Putting You First: Self-Care For Business Owners

Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash

Small business owners often go above and beyond to make their business work. Skipping proper meals in favor of coffee and calorie laden snacks. Rarely taking appropriate breaks, and certainly not sleeping as well as they could. Some have even had accidents and continued working, if this sound like something you’ve done learn more here.

But when you are doing so much and the fate of your company relies on you, is it any wonder more entrepreneurs are stressed out? Not really, no.

So what can you do to take care of yourself, while still taking care of your business?

Hobby

If you have or had a hobby, then it might be time to start it up again. Doing something that you find fun and relaxing, every day, is great for you. It allows your brain a break from the analytical and information soaking and lets it run wild on creative stuff. Hobbies reduce stress levels, by injecting big doses of happiness and relaxation.

Water

Not as many people drink the right amount of water as you might assume. In fact, while tea, coffee, milk, and even juice contribute to your liquid levels - none of them are as good as the real H2O deal. If you struggle getting enough water then set timers on your phone used apps, or even use a Pomodoro time tracker - each break from work requires one glass of water minimum. You’ll see the difference in about 4-6 weeks and feel it too.

Snooze Well

Day time cat naps are great. And if you work from home, you are in a position to take them. It’s believed that 30 minutes of nap time in the day can help with your stress, exhaustion, and even productivity levels. If you are worried that setting your alarm will startle you can put you on edge then think about getting the Calm app which has a range of nap times ‘sleep stories’ and they finish with a bird song alarm outro - rather relaxing.

If you have trouble sleeping, then you might consider changing your bedtime routine. Include chamomile tea, brushing our teeth, combing your hair and putting on bedclothes. Take a glass of water with you, and listen to some classical music, or sleep stories to help you unwind properly.

Unplugged

While it might not be practical for you to disconnect from everything for days at a time, you should try to do so for at least a few hours somewhere in the week. It will give your eyes a break from the blue light, as well as let you focus on something that isn’t work related for a while. You won’t lose a contract by not responding to a contact form email within the hour, so take your time. Put down the technology and relax as much as you can.

Self-care might be long hot baths, warm chocolate milk and staying in bed an extra few hours on a Sunday. It might be doing the admin for your website, or returning emails long since forgotten. It should be things that make you happy and bring you some peace in the hectic life of a business owner.