The Power of Self-care in Business

In the fast-paced world we live in it’s tap into the power of self-care when running a business. The concept of constant hustle has gained popularity, with many people have been led to believe that it’s the only way to be successful. However, this mentality can have devastating effects on your quality of life and your business. That’s why I’m anti-hustle because it is not sustainable. And I refuse to let others define what success means for me.

Over the years I’ve been on my entrepreneurial journey, I’ve seen too many people take pride in being busy, almost competing to see who can be the busiest. However, being busy doesn’t necessarily mean you’re productive. In fact, it often leads to neglecting self-care. The truth is, you can’t maintain that relentless pace forever. So, let me share a personal story to illustrate the importance of self-care in business.

Imagine a business owner who poured her heart and soul into her business. She worked tirelessly, sacrificing her personal well-being, time with her family, neglecting self-care, and trading hours for dollars. She downloaded way too many ebooks, invested in a ton of DIY courses and webinars, and joined multiple Facebook groups. But as she continued down this parabbit hole hoping to succeed, the love she had for her business started fading. It consumed her life, affected her happiness, strained her relationships, and eventually led to burnout.

Then she came to a crossroad, she had to decide whether to close down her business or make a shift. She chose the latter, seeking guidance from mentors and investing in private coaching. This process helped her redefine her mission, vision, and reconnect with her purpose. With a renewed sense of direction, she rebuilt her business on her own terms, unapologetically and made the progress she desired while spending quality time with her family when it mattered most.

This story is mine, and that part of my journey taught me the importance of self-care in achieving personal and professional goals and that I need to define what success means to me. However, self-care in business is more than just indulging in bubble baths and spa days. It’s about nurturing your spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Just as we invest in relationships to grow our business, we must prioritize our relationship with ourselves. Self-care directly impacts productivity, creativity, and overall business performance.

Contrary to popular belief, sacrificing your well-being is not a prerequisite for success. In fact, research shows that self-care enhances productivity, boosts creativity, and sharpens decision-making abilities. When we prioritize self-care, we become a force to be reckoned with.

So, let’s explore practical steps you can take to cultivate better self-care habits.

Be Intentional with Your Time

Improving your time management skills is crucial for you to be able to tap into the power of self-care. Start by identifying time-wasters and inefficiencies in your daily routines and your business operations. Are there tasks that can be done more efficiently or eliminated altogether? By streamlining your workflow, you’ll have more time for self-care activities.

Effective time management techniques like time-blocking can help you boost productivity. Time-blocking involves breaking your day into dedicated blocks for specific tasks. This method helps you prioritize and focus on essential activities while avoiding overwhelm. Implementing time-blocking strategies will allow you to do less while achieving more.

If you want to know how to time block your schedule check out this blog post for my step-by-step process. And in this blog post I show you how to use your calendar to take control of your time.

Prioritize Breaks and Downtime

While powering through the day may seem like the path to success, it hampers productivity and increases the risk of burnout. Taking breaks and downtime are essential aspects of self-care. Incorporate short movement breaks throughout your workday to increase blood flow, energy levels, and overall well-being. Set reminders or alarms to prompt you to get up, stretch, or perform simple exercises.

Scheduling dedicated downtime is equally important. Allow yourself guilt-free time to relax and fully disconnect from work. Plan activities that bring you joy and help you recharge, whether it’s reading a book, going for a walk in nature, or spending quality time with loved ones. Remember, self-care is not selfish; it’s necessary for long-term success.

The key to successfully incorporating breaks and downtime into your routine lies in the creation of healthy boundaries and cultivating self-care habits. It’s common to feel guilty when you first start taking breaks and especially when you start taking downtime. The mean girl inside tells us that we should be doing something more productive. To counteract this self-sabotaging mindset, create and stick to a weekly plan that includes unscheduled downtime and decide what activities bring you joy and help you relax and enjoy them. Remember, it’s crucial to disconnect from work to be fully present in your personal life.

So, how do we make this happen? How do we make room for self-care when you have a lot on your plate? The answer lies in organizing your business and creating efficient systems that can open up more space for self-care.

