Self Care for Small Business owners | Wye Valley Therapy Centre
You poured your heart and soul into your business. You sacrificed weekends, family time, and even sleep to get it off the ground. But what happens when you hit a plateau? or when you feel like you can't take another step forward? That's when it's time for self-care. This isn't about taking a long vacation or buying yourself a new toy. It's about taking a step back to assess your situation and make some small changes that will improve your mental health, have a big impact on your life and also your business. So how do you go about incorporating self-care into your busy life? Here are five tips that will help you find balance again.
1. Put health first, Physical & Mental Health
It seems simple enough, but it's a concept that many small business owners struggle with. When you're running a company from your dining room table or catching some Z’s in your car before heading into the office, working out and eating well tend to fall by the wayside. And then next thing you know weight has crept on, you're dragging at work and your family is wondering if they'll ever see their husband or wife again. So how do you get back into the groove of taking care of yourself? Start by making small changes. Grab some fruit for a mid-afternoon pick me up instead of that candy bar at the gas station. Have a family walk after dinner rather than hitting the minibar. Make time for yourself, you can't pour from an empty cup so taking care of yourself should be front and centre on your list of small business owner self-care. This means carving out time to do things that bring you joy like taking a bubble bath, walking the dog, or catching up on your favourite TV show. The key is to make those things that help you relax and recharge something that you do consistently even if it's just for a few minutes throughout the day. It doesn't have to be hard, it just takes focus and commitment.
2. Be honest about what's going on, and find your tribe.
It's so easy to feel sorry for yourself when things aren't going the way you want them to. But do you know what happens when you keep all of that bottled up inside? It's not good for anyone so it's time to have an honest conversation with yourself about your situation. Is your mental health deteriorating? Are you tired of not seeing your family? Do you resent the time you spend on your business? Don't sit back and keep it to yourself, address the issue directly by talking with family members, a therapist, or another trusted confidant. Mental health is just as important for small business owners as it is for everyone else so don't dismiss symptoms thinking you have to tough your way through it.
Isolation doesn't do any good for anyone let alone your mental health. If you're feeling like you need a little push in the right direction, surround yourself with positive people who are doing what you want to be doing or at least can empathize with where you are in life. You'll find that when you get together with others who understand what it's like to be struggling through this thing called business ownership, it opens up opportunities for all kinds of great things to happen! You might even realize that part of self-care should be surrounding yourself with others who appreciate the sacrifices small business owners make every day.
3. Make time for personal projects
Doing something you love can have a huge impact on your stress. If you feel the urge to paint or go snowboarding, pick up that guitar or sew some pillows - whatever it is that makes you excited about life, do it! Create an environment where you can be creative and inspired by filling your home with plants, putting together art collections, or setting out inspirational quotes. When you're feeling stuck in a rut, take some time to pursue that hobby that's been waiting patiently in the wings. You might find yourself falling even more in love with the business after taking some time to fall back in love with who you are outside of work.
4. Get competitive (with yourself!)
Many business owners strive to be the best at what they do. The problem many people run into is that this desire for excellence can lead to less than stellar performance when it comes to self-care. Rather than trying to achieve a personal best, try setting some goals that are more about positivity and happiness. You might shoot yourself in the foot if you sign up for another marathon or step on the scales after months of neglecting your health, but you will benefit if your new goal is simply taking 15 minutes each day doing something that makes you smile. So how do you make sure your goals are achievable? Try this: create three columns on a page, putting "easy" things under Column A, "medium effort" tasks under Column B, and "hard" things under Column C. Now start brainstorming about what you enjoy doing that fits into each category. Put enough in Column A to make sure you're doing them more often than not (because these are the sorts of simple tasks that can easily fall by the wayside when life overwhelms us). Fill up most of Column B with things that still aren't too difficult to achieve, but will require some effort on your part (say adding one more workout at the gym every week). Then populate Column C with bigger goals like learning how to play an instrument or taking a class on something completely different from your business interests - they'll push you out of your comfort zone, but that's exactly what self-care is all about!
5. Practice self-care through yoga
It's hard to imagine that something so simple can have such a positive effect on your life, but regular practice of yoga postures can do everything from decrease back pain and strengthen muscles, to leading you toward better mental clarity and emotional balance. But while it may seem like simply tying yourself up in knots is what makes yoga unique, its real power is in how it changes your outlook on the world around you. Studies show that people who practice yoga develop a heightened awareness of their actions and feelings, which enables them to make conscious choices about how they will react before jumping into an argument or succumbing to negative impulses. For most business owners, this kind of emotional intelligence isn't found at the bottom of a cereal box - it takes years of practice and determination to learn how to control your reactions. So if you're looking for a good reason to start practicing yoga, simply use this as an opportunity to increase your willpower and focus on the other benefits that will come with this kind of lifestyle change.
