For you to thrive in your business, you must have great self-care habits. After all, having a business takes time and lots of energy. The important thing to understand is that self-care is an investment in your business.
Some people consider self-care to be ‘self-indulgent’, ‘selfish’, or a ‘luxury’. But in reality, self-care is an absolute necessity.
No matter what your business or service you provide, ultimately people are buying YOU. Yes, YOU are your most valuable asset.
If you are pursuing success, you are likely to be pushing your personal limits without proper self-care. Productivity can drop, creativity can dry up, stress can become overwhelming, and it can even lead to burnout.
Think back to when you first started your business. You were excited about it weren’t you? You were probably working crazy hours, fuelled with adrenaline trying to meet deadlines and get your ‘baby’ off the ground. In the beginning that was fine, but long term it’s not sustainable because you are not a machine (and even if you were, you’d still need to take care of that machine and maintain it, because machines break down too and don’t last forever!)
Over time that initial excitement can wane so it’s vital that you nourish yourself, your mind, body, and soul, every single day, to keep going when the ‘going gets tough’.
I’ve come up with a little acronym, GOBYOU (or Go be You!)
2. ORGANISE - Organise yourself so that you’re consuming foods that nourish you. Drink plenty of water throughout your day and fill yourself with nutrient dense foods that can fuel you and give your brain and body the energy it needs to function to the max, and enable you to stay healthy and fitter for longer. Organise set times for exercise so that it’s not overlooked. I find booking classes works for me and keeps me accountable.
3. BE - Take time to just ‘be’. Allow yourself to get present in the moment. Whether that’s meditating, walking in nature, or being in the ‘here and now’ with nothing else to do, it will improve your mental well-being. Practising‘being’ with clients, friends and family will also foster better quality relationships too.
4. YES - Say YES to things that make you feel happy and bring you joy. That also means saying NO to the things that don’t serve you or your business. Time is precious, it’s one of the most valuable things we have because once it’sgone we can’t get it back. Use your time wisely. Having clear boundaries will set you free and build your self-esteem. Others are more likely to value you more too.
5. OPEN - Be open to learning and growing daily and foster a childlike curiosity for life. You’re never too old to be surprised and delighted, and life will become so much more interesting and magical when you adopt an ‘attitude of gratitude’ daily.
6. UNADULTERATED FUN - Having fun daily is a non-negotiable. Emily & Alan Brathwaite are perfect examples of people who know exactly how to have fun at work and at home. If you’re not having enough fun right now, how can you change that? It’s been proven that having fun will improve your relationships at work and at home, make you smarter, reduce stress, make you more energetic and youthful, and even balance your hormones. What’s not to love about that!!
The important thing to remember here is that you have a life outside of your business. You may be juggling family, a social life and the day-to-day running of a home, so it’s vital that you don’t put your own health and wellbeing at the‘bottom of the list’. Make self-care a priority so that you can flourish at home and work and thrive in your business.
And remember, the next generation is watching!!! If you want a kinder World, it starts with being kind to yourself and practicing good self-care habits daily.
Here’s to Healthy, Happy Humans!
P.S. If you're reading this and saying to yourself “I don’t even have time to wash my face”, check out this short video below.
Julie "The Happiness Coach" Mann is the founder of The Habit Fixer. She is a life coach, EFT practitioner and Hypnotherapist who's aim is to Help you to change your habits so you can be a healthy happy human.
Visit The Habit Fixer website here.