As a business owner, it’s so easy to take care of other people – your employees, your customers, your vendors, and possibly members of your community. But our business coaches have observed over and over again that it can be difficult for entrepreneurs to take proper care of themselves.
You may be thinking, “Take care of myself? I don’t want to be selfish or come across as self-centered.” But there is a huge difference between taking some time for yourself and being a self-centered individual. As a business owner, you deserve to take care of yourself too. No matter what you’ve been taught to believe, you deserve to focus on your mental and physical wellbeing, which won’t only help you, but will improve your business.
There are many benefits of self-care, including:
- It makes you happier.
- It makes you healthier, mentally, physically and emotionally.
- When you give yourself what you need, you can be your best self at home and at the office.
- When you take care of yourself, you encourage others to do the same.
- When you’re in good shape mentally and physically, you’re so much better at taking care of others.
How Do You Practice Self-Care?
Do you exercise daily? Do you get at least eight hours of sleep each night? Are you eating as healthy as you could be? Do you take time each week to celebrate your successes or do you spend more time berating yourself for your mistakes? If you need some help in these departments, the good news is that small changes every day can make all the difference.
Follow these tips to start taking better care of yourself today:
- Get more sleep. Most people are chronically sleep-deprived. If you don’t get sufficient sleep, you’re more likely to get sick, become obese, develop cancer, suffer from depression, and suffer from all kinds of other health issues. Start going to bed earlier so you can schedule at least eight hours of sleep most nights of the week.
- Eat healthier. This means try to cut out processed foods and carbs as much as possible. Eliminate sugary drinks from your diet, drink loads of water, and eat more protein, nuts, and veggies. The idea is to eat many whole foods in their natural state.
- Get more exercise. It doesn’t have to be strenuous, it can be a daily walk, yoga, or a hike in your local mountains. If you can exercise for one hour a day, six or seven days a week, you’ll experience many health benefits. The key is to schedule it into your daily calendar and make it a habit.
- Give yourself time each week to do something you love like read a book, watch a movie with your partner, go fishing, cook a delicious meal – whatever fills your heart with joy.
Take That Much-Needed Vacation
Aside from eating better, exercising, and getting more rest, vacations are important for entrepreneurs too. Sam Butler is a solo public relations advisor in Seattle. He says that entrepreneurs should remember that running a business is a marathon, not a sprint.
“The time you take away is an investment in being able to do high quality work when you’re back,” Butler says. “A lot of solo business people got that way because they wanted to create their own reality, be their own boss, and not be tied to someone else’s schedule. If you can’t even take a short vacation every once in a while, sorry, but you gotta ask yourself what you’re doing wrong,” Mr. Butler told Entrepreneur Magazine.
According to Robert Glazer, founder and CEO of Acceleration Partners, most entrepreneurs never want to take a break. They always have another goal, another number to hit, or another partnership they want to build. Entrepreneurs can feel like it’s a mistake for them to take a vacation and unplug from their business, Mr. Glazer says. “But, all business leaders need to take time to rest and recharge – for their own health and for the health of their companies.”
In 2017, Mr. Glazer stopped waiting for the perfect time to take a vacation and took two of his bucket-list vacations with his family. The result? That year of travel and family leisure changed his perspective, brought him closer to his family, and made him a better leader and entrepreneur.
So, what about you? How would your life improve by carving more time out for yourself and the ones you love? If you need help “breaking away” from the business and ensuring it runs like a well-oiled machine so you can spend some time on self-care, contact AdviCoach to connect with a business coach who can help make your goals a reality.