Creating Self-Care systems for Entrepreneurs

Admit it: in the craziness of running your business, you often neglect yourself. Your needs and health are quickly relegated to the bottom of your to-do list. Realistically, though, you know you can't continue that for long without feeling negative effects. To be effective as an entrepreneur, it is essential to make time for self-care.

Develop Healthy Habits

How easy it is to stop for fast food on the way home from work! Yet you know full well that this isn't the way to practice self-care, especially if your exercise routine is limited to dashing from one appointment to the next. Start developing healthier habits by making more conscious choices about what you eat. You might prepare and freeze meals so that you can heat them up quickly. Pack healthy lunches, too, with fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. As for exercise, schedule several sessions a week, and then stick to them. You might start out with an easy walk and then work up into other activities for longer periods of time. Just get your body moving!

You’ll find that it’s easier to sustain a healthy lifestyle when you have key items at home. These can be anything from an air fryer to humidifiers. Before you shop, though, make sure to look at honest product reviews from fellow consumers to ensure you find the best buys.

Learn to Control Stress

Stress is probably a big part of your life as you try to balance your business and your other obligations. Therefore, you're going to have to develop a set of strategies to help you control it. Many people use music therapy to great effect. Create a playlist of calming music, and turn it on when the stress rises. Then sit back, listen, and do nothing for a while. Alternately, you might try guided breathing exercises, prayer, or meditation to fight stress or even spend time on a favorite hobby or reading a book.

Focus on Your Environment

Part of balancing work with the rest of your life and caring for yourself may mean making some calming changes to your home. These might include decluttering so that you don't feel overwhelmed by your stuff, bringing in some plants for green freshness, and opening up your curtains for increased natural light. Also, set aside a place in your home geared directly toward relaxation where you can unwind in peace.

Adjust Your Business

As you make more time for self-care, you may also make some adjustments to your business as well. You might try to delegate more, for instance, or hire specialists to save time and energy. You could restructure your business as a limited liability company or LLC, too. This can lower your stress by potentially giving you tax benefits, reduced paperwork, more flexibility, and limited personal liability. Rules vary by state, so do your research and even use a formation service to save money on legal fees.

There are, of course, more elements that go into running a business, the stress-free way. A crucial part of it is your invoicing, as you want to make sure that you’re paid in a timely way, keeping your business out of the red. Make this process easier by using an online invoice maker. Choose a template and customize it to suit your branding for consistency.

Get Support

Finally, if you're extremely stressed or anxious, you might seek mental health support. You can access mental health services securely right online, and online therapy requires less time and a lower level of commitment. You won't have to travel, and you might even save some money. Just choose a licensed professional, and ask for a free consultation to see if your choice is a good fit.

Care for Yourself

Self-care is critical, especially when you're running a business, so try some of these tips and start to enjoy your life a bit more. For ideas on easily improving your business's social media presence, contact us.

Written by: Derek Goodman

Edited by: Andrew C. Belton, MBA