wellness & Productivity for entrepreneurs

Tips to keep you balanced while you build your business

Starting or running your own business is no easy task. It is exciting as much as it is challenging but if it is your dream, your passion or purpose it is easier to stay the course. Even with these in place there are ebbs and flows to your day’s weeks heck maybe even hours. So, how can we stay on top and feel good even when the going gets tough?

First let’s look at some common things affecting solo-preneurs and their wellness:

-        Burning the candle at both ends

-        Overwhelm and stress over finances and revenue

-        Loneliness

-        Pressure to succeed

-        How to scale your business

But there’s good news!

Recent research shows that. “In fact, on average, an entrepreneur’s risk of burnout was lower due to the positive psychological effects of entrepreneurial work." The study calls this "psychological utility, a greater sense of meaning, personal autonomy and job satisfaction that amounts to higher mental returns on investment. Entrepreneurs on average, were happier.” Entrepreneur.com/living

So, even though this may be true if you are an entrepreneur, and you are feeling these symptoms it is no joke. Sometimes as solo-preneurs we don’t recognize the signs and we just keep going. Unless you stop and take a moment to check in with yourself you may run yourself over the ledge then what? I always say, “if you are not well, your business is unwell”.

It is imperative that you as a sole business owner look after yourself not just making sure you get enough sleep though, this is a very important part of your health and wellbeing. But rather take a holistic approach. Three areas to consider are mind, body, and soul. If you connect with each one and fuel it with something good at least once a week you are giving back to yourself in more ways than you can imagine.

OK let’s dive into ways to start doing this in your business and for your own wellbeing.

MIND

As an entrepreneur you likely experience a mind that never shuts off, thinking of more tasks than you can handle in one moment, worried about failure or what’s next. Here is some of what you can do to help ease the pressure and balance your thoughts:

Productivity – to be productive you need clarity and boundaries. You’ve heard a “cluttered space is a cluttered mind”!? Well, its true. So, how can you reduce the clutter of ALL the things you want to do or need to do and focus on what needs to be done in this moment or day or week?

If you take just 15 mins at the end of everyday to set the tone and clarity for the following day I bet, you will see better progress in a short time. What this does is alleviates you walking into the unknown the next day. Even if things get swayed by other priorities that pop up you at least had tasks to keep you focused. In turn, some experience a better night sleep not having to think about what’s ahead the night before.

Boundaries should become your friend. They will save you in times when deadlines are of the essence and help you from multitasking which studies have shown often leads to lack of productivity. An easy way to set a boundary in your day is to block off the time you suspect it will take to complete a priority task. Commit to staying on task during this time no matter what (unless the house is burning down, or someone needs immediate attention). It’s amazing what you can get done when you focus on one thing at a time. Which means there is plenty of time for the other things once you complete the most important items.

Sounds simple right!? Try it for two weeks and see how it goes. Can you stick with it? Remember you are here to progress productively not to do a bunch of stuff that keeps you feeling busy. This should help you stay proactive vs reactive which is one of the best mind-shifts any leader can make for themselves and their business.

One of my favourite quotes “Don’t be busy. Be productive”

Resilience – Care less only to care more about the things that truly matter or will make the most impact to you and your business. Believe it or not, there are a ton of things we worry about through the day that don’t really deserve that much attention. So, next time you find yourself worrying about something over and over STOP and ask yourself “What’s the worst impact if this doesn’t happen or get done?” If it is not a big impact to what you are trying to create or do, then move on and tell it “not today”. Trust me it will creep back, and you can reassess it again then.

If it will create a big or negative impact, then what can you do to get it done the most efficient way possible? Or, what needs to happen to transform it to a positive outcome? If it is a positive impact then great include it on your priority list when you know you can action it and keep doing it.

The final piece for the mind is actual care. When is your mind most at ease? Is it taking a walk? Playing with your kids? Reading? Taking a nap? Listening to music, or having a massage? Whatever it is put this in your calendar and commit to making it happen once a week. You work so hard, and you deserve to rest your mind. Give back to it as it gives so much to you and your business.

BODY

Unless you are already good with sticking to getting some form of physical activity in you can skip this section. The body needs to move. It needs to feel energized and needs to feel strong. Creating movement in your day will allow your body to support you in so many ways. You don’t have to go out and do a full hour at the gym. Just simple movement in your day can make a difference. Humans are not meant to stay sedentary. Here are a few ways you can create movement in your body in your day:

Stretching - when you get up to get the snack or coffee take a moment to stretch. Like really stretch it out. Move your torso side to side. Reach those hands in the air and bend down to touch your toes.

Standing desk – if you can try to create or invest in a sit/stand desk. There are some that are a full desk but there are other options for placing a unit on top of your traditional desk. Standing gives your hips and back a break. Plus better posture yay!

Find a friend  - to commit to doing some form of physical activity together. This will keep you accountable for doing it and is way more fun with a companion. So whatever strikes your fancy, a walk, jog, hike or bike or any other physical fitness do it at least once a week and do it with a friend or family member you can count on.

SOUL

If you’re struggling with something in your business because it just doesn’t feel right then let it go. Something in your soul is telling you it is not the right time, maybe the right approach or the right thing for your business. Ask yourself what is it about this that doesn’t feel right? Your soul will tell you I promise. But you have to give it space to do so and you need to listen. Not every tool, tactic or trend will be right for your business. As a sole business owner, it needs to be right for you. So be aware and listen.

Your soul needs to feel love and attention so feed your soul with some goodness. You deserve it! You work so hard; you need to prioritize something that soothes the soul. What is that for you? A good movie? Great food with loved ones? Story time with your children? A bath with a glass of wine? A chat with a grandparent or dear friend? What fuels your soul? Do that!

It may not be obvious but each one of the key burnout factors can be resolved with some form of these tips that take care of your mind, body, and soul. Work on the mind and the rest will follow. You’ve got this!

All the best on your journey!