Self-care for business owners

Being an independent business owner comes with a lot of exciting perks. From setting your own schedule to having more creative freedom to follow your passions, there’s a lot to love about this lifestyle.  Expanding your brand and growing your audience can take a lot of time and sacrifice. Ensuring your work-life balance is up to par can be incredibly challenging—especially now. In this article, we’ll reveal how you can find work-life balance and peace of mind during this period of uncertainty and change. This is the guide to self-care for business owners

Fight burnout

If you decided to shift your business online as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic (or if it already was online), you’re likely still operating at 100% even if you’re not fully mentally present.

Using this time to set firm yet respectful boundaries is crucial. This way, you can continue your important work and support your customers while still taking care of your mental health. Consider this step number one for self-care. It is especially important if you’re working from home more than you previously did. When your office is now in your place of comfort, it can be easy to slip into unhealthy habits. These include things like working longer hours and not being mindful of screen time.

Jenna’s tips

Empowerment coach and Teachable creator Jenna Knapp ensures she has a healthy balance with work and personal life by sticking firmly to her routines:

“Before I go into my work day I prioritize my morning routine and showing up for myself before the rest of the world. I begin every morning (literally and metaphorically) filling up my own cup with mindset work while I drink coffee by the window. Whether it’s listening to positive subliminal tracks while I spend time in my gratitude journal, putting on a hypnosis track, tapping, or sinking into meditation to balance out my emotional state that day. I know I need to give to myself before I can give to my clients fully and confidently.”

Routines such as mapping out your daily tasks, setting up automatic responses to emails, or simply setting a time to shut down your computer is vital. This can give you peace of mind and a breath of fresh air when you begin again the next day. This is one our favorite tips for practicing self-care as a business owner.

Arlan Hamilton, host of Your First Million podcast and Teachable creator, sets strict boundaries for herself when she’s working from home:

“I have a rule that most business has to be done by a certain time during the week…so by 6pm Pacific, I’m on the couch, winding down. It’s important to set those boundaries.”

Stay productive (or not) during a stressful time

Your productivity is not a measure of your worth.

Read the above line and repeat it as necessary.

Continuing the same level of productivity with another enormous layer of external stress is challenging. You shouldn’t feel guilty if you just can’t seem to get through your to-do list the way you did before. There’s a lot going on, and the simple fact that you’re dedicated to trying is more than enough.

Danielle Coke, digital designer and influencer, gave us some insight into some habits she’s adopted to help her days run smoothly:

“If I don’t start the day by creating a very specific to-do list, I waste time throughout the day being overwhelmed with everything I have to do. Taking time in the morning to write down the important tasks and ordering them by importance really sets me up to be more productive.”

Identify certain periods of your workday that make you feel good. Is there a process, such as mapping out your day or doing specific tasks at a certain time, that just makes your day flow more smoothly? Find what works for you, and keep doing that.

Do something that genuinely makes you happy

Practicing self-care and owning a business is a delicate balance. Maybe you want to learn how to crochet or have a movie marathon—it’s your choice, and as long as it comforts you and brings a smile to your face, it’s always worth it.

Go for a walk in the sunshine (while staying six feet apart from others), try new hobbies, connect with your friends and family. But more importantly take care of yourself.

We’ve also curated a Trello board of resources that we hope will give you a happiness boost whenever you need it. From remote work tips to online games, we’ll update this board weekly so you always have something new to come back to. You’ll find the link to the website associated with each card when you click on it. Save it to your bookmarks, and enjoy.