GUEST WRITER: Katie Conroy

​The Importance of Self-Care
in the Life of the Busy Entrepreneur

As an entrepreneur it can be hard to keep up with your many duties and obligations. And there’s one vitally important obligation that too often gets pushed to the back burner while you’re taking care of other tasks. That obligation is self-care.
You may not realize how important it is to tend to your own needs, but the reality is that if you neglect self-care, every aspect of your life, including your business life, will be adversely affected. If you are wondering how you can possibly fit new routines into an already packed schedule, Loving Life Fully offers some self-care ideas and motivational reminders to help you make this a priority.
Self-care is not self-indulgence.
When you think of self-care, what do you think of? If you’re imagining spa weekends, fancy desserts, or long vacations, you may be missing the point. Sure, luxuries may have their place in self-care. But self-care is not reducible to luxury. And it remains important even when extravagance is not an option. Even if you are trying to stay frugal, even if you are optimizing the productivity of every minute in your day, self-care should be viewed as non-negotiable, like basic hygiene and nutrition. That is because self-care is not about giving yourself fun little extras. It is about maintaining access to the basics that you need to be healthy, both physically and mentally.

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​How self-care benefits you as a business owner.
The life of an entrepreneur is filled with exciting challenges. But it’s also filled with stress. While employees and team members can go home and put work behind them, this is a lot harder for the business owner. In a way, your work is always with you, even when you are home, trying to relax among loved ones, or pursuing favorite hobbies and activities. Self-care allows you to free yourself from some of that stress – to step away from the constant hustle and be present in a quiet space where your own well-being is important, aside from questions about productivity or profit. Paradoxically, taking a break from being productive can also end up helping you to be more productive.
What are some self-care habits that can be incorporated into a hectic life?
Some self-care, such as habitual mindfulness, or focusing on good posture, you can practice even while you’re on the job. You can also incorporate techniques to help reduce feelings of stress. This can be through deep breathing techniques, becoming aware of your triggers, and shutting down stress thought trains. Other self-care rituals, such as yoga or meditation, only take a few minutes of your time but will help you feel far more relaxed and energized.
Regular exercise is another great way to take care of yourself, and the benefits are numerous. It reduces stress and your waistline, helps you stay healthy and can also contribute to better sleep. Physical activity is so crucial for health that you should make a daily appointment with yourself, and actually add it to your calendar. If you’re worried about being disconnected from work, simply strap on a sports armband for your phone.
In addition to exercise and finding ways to reduce stress, consider your home. Is it a place where you’re happy to be after a long day of work? Or do you dread coming home to a messy, disorganized house? If it’s the latter, who says you have to keep it this way? You have control here, and all it takes is to dedicate a long weekend to whipping your home into shape. Clean, remove any clutter and set up an organizational system. Make it extra happy and healthy by adding a few plants and opening up some windows.
Once you begin to practice certain basic self-care rituals, you will realize the difference they can make to your well-being. You will probably also find that you are more focused and energized at work, less stressed, more excited about pursuing your goals.  Putting self-care on your to-do list will benefit you not only in your personal life; it will be an advantage for your company, too.
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​Katie Conroy enjoys writing and created advicemine.com where she shares advice from her experiences, education, & research. She particularly enjoys writing about lifestyle topics and created the website to share advice she has learned through experience, education and research. Please visit her website.