Create Efficient Systems for Enhanced Self-Care

Efficiency is the key to maintaining a healthy work-life balance and incorporating self-care consistently. Start by organizing and decluttering your physical and digital spaces. A clutter-free environment promotes focus and reduces stress. Implement systems and processes, such as creating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), to streamline repetitive tasks and delegate effectively.

Set boundaries to protect your time and energy. Clearly define your working hours and communicate them to clients, employees, and collaborators. Establishing boundaries helps prevent burnout and ensures you have dedicated time for self-care activities.

When you have clear systems in place for managing tasks, deadlines, and communications, you become more efficient and are more productive. You spend less time searching for what you need to complete a task, you reduce mistakes and you can accomplish your business goals quicker and more effectively, which frees up valuable time for you to implement some of the self-care activities we talked about.

As a fractional operations manager, my mission is to help you identify areas where you can save time and increase efficiency. Here are some examples of how I have helped my clients streamline their business operations which opened up more time for self-care:

Getting Organized and Creating SOPs: Jodi was experiencing overwhelm and lack of control in her business due to a lack of support and organizational systems. Jodi struggled with the organizational aspect of her business, and her disorganized Google Drive and growing workload were preventing her from growing her business effectively.

After organizing her Google Drive, creating a clear folder structure, and establishing a system for version control. Jodi was able to delegate many of her administrative tasks to a virtual assistant, freeing up her time to focus on growing her business and practice more self-care. Jodi felt more in control and less overwhelmed, and her business continued to grow. Click here to see what Jodi had to say about her journey.

Practice Mindfulness and Mindset Work

Self-care extends beyond physical actions; it also involves nurturing your mental and emotional well-being. Cultivate mindfulness practices, such as meditation or journaling, to bring awareness to your thoughts, feelings, and intentions. Regular mindfulness practice can reduce stress, increase focus, and improve decision-making.

Additionally, mindset work plays a crucial role in self-care and achieving success on your own terms. Challenge limiting beliefs, embrace a growth mindset, and cultivate self-compassion. Celebrate your wins, no matter how small, and practice gratitude to shift your perspective and attract more positive experiences.

By prioritizing self-care and implementing these practical steps, you’ll create a solid foundation for sustainable success in your business. Remember, success is not only measured by financial achievements or societal standards. It’s about finding fulfillment, aligning with your values, and taking care of yourself along the way.

Make a commitment to prioritize self-care and define success on your own terms. Embrace the power of self-care and unlock your full potential to take the world by storm.

How Can You Start This Process?

I know you’re probably wondering where you should start this process since this may not be your area of expertise. I have some fantastic news if you are ready to put these tips and strategies into action.

Inside The MY-T Society Membership is a free five-day challenge called Beach to Business: 5 Day Challenge to Skyrocket Your Fall Growth.

This challenge is designed to help you use the summer slowdown to your advantage in planning and preparing for fall growth. Each day of the challenge contains actionable strategies, tips, and resources to help you implement some of the things we discussed today. And as a bonus, inside the MY-T Society membership, you’ll find even more resources to support your business operations.

Now is the perfect time to seize the opportunity of the summer slow down and transform your business operations in just 30 minutes a week, setting yourself up for a successful and prosperous fall.

So, are you ready to dive into the Beach to Business Challenge? Join by visiting theshannonbaker.com/membership.

Remember, taking great care of yourself will only lead to greater achievements in your professional life. I want to remind you that just reading this blog post is not going to improve your business operations or help you invest in yourself more. So I want you to pick one thing you will take action on today and do it.

I would love to hear which point you’re going to use first! Connect with me on Instagram @the_shannonbaker and share it with me in the DMs. I can’t wait to hear from you!

If you would like to hear the expanded version check out the podcast episode below.

4:44 – The myth that regular self-care is a luxury

6:30 – How to be more intentional with your time

9:01 – Why taking breaks is not an indulgence

13:51 – The key to incorporating downtime into your routine

15:52 – How to streamline your business operations

Links mentioned in this episode:

Episode 117 – How to Calm the Chaos In Your Back Office with Jodi Silverman

Episode 132: Productivity Tips for Busy Consultants to Create an Intentional Lifestyle

Episode 133: Top Tips to Master Work-Life Integration with Digital Calendars

Check out the MY-T Society Membership

Let’s connect online