A simple Google search will show you all sorts of yoga poses that you can try out in the privacy of your own home, but be aware that if you've never done yoga before (or you're not very flexible) some postures can cause injury or muscle ache if they're attempted incorrectly! If anything hurts, stop immediately and contact a doctor before continuing with the session.
6. Spice up life with new experiences
There are some things that you can't learn from a textbook, and many of these important life lessons come with the territory when it comes to running your own business. The problem is that once you've learned how to do something well, there's no point in reinventing the wheel - instead of trying something different all the time, make sure you keep at least one or two routines for key parts of your routine (for example, eating breakfast every morning). But what about everything else? Those are the easy opportunities where new experiences are waiting around every corner.
The easiest way to shake things up is simply to make a list of all the experiences you'd like to try out next. Whether it's bungee jumping off an Australian bridge or studying abroad in Europe, keeping track of your goals and making sure you're checking them off as you go can keep things fun and light. You may find that this kind of excitement will carry over into the rest of your life as well, such as with increased motivation at work or a better understanding of what makes your employees tick. Who knows? A new routine could be exactly what it takes to make those dreams come true!
7. Stop worrying about perfection
One common trait among business owners is that we like getting things right, and we worry that by doing something wrong (or more realistically, differently) we'll end up losing our customer base before we've even had a chance to grow it. The problem is that these concerns often lead us toward plateauing in our careers because we're too afraid to take chances and try something that might end up being a mistake.
The trick is finding a balance between doing things the way you've always done them, and trying out new things that aren't necessarily guaranteed to work. There are times when it makes sense to play it safe, but only if the cost of failure outweighs the potential rewards. This means taking enough time before making an important decision where you can make sure you have all the information you need, instead of rushing into something because it sounds good at the time. The more obsessive you are about perfection within your career, the harder it will be to let go of your fear that everything could come crashing down around you at any moment.
8. Spend more time with your family
Running your own business has a lot of perks, but one of the most common complaints is that it's hard to find enough free time to spend with friends and family outside of work. While some small business owners have worked themselves up into a position where they can afford to hire additional employees or delegate their responsibilities, this isn't always an option, especially if you're just starting, in the world of entrepreneurship.
What many business owners discover is that these problems seem much less harsh when they start spending quality time with their loved ones - whether it's at home after dinner, out for coffee during the weekend, or even taking long vacations together, you'll be surprised how quickly all the hard work seems to fade away when you have the chance to unwind.
9. Be ready for change
In the same way, it's important to balance your life with new experiences, it's also crucial to keep up-to-date to survive in an ever-changing business world. This means taking time out of your schedule to learn about new businesses, trends, and opportunities that could help expand your business or even change the course of its future altogether. You might discover that spending a few hours at a local bookstore or watching an online video series is all you need to gain some additional insight into areas where you can make improvements within yourself or your company.
It's always better to be proactive when it comes to change, especially since most business owners are meeting it head-on daily. There are many different situations where you might find yourself needing to make adjustments quickly, which means the only way to come out ahead is by being one step ahead at all times.
10. Remember that success isn't measured in pounds and pence.
Finally, the last piece of advice we have for any aspiring entrepreneur or small business owner is to remember that what matters most isn't making as much money as possible - although this helps. Instead, we should take time out of our days to pat ourselves on the back for everything we've accomplished so far and then use this as motivation toward continuing down the path that will lead us into even greater achievements in the future. Too often, entrepreneurs are their own worst critics, always looking for reasons to feel defeated even when they've already done more than enough to make a difference in the world
At the time of writing, Monique has spent 20 years as a small business owner and managing director is a BSc Hons Psychology Student & Student Counsellor for MIND, and holds a Student Membership with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). #MentalHealth #ManagingBurnOut #SmallBusinessOwners #SelfCare #MentalHealthForEntrepreneurs
Meta Description: Need some mental health tips? Here are 10 self-care rituals that will help you relax and rejuvenate and improve your mental health.
Keywords to include: Mental health, Burnout, self-care, Entrepreneur, Small Business owner
