Curated from Ruby.
Real self-care doesn’t look like any of the following:
- Avoidance. Self-care isn’t about procrastination or losing sight of responsibilities. It’s about temporarily prioritizing your responsibility to yourself, so you can return to your other responsibilities with renewed vigor.
- Over-indulgence. Consuming too much of anything—pizza, cupcakes, cocktails, reality television—can leave you feeling physically ill, as well as emotionally unfulfilled. Shame, guilt, and regret often follow. Don’t use self-care as a reason to punish yourself.
- Doing only what feels comfortable. It’s important to comfort yourself, but acts of real self-care go deeper. They also energize you, broaden your mind, and open your heart. They may challenge you on multiple levels; think visiting a museum or going on a hike rather than spending a weekend on the couch.
- A miracle cure. No one activity, product, or substance can magically and instantly revitalize you. You can’t buy self-care in a bottle or an app, and you can’t engage in it only once and expect to feel better. You need to practice it—with regularity and intention.
In fact, self-care isn’t about just taking an occasional bubble bath or quiet afternoon to yourself, but about fitting personal time into your everyday life. The most effective way to practice self-care is to make it a habit.
Find a few activities that refuel you and make time for them in your schedule, the same way you make time for grocery shopping, budgeting, or answering emails. After all, self-care is as important as any of those things.
What does business self-care look like?
Here are ways to practice self-care as a business owner:
1. Take breaks. Every hour or so, get up, stretch, and walk away from your workstation for a few minutes. Maybe grab a drink and/or snack while you’re at it. Why not take the opportunity right now? Go ahead—we’ll be here when you get back.
2. Delegate. When you’re the person in charge, being a good boss also means being your own good boss. You’re the only one who can look out for yourself. Ask for help when you need it. Be sure you’re giving yourself a manageable amount of work (and time to complete the work) and delegating the rest.
3. Exercise. A little exercise can be good for you but always check with your doctor.
4. Sleep. Far too many business owners just don’t get enough sleep. As unproductive as it seems (“What do you mean I have to spend eight hours lying down and doing nothing?”), sleeping is as important as eating or breathing. Do it right—try for 7–9 hours a night in a dark, quiet, cool environment.
5. Eat well. Speaking of eating, be mindful of what you put into your body. Opt for less processed foods and more fresh fruits and vegetables. Try different foods, as well—variety keeps your diet healthy and interesting. What’s most important is enjoying what you eat. Food is one of the greatest pleasures we have, so make the most of it!
6. Say “yes, and…” This is one of the core principles behind improvisational comedy—and a powerful tool for running your business and living your life. Saying “yes, and…” means accepting a premise and running with it. In the context of your business, it could mean saying “yes” to an employee’s idea and building on it, or perhaps saying “yes” to an unexpected customer request and figuring out how to make it work. Outside of work, it might mean following an artistic impulse by buying paint and a canvas, or letting your kids decide what’s for dinner for a week.
7. Give yourself a daily gift. Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don’t plan it. Don’t wait for it. Just let it happen. It could be a new shirt at the men’s store, a catnap in your office chair, or two cups of good, hot black coffee.
8. Give back. Caring for others is one of the most effective forms of self-care. So says Laurie Santos, a psychology professor at Yale University and host of The Happiness Lab, in a recent interview in The New York Times:
“We assume that self-care looks like a nice bubble bath—or even hedonistic pursuits, selfish pursuits. But the data suggests that the right way to treat ourselves would be to do nice things for other people. We actually get more out of being more open and more social and more other-oriented than spending money on ourselves. It’s a bigger increase to your happiness.”
9. Laugh. Laughter is seriously the best medicine. According to Mayo Clinic, laughing relieves stress, stimulates organ function, relieves pain, and even boosts immune response.
10. Express gratitude. In the constant hustle and grind of running a business, it’s easy to lose sight of all the reasons we have to feel happy. We’re fortunate to be busy, to be in business, to be alive. Practice self-care by thanking the people who make it happen, including yourself.
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Sabrina Espinal
Sabrina&Company Social Marketing
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There comes a time when the pressure is on. You have a few decisions to make but you’re afraid to act. There’s not a lot of time to figure out the next steps, and you’re stalling out because you’re suddenly unsure. You’re not sure you even can make the right decision, much less act on it. What do you do?
