As a business owner, taking care of your business is constantly at the top of your mind. You plan ways to market your products or services, grow your profit and make better use of your time. But what you’ll often forget to include is taking care of yourself! Your business needs you to look after yourself properly. Without you, where will it go?

Today I’m introducing the idea of self-care as a business owner, demonstrating the benefits that are possible when taking care of your business while being a healthy and happy business owner.

Taking Care of Your Business Starts with Taking Care of You!

Burnout is common for entrepreneurs. We work so hard to achieve our goals and let nothing stand in our way, especially our health. The problem with that is, we’re human. Our bodies are not designed to work 24/7 or to be solely focused on one thing, ignoring what’s happening around us. Instead, we get sick, suffer bereavements, become stressed and overtired.  What tends to happen is we push on through, ignoring our own needs and putting those of the business first. We fail to take the time required to repair our mind, body and spirit, which leads to more trouble further down the path.

What we should do is take recovery time seriously, prioritise our self-care and put ourselves before our business. Here are some ways we can do that:

• Take a break – we can’t work forever and owning your own business means you shouldn’t. Schedule in time for regular breaks, time away from work and spending time with family and friends.
• Surround yourself with positive relationships – there’s always going to be those people who try to belittle and discourage you. Choose to spend time with those who care, support and encourage you instead.
• Look after your body – if you’re tired, sleep. If you’re hungry, eat. If you’re sick, rest. It’s time we started listening to our bodies and give them what they need! Everyone has an optimum level of health. Work to achieve it by eating healthily, exercising regularly and establishing a regular sleeping pattern.
• Love your space – if your work area doesn’t inspire you, fix it. Our surroundings can impact upon our mental health. A damp, cold area is likely to reduce productivity and increase illness. In comparison, a warm, bright and well thought out workstation can motivate us and increase productivity.

As far as I am concerned, one of the most important aspects of taking care of your business is the taking care of yourself. Without you, where would your business be? For more advice about taking care of you and your business, including business planning and goal setting, give me a call today.