No one told you that owning your own business was going to take every strength or every core of your entire being! Or maybe they did, but that burning desire to do what you love was stronger than any warning could ever be. Either way, you cannot deny the sacrifices that were made to make your business succeed: long days, little sleep, working when you were sick, income and financial uncertainty and the absence of support structures are just a few. However, as a business owner, here is something to really think about, the health of your business will always be limited by the level of health in your body and mind. Go back and read that again.

So what is the best way to manage the uncertainty and stress and keep your business and yourself the best it can be? Even during the busiest of times, in order to stay successful and on top of your game, you must carve out some time in your schedule for self care. Self care means different things to different people These don’t have to take up a lot of extra time either, consider stacking time. You can help with homework while doing housework or prepping food for the week, you can journal while at junior’s soccer practice, get creative with it. Here are a few things to consider:

Me Time

Blocking time in your schedule for “me time” can be one of your most valuable assets that you can give your business. This is time where you check in with yourself. This could be expressed in many different ways be it meditating, journaling, reading, basically doing whatever it is that you want so long as it is not work related. Coffee and spiritual time in the morning, reading during your lunchtime...experiment and see what works best for you.

Daily Exercise

This doesn’t have to be hours in the gym. This could be as simple as a brisk walk over lunch, cycling, golfing or tennis. Carve out 15-30 minutes in your schedule for daily fitness. This will clear your mind and increase both energy levels and productivity.

Healthy Diet

We’ve all been there, coffee for breakfast, working through lunch to be starving at three. Grab something (normally not healthy at all) from the vending machine at 3, run to junior’s soccer game only to be dragging by 9 where your order pizza, help with homework and house work, get the kids to bed only to work til 11 or 12 and get up at 5:30 to do it all over again. It’s no wonder that we get foggy in the brain in the afternoon and evening, we aren’t nourishing the brain cells. Try getting into the habit of prepping your food weekly….at least breakfast and dinner.  Make sure you have protein bars or shakes at the ready for those times when you can not break away for lunch. Keeping the body fed will keep the creativity flowing. 

Sleep

Sleep should be just as much a priority as your next big project! Sleep deprivation and extreme fatigue can cause as many impairments to your judgement and productivity as being drunk does. Continued sleep deprivation can cause immunity issues as well as a wealth of other health issues. In order to stay mentally sharp and focused with good judgement, you should aim for 7-8 hours of sleep nightly. Schedule it just as you would any other item on your calendar.

Spa Day

On a regular basis, say monthly, schedule that spa day! Getting a facial and/or massage will make you not only feel attractive, but also  make you feel more relaxed, which makes dealing with the everyday office struggles so much easier. To make that spa day even better, schedule it with some friends so you get to hang out with your besties at the same time.

Say No

Learn to say no to people. Don’t over schedule your calendar. You don’t have to be at every event that every person wants you to go to. You don’t have to attend every fundraiser or charity event. Pick one or two throughout the month and make those your social events for the month. This will allow you to be more present while at said event, which will make a bigger impact on not only yourself, but also the person hosting the event.

Lastly, learn to delegate. Just because you are the business owner, does not mean that you, personally, have to complete every single task at hand. Either find a trusted employee or hire someone you trust to take care of non-profitable, recurring tasks for you. Letting go of these tasks will allow you to apply more focus to the bigger tasks at hand. If you are struggling with any of the above items, Beacon Virtual Assistants, LLC might be able to help. Call Barb at 314-650-9784 for a complimentary consultation.