A Healthy Business Means A Healthy YOU: Self-Care For Beginners
I have Meniere’s Disease. It’s a chronic illness that causes dizzy spells, hearing loss, and deep exhaustion.
I also have wild ambition.
In 2017, those two aspects of myself collided when I leaped toward full-time entrepreneurship after a fulfilling career in not-for-profit.
I had pushed my health aside for too long. This led to a terrible dizzy spell while driving; I ended up in a ditch out on a country road.
That minor accident made me change my life and embrace self-care.
This brings me to National Women’s Health Week. NWHW reminds women and girls to take care of their health. Both physical and mental health.
That’s where self-care comes into play.
Don’t Let Self-Care Become An Afterthought
For business owners, self-care might sound like a waste of time.
But I’m proof that self-care is a critical business strategy.
Self-care made it possible to coordinate my chronic illness and my ambition. It helped grow my business – during a pandemic, no less!
I was able to:
- Double my revenue each year.
- Hire a team with a skillset transcending my own.
- Create personal boundaries.
- Learn to look after my health and achieve my goals.
Self-care combines the physical and mental health aspects that NWHW encourages women to prioritize.
For entrepreneurs, the result is:
- A profitable, sustainable business.
- And a healthy mind and body.
Let’s look at a few self-care ideas for you to consider:
Tips For Women on a Shoestring Budget
When it comes to employee wellness programs, research has shown a 6:1 return! That means $6 is saved for each dollar spent.
Self-care offers more than health benefits; it also has the same great financial ROI.
For those bootstrapping their business, money is tight.
The good news is that a lot of automation software has free options.
Automations create extra time in your day. Time you can save for an inexpensive self-care habit, like one of these:
- Spend a weekend unplugged. Those constant phone notifications aren’t doing you any favors. Take 1-2 days off. (That means social media too!)
- Take a breather. Meditation. Yoga. Stretches. A 5-minute walk outside. The key is to practice deep breaths while you do it; it’s a great de-stressor.
- Step outside the “business bubble”. Reach out to someone you know and have a real conversation about something other than spreadsheets and marketing funnels.
Tips For Women With Too Much On The Go
What if squeezing in ten minutes to write in a journal sounds like something that would add more stress, not remove it?
Try this:
Take a minute and think of your big-picture business goal. Then, remove any extra activities that aren’t totally necessary to make it happen.
For example, marketing is important. But marketing on every platform is less important. Choose the one (or 2) with the most traction. Dismiss the rest.
Or, even better, find a marketing manager to handle it all for you.
Here are a few ideas for busy women who juggle family, jobs, school, business — all in one day:
- Focus on the care you need most. This blog has a simple chart that shows you how to match the best self-care strategy for common issues you may be facing.
- Set new boundaries. Have you internalized a stereotype that devalues the importance of self-care? You can rewrite your role and reimagine new limits for what someone in your role can do.
- Rewire your thoughts. Repeating affirmations is a quick activity proven to lower stress levels and boost confidence.
Rebranding Self-Care as Business Care
It’s sad to hear so many entrepreneurs say they feel guilty because they haven’t “done enough” to earn self-care time.
It’s okay if your version of self-care doesn’t look like a week-long vacation at a luxury spa. That’s not the point.
The point is that your well-being connects to the health of your business.
It’s time to think of self-care as a vital business practice.
Let’s look at three ways that self-care applies inside and outside our office space:
#1: Get Help When You Need It
What does getting help look like within business?
- Hire contractors or employees to take over tasks outside your zone of genius.
- Get feedback from your clients to ensure you serve them well.
- Find outside funding like grants and loans to help you scale your business faster.
What does getting help look like in our personal life?
- For me, Meniere’s Disease made the morning rush unbearable. Luckily, my husband could drive our kids to school, and I embraced a relaxed self-care routine to start each day.
- Check your local library for guided workshops. You might even find a class dedicated to self-care techniques!
- It’s always okay to seek outside support for mental health care. Online counselors are a convenient option.
#2: Narrow Your Focus
What does narrowing focus look like within a business?
- I limited myself to one single month to create an online course. It was difficult, but I spent 80% of my work time devoted to this one task.
- Choose a niche based on the services you’re best at offering and the type of client you most enjoy serving.
- Get clear about why you started your business. Narrow your decisions to focus on those that align with your overall goal.
What does narrowing focus look like in our personal life?
- Acknowledge that you can’t do everything, all the time. In 2021, my dear cousin was dying of cancer; I stayed with her during her last weeks on this earth. I completed some projects, but I also gave myself space to focus on what truly mattered most at the time.
- Use meditation to explore your mind. Focus on life decisions that only you can make for yourself.
- Remove toxic people from your life. Focus on the people that bring positivity into your life.
#3: Set Boundaries
What does setting boundaries look like within a business?
- Limit the hours you spend working. You love what you do, but that doesn’t mean 80+ hour workweeks are sustainable.
- Learn to say no. An opportunity might come along that isn’t a good fit. Decide if it aligns with your goals before agreeing to take it on.
- Create a budget. Financial commitments can get out of hand if there’s no plan set beforehand.
What does setting boundaries look like in our personal life?
- Be kind, gentle, and firm toward yourself. It’s perfectly fine to give yourself grace; you don’t need to be 100% “on” every day. But, try to limit your “off” days. (I limit myself to two “off” days in a row.)
- Make a sleep schedule. Sleep gives our body and brain a chance to recover; we’re more productive after a good night’s rest!
- Replace negative self-talk by pretending you’re talking about a dear friend or family member.
Summary
The biggest lesson I’ve taken from living and growing a business while playing hurt is that you can do more than you think you can.
You can also tap out more often than you think you can.
Self-care looks different for everybody. But the best technique for you will recharge and heal. It will have countless positive effects on your business.
Read She Rules: What You Didn’t Know Is Holding You Back In Business to learn more about self-care and how to create a business in balance with the rest of your life.
And remember that the direction you are facing is more important than your speed! Take small steps. You can do this!
P.S. Whenever you’re ready… here are 3 ways I can help you grow your business:
1. Grab my Guide & Workbook to keeping your cool and making money- even during a global pandemic!
Can you make money, grow your business, and survive a pandemic all at the same time? The quick answer is yes. — Click Here
2. Book a free strategy chat
You can grow your business bigger than you imagine possible, even during a pandemic. Here’s what will happen – we will chat about your vision for your biz, where you are right now and any challenges you are facing.— Click Here
3. I’m looking for a few specific people to join me for my live training, where we will spend 90 minutes a week for 90 days to exponentially grow your business.
Just send me a message with DOUBLE in the subject line to get more details.
