Research has shown that people who are happy are physically, emotionally and mentally healthier. And…
Self-Care For Small Business Owners
Managing your very own yoga business, or in fact any other kind of small business, can be as exhausting as it is personally fulfilling. When you hold the responsibility of your business success primarily on your own shoulders, then this can be a lot of pressure and a lot of work!
There are countless benefits to owning your own business, and there are also of course downsides too. One of these downsides could be that it is hard to take time off from your business if it simply won’t continue running without you. If, for example, you are running a yoga business and you take time away from teaching your students, then they will likely only wait so long before they find a different teacher. Similarly, if you stop promoting your business then you may find that attendance to your classes drops.
When it is hard to take a holiday from work, then it becomes all the more important that you pay attention to your own self-care, and that you are giving yourself enough time each day to recharge.
Daily Self-Care Rituals
If you are a small business owner who isn’t taking the time to embrace self-care daily then you may find that you are more prone to burnout and feeling as though you are running on an empty tank.
When you do take this time for yourself then you will be making positive steps to enhancing your happiness, and in turn, keeping your mood up and maintaining your ability to do your job well!
When we talk about self-care, it is important to remember that this can be incredibly small and seemingly insignificant acts, as well as much bigger, more deliberate self-care practices.
As a small business owner it is likely that you will sometimes have to work long and unpredictable hours. Problems may arise throughout the day that you have to take care of quickly, and you may also find that you don’t have the resources to hire other people to help you.
The difficulty of giving large amounts of your time to your business can mean that you often put your own basic needs on the back burner. If this is true for you, then there are several things that you can make a deliberate effort to do each day that will serve as powerful self-care acts.
Eat Well
First of all, making a conscious effort to eat regularly throughout each day will keep your energy levels up and also help to maintain your focus.
If you don’t have the time to create fresh healthy meals for yourself during the day, then try to put a meal preparation plan in place. Always eating out can soon become expensive and can also cause you to lose control of your nutrition.
Sleep Enough
Secondly, getting an adequate amount of sleep is super important for so many reasons – both in terms of your physical and mental health. When you have loads of things to do in order to be on top of your business, you may feel as though staying up late is the best option for cramming it all in. However, doing so can actually detract from your ability to function at your best the following day. It can often be more beneficial to your productivity levels to get an early start as opposed to having a late finish.
Exercise Often
Exercise and physical activity are also incredibly important aspects of basic self-care. Making a deliberate effort to exercise can be something that drops to the bottom of your list of priorities when you are busy, but it is possibly one of the most important things to give your time to.
Exercise will help to boost your mood, and protect your physical and mental health. The successful combination of these things will help to create the mindset necessary for being your best self each day.
Treat Yourself
Additionally, allowing yourself to enjoy the things that you love is a simple way to reward yourself for the hard work that you have engaged in each day. This doesn’t have to be a big gesture, or even something that you have to spend any money on. A treat to yourself could be a long bath, a delicious dessert with dinner, some time spent alone listening to your favourite music, going for a long evening walk, or anything else that makes you feel good.
Treating yourself in larger but less frequent ways can also help with encouraging yourself to keep up the good work, and to remind yourself that even when you have got a lot of work to do, that it isn’t all non-stop work all of the time!
The Importance of Organisation
Some of us are simply better at this than others but it is a skill that all small business owners need to master if they are to be as efficient as possible! By keeping your work life organised you are helping to reduce stress and improve how easily your work day flows.
If organisation isn’t one of your strong points then try to start from the very beginning. First of all, having a space for yourself where you can focus entirely on your work is incredibly important. Next, make sure that this space never becomes cluttered and also that it remains free from things that aren’t work-relevant. Ensure that everything has a place, and that you give priority to maintaining order in this space.
When it comes to organising the things that you have to do each day, then lists can be your absolute best friend. No task is too small to be added to a list, and these physical reminders of what needs to be done and when can be great prompts for staying productive!
Be Kind to Yourself
When you work for someone else, especially a large organisation, then there is often the urge to go the extra mile to excel at your job and to be noticed by your superiors. This can often lead to increased levels of stress as you place unrealistic expectations on yourself.
Although running your own business doesn’t necessarily mean that you don’t feel the need to set these high standards for yourself, it does generally mean that you get to avoid feeling like you need to please someone else with your work.
In moments where you feel as though you aren’t doing as well as you would like, or simply that you aren’t doing enough work at all, try to forgive yourself for this, and to be kind to yourself instead. There is simply nothing to be gained by stressing yourself out unnecessarily,
One of my favourite ways to remind myself to embrace this concept is to treat myself in the same way that I would treat my best friend. That means the same thoughtfulness, forgiveness, and unconditional support!
Remember to Breathe
Breathing is one of the most basic but beneficial ways that you can embrace self-care when you are working hard. Utilising breathing techniques when you are feeling particularly stressed out or anxious about completing a task, or trying something new, can help to ground you and guide you back to a place of calm.
Simply being aware of your breath and breathing deeply and consciously is a great place to start. You might also want to look up some more in-depth breathing techniques to help, such as this stress busting breathing exercise!
Small Business Success
There are many different things that come into play when it comes to how successful you and your small business are. Being able to take care of yourself and your own needs as you push ahead with your venture is absolutely key here, and I truly believe that the future success of your business depends on it!
Defeat Stress and Anxiety
Taking positive steps to defeat your stress and anxiety is a great way to help you to stay on top of your own self-care, which in turn can help you stay on top of your business!
In order to help you build upon this concept I would like to share with you my top ten tried and tested tips for keeping stress and anxiety away! Click to sign up to my Get Inspired Newsletter and receive my tips immediately to your inbox!
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