The Small Business Owner's Guide to Self-Care
As a small business owner, your to-do list never seems to end. With the constant hustle and bustle, it's easy to put your own well-being on the back burner. However, prioritizing self-care isn't just a luxury; it's a crucial component of your business strategy. In this blog, I will be getting vulnerable, sharing how and when I know it's time to take my self-care seriously and lay out exactly what I do when it's time to feel my best! So if you're looking for a realistic routine for a mom, business owner, or someone who is just overwhelmed and ready to fuel success by starting with YOU.. keep reading.
Here's the thing, I am a very excited and ambitious business owner. I will stay up way too late researching my next project, post, marketing technique and business idea. This doesn't always jive well with being a full time mom to two very active, clingy and precious little girls. My day is spent making breakfast, drying my hands in-between dishes to respond to emails, filling Millie's water bottle, setting up a craft activity so I can quickly crank out a blog post, edit photos and prepare for the next thing to keep my girls busy for two minutes longer. And then it will happen, I will snap at someone I love, for no reason other than being completely overwhelmed. A to-do list that doesn't get smaller, a schedule that only gets fuller and no clue when I washed my hair last. Sound familiar? This is the routine that changed the game for me. No more snapping, no longer overwhelmed, regular hair washing ;).
Let's start with your to-do list! Studies show that you can really only focus for 4 hours out of the day. Schedule your tasks into 4 dedicated hours in your day (these can be broken up or kept together!) Make sure one or two of those hours are blocked off from meetings, phone calls and distractions - this is your time to get in the ZONE and really knock things off of your to-do list. Be very intentional with these four hours - I get in the habit of getting 15 minutes. here, 1 hour there and then before I know it, I've worked ALL DAY with half focus on work, half focus on my home and not feeling great about either one.
Now here is how I show myself some love and how you are going to incorporate self care into your busy, business owner life (hint, it starts at bed time). *Scroll to the bottom for a screenshot worthy routine!
- Before bed
- Spend 5-10 minutes tidying up your space. Clear off the dining room table. Organize the pillows and blankets on your couch, and if you've got little ones, pick up those toys that are scattered across the floor. Get your laptop and things needed for work the next day organized and ready for you to sit down and work. Set the coffee pot to have fresh coffee brewed for you in the morning.
- Wash your face. I don't know why this took me so long to incorporate, I was always a makeup wipe girlie but I discovered the love of a skin care routine and there is something about taking care of yourself that shifts your heart a little bit. Plus a few quiet minutes to yourself? Sign me up.
- Eliminate screens two hours before going to sleep.
- Get to bed at a decent time.
- When you wake up
- Don't grab your phone! Spend one hour enjoying your coffee, reading your Bible (or any book of your choice).
- Eat a high protein breakfast and fuel your day! This can be eggs (breakfast sandwich, omelette, egg muffins), overnight oats, protein smoothie, greek yogurt parfait and so many more. I promise you I can feel it in my body when I am not fueled properly!
- Move your body. This doesn't have to be a big extravagant workout if it doesn't fit into your morning schedule. How about a quick yoga flow? A light stretch. Something to get the mind away and the blood flowing!
- Get dressed. As a stay at home and work from home mom, I spent years in last nights pajamas, looking and feeling like a frumpy mess. I am the first to admit there are some days where staying in your PJs is necessary - but for the most part.. get dressed, do your makeup. These small habits have changed the way I work, the way I feel about myself and the overall success of my business by having such a different mindset about professionalism.
- During the day
- Set timers. I can get way too caught up in "that will take me forever, so I'm not even going to start that" - what if we shift our mindset to, I only have 30 minutes to work on that, lets see how far I can get.
- Schedule ONE HOUR to be alone (I'm speaking to the mamas here). I am needed, called for, whined at 24/7. For me - this is getting into the gym and focusing on myself for one hour of my day. It's a hot shower. It's running and errand by myself. Schedule it into your day and make it happen!
Other things I do to feel my best:
- Self tanner (who doesn't love feeling bronzed in the middle of a cold and dark Michigan winter).
- Teeth whitening! (again, look good - feel good!)
- Clean up. Pick one room in your house and organize it. I always feel so much more accomplished.
- Cold plunge! Where are my adrenaline junkies? Challenge yourself, calm your nervous system, heal your body. You know you want to! I have a small cold plunge pod in my garage, I will link it below!
- Play your favorite music. SING! It's so good for the soul. Don't do dishes alone. Let Cody Johnson serenade you while you scrub.
- Learn. Whether that's from a podcast, a book, a webinar. Never stop learning or being a student.
- Reach out to your friends! There is no boost like hearing from the people you love! Send a few texts telling your friends that you love and miss them, and let their responses back fill your cup.
- Make a fancy drink. Add ice, and do I dare say a garnish? Spoil yourself with things you already have in your fridge. You deserve it.
- Red light therapy! I have a table lamp that I use every single day. There are SO many benefits to using it, but I truly just love knowing that I am doing something good for myself and its a lovely warm lamp that just feels nice on a winter morning. I will link this below for you!
