. No cancellations! Commit to yourself like you do to others.
Outsource
The truth is plain– there’s just too much to do, always. If your days are filled up by things you need to do rather than things you want to do, you will not feel satisfied, even when you DO check all those items off the to-do list. You need time for you, and rather than letting other things take precedence, you need to find some things to outsource. And if you are trying to pick, we suggest handing off the thing or things you least enjoy. For so many of our clients, this includes all things tech, design and marketing implementation. This time trade-off should allow you more space to care for yourself.
Set Boundaries
Time is finite and anytime you say “yes” to one thing, you are ALSO saying “no” to another. It can be easy to spend “just five more minutes'' finishing up a task, or an extra few hours late at night working on a project. Setting boundaries is key to self-care. Set a time to leave or stop work and follow through. Pick a day or time on the weekend where the only plans you make are ones that will allow you to recharge. Here at ALC, it’s a strict “no work on the weekends white space”. Only say yes to the commitments that make you happy or benefit you in some way. Setting boundaries will free up time where you are the focus.
Think About the Little Things
Prioritizing downtime doesn’t have to be an entire production or event or vacation. Make a list of the little things that bring you joy and try to integrate them into your daily life. Pour your coffee into a fancy mug, savor that piece of dark chocolate, pop on a face mask before bed, put on a podcast while you make dinner, and so on. These little things will all add up to bring a little extra sunshine to your life when you need a boost.
Go Back to the Basics
Some of the best ways to make sure you are giving yourself what you need are to think about things that you are already doing, but could maybe do a little bit better.
Sleep- Make sure you are getting between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night. While you might think binge watching Stranger Things is your self-care, staying up way past your bedtime to do so will only make you enter the next day already exhausted. Your brain makes connections while sleeping. Maybe your next great idea is only a good night’s rest away!
Food- It fuels you. Make sure when you are hungry that you eat, and that you are choosing foods that are giving you what you need to to optimally tackle the day. Scavenging and eating standing up while checking emails is not going to be enough to fuel the important work you are doing!
Exercise- While the way everyone exercises will look different in type and amount, it is super important to move your body regularly. It will boost your brain, build your breaths, and slow your stress. Spend a bit of time thinking about your basics and how you might be able to enhance them.
One of the best investments you can make is in yourself. When you are your best self this will naturally extend into all other areas of your life–including your business. The next time you make your to-do list, write your name at the very top. Taking care of yourself is not an option–it’s a necessity!
