We get it, you’re an entrepreneur and you’re busy! It’s not uncommon for business owners to lose themselves in their work, and quickly start living an unbalanced life. However, in order to be happy, it is important to let yourself have some freedom to do other things.
Being mindful of your business’ needs, as well as your own personal needs is the perfect recipe for success. That is easier said than done, so where can you start?
Take Time Away
This is a scary thought for business owners. Taking time away from your work and unplugging to focus on yourself, your family, your hobbies, etc. is necessary. It can be really hard to do when you know that the business relies on you and you are the brains behind the whole operation. The best thing you can do is take baby steps toward taking time away and unplugging. That looks different for different entrepreneurs, but some good places to start would be:
Work from Home Once/Month
Only Allow Yourself to Check your Email One Time/Night
Take Adequate Lunch Breaks
Separate Your Work Phone from Your Personal Phone
Any of those options would be a great place to start. Soon enough you might even catch yourself taking a work-free vacation, which will be well-deserved!
Focus on Hobbies
We know you’re passionate about your work- that’s why you started a business in the first place. However, once you start your own business, that becomes work instead of a hobby. In order to remain happy and healthy, you should focus on allowing yourself some time to work on hobbies that are stress-free and enjoyable for you. Sometimes entrepreneurs become so busy with their lifestyle, they don’t even know where to start with new hobbies. Here are some of our favorite suggestions:
Exercise
Cooking
Puzzles
Reading
Sports
Attend Family Events
Your family members will thank us for this one! You deserve a break and you should let yourself take that break to enjoy your family members. If you have a child with an upcoming soccer game, this could be your perfect opportunity to unplug for a couple of hours and enjoy some time with your family. These types of events are perfect refreshers to get you recharged and ready to focus on your business again. Taking breaks will only help your business, because taking care of yourself is the first step to ensuring that your business is well taken care of.
Be Mindful
Being mindful of yourself and what relaxes you and brings you joy is the key to happiness. When you are mindful, you are paying attention to what’s going on and enjoying the present moment. Meditation is a great idea for anyone who is stressed and/or overworked, and entrepreneurs are at the top of that list.
If you incorporate mindfulness into everything you do, you’ll catch yourself being much more aware of how you’re feeling and what your needs are. We found some great ideas for incorporating mindfulness into your everyday activities, and you can read all about them here.
As a business owner, you have a lot on your plate. Focusing on yourself and trying to live a more balanced life will help you and your business to remain healthy and successful.
For more insights on marketing strategy that actually works for small business, subscribe to the FreshLime Newsletter here. Connect with Jay Bean, Founder of FreshLime and Small Business Marketing Expert on LinkedIn and Twitter. And last of all, if any of these tips have helped you or if you have anything to add please comment below. We’d love to hear from you!