It can be so easy to go ‘all in’, to want to give your business 100% of your focus and energy. Every-one knows that those who work the hardest go the furthest right?
Wrong. Burnout is not pretty, busy is not a badge of honour and as the saying goes;
you can’t pour from an empty cup
In an increasingly stressful world self-care is often over looked. It’s even more important for the self-employed.
This is your path, you are working towards your goals. Be aware of your thoughts and feelings. Keep perspective.
Keep a Diary
Some like to journal to deal with this, some prefer not to. Whatever your preference, understanding your feelings allows you to address issues before they escalate into burnout, or feeling like a failure.
Feeling isolated
Arrange a night out with friends.
Feeling overwhelmed
Stop, look at your goals, get clear on your strategy and celebrate your progress. Focus only on the task in hand and achieving the next goal. Keep your focus on your journey, limit social media:
don’t compare your page 10 with someone else’s page 1000.
Why have you chosen the path of self-employment, why did you walk away from the security of a 9-5? What are the benefits you want to achieve? Remember your why.
- More time with the kids? Make sure you getting it;
- Wanted to work to your own beat (hello night Owl!)? Set your own timetable;
- To earn more money? Charge your worth and be confident about it;
- If it’s simply being your own boss that’s great but be the boss you must!
Work-Life balance
Whatever that means to you is as unique as you are.
If you want to work only the mornings then do. Be super-efficient and productive as you do it. Browsing Facebook won’t earn you money. You can do that in the evening. Organise, plan, time-block, and be a massive action taker. Make the most of every working minute but once time is up; stop.
Start every day with a goal and a plan to ensure you get there. Do the work and sign off. You didn’t go self-employed to work 24/7, so don’t.
But don’t waste the time you do work.
Self-care is more than regular bubble baths. It’s looking after our minds and bodies, achieving our goals without sacrificing our marbles! Being self-employed is a balance between risk and benefit and the biggest risk is to lose yourself and become a poor-quality service provider. That will do far more damage than clocking off on time.
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