Don’t Forget About Yourself
Self-care isn’t just holidays and massages. Working on your habits, mindset and healing your past. It’s removing toxic thought, people, and places in your life. It’s living internationally, purposefully, and consciously.
—Jay Shetty
As Lori Greiner stated, “I’m working eighty hours a week now so that I can work forty hours later”, starting a business requires you to be in hustle mode. Personally, I feel this is normal when starting off. If you have the ambition to run your own business, you must feel you are established before you can set ground rules. Entrepreneurs are overachievers. Where does it end? I have so many goals and I am constantly trying to achieve them. Sometimes, I tell myself to take a break and get back into the work-life balance routine. I worked six to seven days a week in the beginning when Natural Lash was created. It was what I had wanted to do since I was a little girl. I think every entrepreneur struggles in this category of work-life balance, especially in the beginning of your business journey. It took me time to develop a comfortable routine that made sense for my industry. However, I am still learning.
Work-Life Balance. What I have learned in my business journey is that work-life balance is critical. Adopting several strategies from the start can get your mindset clear to create that balance. This is an important first step for entrepreneurs who are motivated to make their businesses work and live out their true passion with business. I set and stick to working hours. This took me a while to do. After work, I would hold the intention of going to the gym. I would keep my gym clothes in my car to change into after work. The clothes are evidence that I tried to go to the gym. But I would be so exhausted that I would not make it. Once I set hours and stuck to them, it was so easy to get my own balance-enhancing tasks completed.
Take a day off and just take care of you. Attend yoga classes, catch up with friends, or go for a massage. I share my work and personal calendar. I will add things like 7 a.m. yoga class or 9 p.m. dance class, otherwise work will take over. Remember, we are running the business. It cannot run us. Our happiness and sanity are important in life and in the business.
It is so important to take care of yourself and your health. I read a quote once that said, “I don’t feel well, and I am not sure why.” Go home and meditate for twenty minutes, twice a day; exercise for at least thirty minutes a day; avoid processed foods; eat plenty of organic foods and veggies; spend more time outdoors and less indoors; stop worrying about things you can’t control; and spend less time in front of the tv"
In the summer, I end Tuesdays at 6 p.m. because that is volleyball night. In the winter, I continue to reserve Tuesday night as my night for some sort of non-business activity. I play volleyball, dance, and attend yoga sessions. I always end a bit earlier on Tuesdays to go and do something I love other than my job. I sometimes begin months by reviewing my work schedule and marking days off here and there. These days allow me to book any appointments and run personal errands. Whatever it is that I do, I consider it my day off to get stuff done. Entrepreneurs can all agree that it is difficult to get stuff done when you feel like you are always working.
Get a Separate Work Phone. I learned this quickly in my business. I am a type of person that sees a message and must answer it right away. I am super dedicated to my business and clients, but there needs to be a balance. Having a separate phone helped me. I can put that phone away and know that the messages I am receiving to my personal phone are those that connect with my social life and personal relationships. If you are like me, you always have your phone with you. I use my phone for music, business and personal. When I started my business, I was still in school and experienced constant business messages while being in class. When I was enjoying my time out with friends and family, my phone would ring and chime all hours of the night. The constant barrage of texts and phone calls made me feel like I was always at work. A separate phone allowed me to separate work and life more concretely. During the day at work, my work phone is on loud and my personal phone is on silent. As soon as I get into my car, I switch them. Personal phone goes on loud, work phone on silent. The switch enables me to go home, watch my show, hang out with family and friends, and mentally leave work. My work phone stays in my purse, and I check it in the morning. Missed calls or text messages will be answered the following day. Of course, I am sometimes guilty of checking and answering messages. That’s just me. But, a two-phone system has totally allowed me to separate work from my personal life in a meaningful and effective way.
Routine & Unwind. I always try to start my day with some type of podcast. I am not a morning person. My family knows not to even talk to me in the morning. The most they will get from me is "Hi" in a grumpy voice. Listening to something informational or motivational first thing in the morning supports my learning. I am working on waking up earlier than my average time, getting my workout in, and listening to a podcast prior to starting my workday.
My favourite thing to do after a busy day or week is take time for myself. I spend a lot of my days talking to ladies and always thinking and being on the go. Sometimes, I just want to have a glass of wine, read a book, and take a relaxing bath. No in-between exists with me. I think it is the Gemini in me! Either I am at home in my tracksuit relaxing or out for drinks and dancing with my girlfriends, and then of course my favourite thing . . . in my lab coat beautifying the world.
To Live the Life Some Only Dream. Being an entrepreneur comes with working all hours of the day and night, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I have lost count of the amount of times my intention to turn on Netflix and watch a show is interrupted. An idea pops into my head, and I fire up my laptop and my notebook. I am totally not paying attention to the television. It is just becomes background noise. This is what entrepreneurs do, right? It never feels like work when it is your passion. I know many others can agree. There is nothing more rewarding than for me to say, “Yes. That’s me. I did that!” When I graduated, I was insistent that I work for myself. I wanted to run my own business. I love the challenge and competition amongst myself. No salary cap exists. The more work you put in, the more you get out. It is truly a passion for me. I feel lucky that I can do what I love and love what I do. On top of that, I am so grateful for the people I work with and the bond we share. You may put in some time that others will see as excessive. That’s the nature of the beast. The hard work is worth it. You also want to remain open to working smarter. Look after yourself because you are your best investment.
Compare the following two lists:
Cost of Success
• Late nights
• Early mornings
• Very few friends
• Being misunderstood
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Questioning your sanity
• Being your own cheerleader
Work-Life Balance
• Stay social. Don’t forget about a social life
• Spend time alone. Enjoy you
• Treat yourself. Do things for yourself
• Say no more often. Explore your limits and cultivate balance
• Exercise and sleep. Eat for fuel and nutrition
• Take vacations
Jessica
XO