As a female entrepreneur, you are probably no stranger to the challenges and stresses of owning your own business. Juggling work and home obligations can be tough, and it’s easy to let your own needs fall by the wayside.
But taking care of yourself is essential if you want to be successful in both your personal and professional life. Here are seven powerful steps to ultimate self-care for female entrepreneurs.
The Importance of Self-Care
You have to ensure that you are always overflowing emotionally, spiritually, physically and financially. Because when you’re overflowing you can give value to everyone around you and everything you do.
You will make better decisions about your life. Not decisions based on survival instincts alone.
This is why self-care is so important, particularly for female entrepreneurs.
Let’s face it, women are constantly giving even when you have nothing left to give, you give more. You may even pride yourself on that fact. But let me tell you, you’re not doing yourself or anyone else any favours by constantly running on empty.
Let me ask you: When was the last time you did something just for yourself? and felt zero guilt?
Guilt that you should be somewhere else doing something for someone else, because doing something, anything for yourself feels selfish.
Self-Care Is The Least Selfish Thing You Can Do
Because, the worst-case scenario is that, you, burn out completely and there will be nothing more to give.
And that burnout could come at the worst possible time when your friends, family or your business needs you the most.
So, the best way to avoid complete burnout and always have the energy to spare is to have a daily, weekly, monthly & yearly self-care plan, that is all about looking after your most valuable asset, YOU.
Essential Steps to Self-Care For Female Entrepreneurs
1. Get your priorities straight
Make a list of your top five priorities for the day, that’s it. Because sometimes, we get caught up in making so many lists and going after so many things at once, while forgetting to go after our own dreams.
2. Plan Self-Care Into Your Schedule Daily/ Weekly/ Monthly
Write Self-Care into your calendar and treat it as seriously as you would anything else. Imagine if someone said to you, “I’m imposing a Self Care day on you because I care about you and I love you.” It would feel great, wouldn’t it?
3. Book Self-Care Into Your Schedule in Advance
Especially if you know that there are going to be times when Self-Care will be more difficult to squeeze in, like during a busy work week or around the holidays.
4. Take Some Time for Yourself Every Day
Even if it’s just 10-15 minutes, take some time each day to do something that relaxes and rejuvenates you. This can be anything from reading a book to taking a hot bath to taking a walk in nature.
5. Connect with Nature
Spending time outdoors has been shown to boost moods and reduce stress, so make sure to get outside as often as possible. Whether it’s taking a walk in the park, hiking a trail or simply sitting in your backyard, getting some fresh air is always a good idea.
6. Connect with Your Tribe
Spending time with people who support and uplift you is crucial for maintaining your mental health and wellbeing. So make sure to connect with your tribe often, whether it’s through social media, meetups or simply coffee dates.
7. Take Time Out For Yourself With Planned Vacations
Spending time away from your work and the everyday demands of life is a great way to clear your mind, relax and recharge.
Have at least one vacation a year at a minimum. Taking time out from your business will help you generate new ideas and grow your business faster.
8. Start Your Day With a Healthy Breakfast
A healthy breakfast sets you up for a successful day while eating badly can leave you feeling drained and tired.
9. Make Exercise Part of Your Routine
Exercise is one of the key ingredients towards Self-Care because it boosts your mood, reduces stress and improves brain function. So make sure to squeeze in at least 10-15 minutes of exercise into your daily routine. Which can help you clear your mind and give you extra energy to take on or distress from your day.
Try the 10 Minute Solutions Exercise videos on Amazon Prime or checkout YouTube as there are plenty of 10 Minute workout videos for Yoga to Dance.
10. Practice Self-Compassion
Self-compassion is essential for Self-Care because it allows you to be gentle and forgiving towards yourself, even during your toughest times. Practising self-compassion can help reduce stress and anxiety and improve overall wellbeing.
11. Make Sleep a Priority
Getting enough quality sleep is crucial for your physical and emotional health, so make sure to get plenty of z’s each night.
12. Invest In Self-Care Products and Services
From yoga classes to massages, there are a number of self-care products and services that can help you relax and rejuvenate. So be sure to invest in Self-Care, to take your Self-Care practice to the next level.
13. Stay organized – Use a Planner or Task Management System to Stay on Top of Tasks and Goals
This will help keep your mind clear and less stressed, making it easier for you to focus on Self-Care. Having a planner is a great tool to help you stay on top of your self-care, goals and ever-growing task list.
14. Cultivate a Positive Mindset
Cultivating a positive mindset is key for Self-Care because it allows you to see the good in yourself and in life, even during tough times.
15. Make Eating Healthy A Priority
Eating well is essential for your energy and long-term health. A good diet should be the foundation of your self-care and wellness plan. You can do everything else on this list, but if you missed out on this step all the other steps would be like putting a band-aid on a 6-inch open wound.
With a busy schedule eating healthy is usually the first thing that falls down in my self-care routine. This is why I’ve gotten into meal prepping and planning. This helps me stay healthy and keep up my energy levels. To get started with meal prepping try Smart Meal Prep for Beginners: Recipes and Weekly Plans for Healthy, Ready-to-Go Meals.
16. Practice Mindfulness Everyday
Start with a 5-10 minute meditation a day, then work up to 20 – 30 minutes if you want to.
Use apps like Calm, Headspace and Yours or YouTube have plenty of guided meditations to help you build a habit of daily meditation.
Self-Care Is Not Selfish
It’s your duty, to take care of yourself so you can give more effectively and powerfully to the world around you. To the world, we live in and the people we share it with.
Self-care is not selfish and this must be communicated clearly and often because women often feel guilty for doing something for themselves. So, the next time you take some time out for Self-Care, tell yourself and anyone who will listen that it’s not selfish, it’s essential.
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