5 Ways To Practice Self-Care

As a business owner, you understand the massive impact that being self-employed can have on your mental health. There are reasons that the majority of people choose to work for someone else. Working for yourself is a vastly different way of life from being an employee. Being an entrepreneur often affects every other area of our lives, such as friendships, relationships, and family life. It’s easy to become consumed by your business, and the stress and anxiety that come with that can really take its toll over time. Many seasoned business owners have managed to strike the right balance so that their business gets all the attention it deserves and requires while still finding time to enjoy everything else that life offers. However, this balance can be a tricky one to find, and if you’re struggling, these self-care tips might be just what you need.  Self-care, in layman's terms, is most commonly used to describe routine tasks that a person can do or a regular practice they can develop, to improve or maintain their mental and physical health. The following are five self-care practices that will help you establish and maintain your mental health.

​1. Set Working Hours
It might seem simple, but many business owners never set strict working hours for themselves, or if they do, they don’t stick to them. Setting strict working hours is important because it means that when you’re off, you’re off. You can relax, rest, enjoy time spent with loved ones or take time doing the things you love. Having a schedule can help you provide real respite for your mind and body. You can go back to work the next day feeling revived and ready.

2. Turn Off Notifications
Taking time off work means no email notifications. Time off work isn’t really time off work if you see those emails popping up on your phone. Even if you manage to exert the willpower not to read them, they’ve still caught your eye and registered in your mind. They’ve still taken you mentally away from your downtime and placed you momentarily back in the role of business owner. The constant distraction makes it difficult  to fully enjoy your time off. You’re not maximizing the benefits of that time for your body and mind.

3. Delegate or Outsource
It might sound cliché, but even business owners don’t have to do it all by themselves. Trying to be the bookkeeper, marketing manager, administrator, human resources and social media manager, and everything else in your business is just too much for one person. It causes incredibly high stress levels, which don’t do your mental or physical health any favors. Start delegating. If you’ve got other people working for you, give them more responsibilities. And if you don’t, start outsourcing some of those time consuming tasks that take you away from focusing on more important things. Hire a virtual assistant to manage your administrative tasks or a social media manager to care for your digital marketing needs. Find some way to share the burden.

​4. Make Time For Hobbies
Hobbies are significant for overall wellness. Many business owners spend all of their time working crazy hours running their businesses and doing little or nothing in their time off because they’re too exhausted and mentally drained. They find themselves vegging out in front of Netflix, binging on the latest show. Having hobbies helps fill that time off with something you’ll actually look forward to and enjoy doing. Try taking up a sport or going to dance classes. Learning a new language can be a great way to spend time off. Going hiking and taking photographs are excellent hobbies. Whatever it is, find a hobby that you can enjoy outside of work and maybe includes some time with friends and family.

5. Take Proper Breaks 
This is so important and super basic but commonly overlooked or ignored. Taking proper breaks throughout your workday has several benefits. It helps to break up your day and re-energize you to continue to be productive. It helps you to relax and regain your focus if you’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed. Sometimes it just feels great to step outside, breathe in some fresh air, and stretch the limbs.

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