Being an entrepreneur is a tough gig. You have to wear many hats and shoulder many burdens. Too many entrepreneurs end up working themselves to the ground. A sense of fatigue, exhaustion, and even burnout are common. According to Feedough, 49 percent of all entrepreneurs are at-risk of at least one mental illness due to their over-busy, overcommitted lifestyles.
Needless to say, this state of affairs isn’t healthy nor is it sustainable. Today, Ted Mclyman explains precisely why – and how – entrepreneurs need to prioritize self-care for long-term wellbeing and stability:
Why you need self-care as an entrepreneur
Self-care is a lifestyle where you practice healthful activities and do what’s necessary to maintain your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. Here is why you should make time for self-care:
- Stress-relief: Activities like breathing exercises, meditation, and spending more time with social connections can help you release pent-up stress - a staple of the entrepreneur lifestyle.
- More energy: Regular exercise, good food, and other self-care activities will fill you up with extra energy.
- Mental clarity: Good mental health makes your thoughts clear and logical. You’ll have an easier time making business decisions.
- Long-term health: With a good self-care plan, you can maintain your long-term health and prevent conditions like heart problems, diabetes, and obesity.
Creating a self-care routine
As a busy entrepreneur, it will be hard to find the time you need for a full-fledged routine – but it’s worth the effort to try. According to Popular Science, you need 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week. Some examples include running, swimming, and bicycling. Ideally, you should combine that with nutritious food and plenty of rest. Some self-care activities you can try out are dancing, praying, napping, bathing, doing a puzzle, and watching a comedian on YouTube. You might also want to invest in a super soft lounge bra to help get you in the right mindset.
Get a massage
A massage can be revitalizing and energizing and do away with all the stresses and pains in your body. You can get many kinds of massages, including extra-healing muscle refresher Swedish massages and deep-tissue massages designed to relieve muscular tension.
Incorporating as an LLC can give you peace of mind
Being an entrepreneur is risky – especially if you’re a sole proprietor, seeing as your personal assets are in danger if you ever get sued. Incorporating as an LLC can give you peace of mind, as it comes with limited liability. Other advantages are tax benefits, more flexibility, and less paperwork. You can file yourself or use a service to avoid big lawyer fees. States have their own regulations around LLC formation, so be sure to check the rules locally before you move forward.
Tweaks that save time that you can use on self-care
If you can save more time with your work, you can potentially devote it to self-care. For instance, learn how to focus better, prioritize, and spend less time on social media. Delegating – like hiring remote freelancers or employees – will also free up time. You can also free up more time by communicating more efficiently. For instance, if you have a large PDF file with many images, you can utilize a free PDF editor tool to add text, sticky notes, highlights, drawings, and more to the PDFs and then send it in. It’s better than lengthy emails, and you can specify suggestions or changes.
Receive mental health support if you’re overwhelmed
When you’re consistently struggling with feelings of anxiety, stress, fatigue, or depression, it’s time to seek mental health support. You can conveniently access virtual mental health therapy if you need to, without the commitment of in-person appointments. When you see online therapists, you have a wide variety of licensed professionals to pick from. Try this resource and you’ll be amazed by the affordable prices, as well as the time you’ll save.
Conclusion
Keep in mind that there is effective and less-effective self-care. You will need to experiment to find the perfect routine that offers the best results. Also, pace yourself and try to build up a routine slowly over time, instead of going all out from the very beginning. It will make it easier for you to stick to the routine long-term.
Ted Mclyman understands that personal, professional, and financial success is about knowing and managing your natural behavior. These are your superpowers – and he’ll help you achieve them. Check out this free course to get started!
Image via Unsplash
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