As an entrepreneur, you often work ten to twelve hour days and that can often include working on weekends. With all the hustle and bustle of taking care of our businesses, sometimes we forget to indulge in a daily self care routine. That’s precisely why I created these self care tips.
I have definitely been guilty of this, but trust me, all the stress from not taking time for yourself will eventually pile up. And it won’t be pretty. That’s why I created these self care tips for myself to help me stay rejuvenated.
Each one of these daily routines work together to bring out the best you. Not only will it help with your mental state, but it will improve your work life. Self care is especially important for those of us running our own business because we can forget where work ends and down time begins. If you indulge in this daily self care routine, I can guarantee you that you will feel better and your work grind will never be stronger.
Here is the corresponding video with even more self care tips:
1. Exercise
Exercise— who has the time, right? Still, exercise plays a major role in your mental health, which is why it’s so important to add it to your morning routine. Finding that extra hour of travel time to and from the gym was hard for me. Plus, the actual hour spent at the gym meant I had essentially “wasted” two hours of precious work time. However, once I started implementing this into my daily self-care routine, I started seeing massive improvements. I felt more energized and I got a lot more done after a steady workout session. It also helps to relieve stress, which seems like a win-win to me!
If you don’t think you’ll have time to go to a gym, take thirty minutes to go for a walk or use an at-home workout app. This works just as well. Personally, I like the Jillian Micheals app and the steaming workouts from Barre3. Everyone needs to add a little exercise in his or her daily self-care routine.
2. Skin Care Routine
This may seem like a weird self care tip to some, but taking care of your skin is great for so many reasons. It will help you maintain a professional and refreshed look, but it also sets you up for your daily self-care routine.
Do you want to attract more clients and boost revenue?
Every morning, I wake up and the first thing I do is wash my face. The hot water helps to wake me up before I’ve even had my morning cup of coffee. Here are a couple of personal favorite skin care products that I swear by. Waking up and taking care of my skin every day makes me feel refreshed, pretty and ready to start the day. Loving the way you look is a huge inspiration that will carry into your work.
3. Stay Organized
Whether you work from home or at an office, a healthy habit to indulge in is organization. I can’t hype up storage bins and labeling enough (yes, I am that type of nerd). When everything has its own space, it takes away the stress you feel when you can’t find something. Looking around at my tidy office and desk gives me a sense of serenity and allows me to have a more productive work day.
I also recommend keeping your computer documents organized. This will also look good if your clients ask for a file and you’re able to send it quickly. Make sure you also have a designated space for tangible items (such as products) and keep the office clean. Part of your daily self-care routine is to organize your personal space and mind. Staying organized is one daily entrepreneur routine that I will forever recommend.
4. Read or Listen to a Podcast
Part of being a business owner is taking care of yourself. And while you may be great at taking care of the business side of things, it’s important to evaluate your own needs. A self-care tip that I always suggest is take the time to read or listen to a podcast for at least thirty minutes a day.
Reading gives you a break from the real world. And in today’s social media-ridden world, maybe an escape from reality isn’t the worst thing to have in your daily self-self-care routine. It can be a work of fiction, self help, or news— whatever your preference, indulge in those rare minutes to focus on something other than the tasks at hand.
5. Get Creative
Hobbies are one aspect of the entrepreneur self-care routine that most people don’t partake in. If you invest some time during the week to focus on a creative outlet, it will help set your mind at ease. And you don’t have to be handy with a paintbrush in order to be creative. Here are some non-time consuming hobbies that will do wonders for your self-care:
- Writing
- Painting
- Photography
- Knitting
- Wood-working crafts
- Puzzles
- Dancing
- Sometimes I like taking on a home improvement project.
6. Explore
Getting out of the house and away from your office is essential for your daily self-care routine. Being cooped up all day will only hinder your productivity for the day. So go out and explore your neighborhood. Take your dog for a walk (or take your husband for a walk!) or simply take the time to try out a new coffee shop. Everyone needs a break, and just because you run your own business doesn’t make you an exception.
7. Eat Simple Meals
Taking care of yourself means taking care of your gut. If you’re eating too much (or not eating enough), it will negatively affect your entrepreneurial goals. Maybe not right away, but after months of grabbing a quick bite to eat at your favorite fast food joint, you’ll begin to feel the swell.
Instead, try to eat simple meals. Some that I find particularly mouth-watering are cobb salads with avocado and a simple turkey, cheese and avocado sandwich on my favorite gluten free sourdough. Pinterest is a great way to look for new recipes or simple meal ideas if you can’t cook up any of your own. 😉
8. Chat With a Friend
If you were in an office you would probably chat with several work friends through out the day, but when you work for yourself that’s not usually a reality. As a result, that’s why I recommend talking with a friend or family member as a simple no-brainer self care tip. With all the anxiety garnered from being an entrepreneur, a quick chat with a friend may be all that you need to relieve that pressure.
You never know, you can call them up just to vent about your issues, and they might be able to help you out with your problem. If work is really beginning to put a strain on your mental health, you can even take a break and grab a coffee with that friend. That way you get to get out, explore and relieve some of your daily stress. Two birds, one stone.
9. Meditate
I know this one might not be for everyone. Meditating is when you silence your mind to generate a kind of emotionally stable mental state. It’s actually tough to master, but if you’re willing to try, I definitely suggest trying this out in your daily self-care routine. Meditating improves sleep and thinking patterns, and is overall a great anecdote for the overly exerted entrepreneur. I like using the Simple Habit App.
10. Create Positive Affirmations
So, this self care tip might sound cheesy, but it actually does work. Positive affirmations are messages you give to yourself to help motivate you throughout the day. Post words of encouragement throughout your workspace to remind yourself why you choose the life of a Boss. These affirmations will help ward off any negative thoughts that might be decreasing your productivity. The more you implement this into your daily self-care routine, the better it works. Battling negative thoughts can be tough to overcome by yourself. Here are a few of my personal favorite positive affirmations:
- I learn from my mistakes.
- I don’t sweat the small stuff.
- I can. I will.
Do you practice self care? If so, what are your favorite self care tips? Please let me know in the comments below.