As an entrepreneur, you likely pride yourself on working hard for long hours. It’s common for this to happen and as a result, you tend to focus more on your job than taking care of yourself. Gaining control of your health sooner rather than later will not only make you feel better, but it will also help strengthen your business. Learn how to implement self-care practices into your day-to-day with these 7 tips:
- Create Time For Yourself In Your Daily Routine
- Time Management
- Prioritize Sleep
- Learn When to Say No
- Enjoy a Hobby
- Nourish Your Body
- Ask For Help
Find the full list below:
1. Create Time For Yourself In Your Daily Routine
In order to be successful, it’s important to take time to reflect and practice self-awareness. Doing so will help you understand where you’re currently at and where you’d like to be. It can be as simple as enjoying a cup of coffee, spending time outdoors, watching a show you enjoy, or reading a book you’ve been wanting to read. As an entrepreneur, it’s likely your day is filled with meetings, emails and endless phone calls, however, making this time for yourself each and every day is equally as important as tending to your work.
2. Time Management
Being an entrepreneur can be extremely stressful, especially when you’re overloaded with tasks. This is why properly managing your time can greatly reduce your stress load and keep you focused, inside and outside of work. First, it’s imperative to put your day into focus to determine what you need to accomplish. From there, you’ll want to create daily habits that keep you on schedule and not overwhelmed. One example is choosing mobile banking for your small business. Making the switch to mobile saves you time and allows you access to your finances from the palm of your hand. Lastly, you will want to review your tasks from the day so that you can reflect and reset for the following day/week.
3. Prioritize Sleep
Although certain projects or tasks may seem more important than sleep at the time, it most definitely is not. Fatigue can actually lower performance, worsen your immune system, and can even cause similar impairments as being drunk does. Sleep should be a huge priority as you transition into healthier habits. If you’re one of many who struggle to fall and/or stay asleep, begin by creating a bedtime routine and stick to it.
4. Learn When to Say No
It’s easy to feel obligated to do as much as you can as you grow your business. However, as you over schedule yourself, it’ll likely become harder to complete tasks and you may find yourself totally burnt out. Sometimes it may be hard to push back and say no to obligations, but when you do, it’ll be incredibly liberating. If you struggle to determine which things to say yes to and which to say no, start by creating a monthly calendar. Mark the imperative tasks and events in one color, the medium-level ones in another color, and the least important ones in another. This will allow you to visually digest what you have to do and what you can decline doing. (Note: Even if important things come up, it’s perfectly okay to decline if you’re not feeling up to it. Your health should always come first!)
5. Enjoy a Hobby
Taking breaks from work can be extremely beneficial for your emotional and mental wellbeing. Try finding a hobby outside of work to get your mind off of your day-to-day stressors and spend your time working on a creative outlet. This can be a great opportunity for you to learn something new or get back to an old love of yours. For tips on how to have a hobby with a busy schedule, visit here.
6. Nourish Your Body
Eating healthy is one of the hardest habits to maintain. This is because it requires you to change old patterns and establish new ones. Eating a balanced diet and continuously nourishing your body can help you maintain energy, boost your mood, and stay focused. So instead of going to your vending machine on your lunch break or grabbing something quick to eat, focus on planning your meals and grocery list ahead of time. You can also take nutrient-rich supplements to add to your diet for maximum benefits. That way, you’ll have something to look forward to throughout the day and improve your wellness.
7. Ask For Help
No one becomes a great leader all by themselves. Building a network that you can rely on and delegate tasks to is essential for growth. Don’t expect to get everything accomplished yourself and don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. This is one of the best things you can do for yourself, both in your professional and personal life.
