Have the courage to make the changes YOU deserve!
A Little Healthy Selfishness Goes a Long Way!
As a business owner, one of the most important things in your business is YOU. Taking care of yourself both physically and mentally is as important as taking care of the books and getting your accounts or tax return filed on time.
If you don't make time for regular self care, you're likely to run yourself ragged, the wheels are likely to fall off and you'll burn out! Sorry to sound so cheerful :-) but it's true! This is something I've experienced first hand and also something I've worked through with some of my coaching clients.
Self care can help:
- Reduce stress
- Increase productivity, and
- Improve creativity and clarity
- So what can you do to increase the amount of self care?
Make it Routine
Include self care into every day. Even if it's just to take a short walk or a real lunch break! Actually put it in your diary/calendar - paper or online, whatever you use to record your appointments. Appointments with yourself are as important as your client appointments so try to keep them.
Get Your Day Off To A Good Start
Establish a morning routine. Even if you're not a morning person, take a good look at how you usually spend the first hour or two directly as you wake up. Be honest, what's the first thing you do when you wake up? Are you reaching for your phone or your tablet at the side of your bed to check messages, notifications (and even worse!) emails? How long are you spending on this?
Is there scope to include some exercise (even a short walk) into your morning? Can you create a bit of space in your head by keeping a journal and using a few minutes in the morning to make an entry? If you're reading this and thinking "She's mad! I don't have time for anything like that in the morning" look at how you're spending your time in the morning and maybe also consider getting up a little bit earlier. Just half an hour can make a huge difference to your sanity. It works for me! I feel so much better when I make time for me in the morning and when I don't I feel the difference. For more on this read my blog 5 Morning Rituals to Nourish You, Your Creativity and Your Business.
Plan a Weekly Big One!
Self care should be peppered throughout the day and across your week but try to 'treat' yourself to a bigger self care opportunity each week. Something you really enjoy doing whether it be meeting up for a drink, coffee or lunch with friends, having a massage or getting your nails done or going on a bigger walk in a beautiful location.
Unplug
Find a way to routinely "unplug". Truly disconnect yourself from the everyday distractions of social media, radio and TV, etc and have some fun!