We all know that relaxation and peace of mind are essential to physical and mental well-being. As small business owners often working more than the average person employed outside the home, we know all too well the toll working long hours can take on the creative process and eventually, our bodies.
Of course, knowing this and paying attention to it are two different issues. The perpetual issue of how to create balance comes up time and time again for me as my business grows.
One self-care item that I will NEVER compromise on again is sleep. Sleep is free. Sleep is essential. There are numerous studies that show how lack of adequate sleep creeps into all areas of our lives and creates physical havoc down the road. Americans often wear their lack of sleep like badges of honor (see how hard I work at the expense of my own health?). Just like every small business owner, I experience insomnia or the occasional all-nighter. Once in a while, when I'm paying attention to a creative impulse, that's an energizing change of pace. However, when push comes to shove, I require a consistent diet of 7-8 hours a night or else...everything falls apart. And guess what, I am a thousand percent healthier than I was when I was not sleeping and working all the time. Even if your business is grossing millions of dollars a year, if you're not healthy, who cares?
Downtime is another self care item that is free. I believe unstructured, no expectations downtime where one wears one's PJs all day, away from all business tasks is essential now and then. Some need more of it than others. As an introvert (I have been a Myers Briggs INFJ all my life), I require a lot more than say an extrovert who likes to interact with others as a way of re-energizing. For me, it means not answering the phone after 9 or when the number of someone who irritates me appears on the caller ID. Sometimes it means cancelling all obligations for the day and reading a trashy novel with a cup of tea. I believe we all know what the right amount and style of downtime is for ourselves and must honor that no matter how tempted we are to keep working. Yes, we entrepreneurs are a driven, overachieving bunch and it's a constant battle to know when to stop working. We need to learn the signals each of our bodies give us that tell us, "You've had enough. Chill out."
Then there are the non-essential, non-free forms of self care. For some, it's a manicure or a massage, a meal at a favorite restaurant or a shopping trip. For others it's a vacation. For me, it's a special present I bought myself a few weeks ago - my little no-frills hot tub in the middle of the woods in my backyard. I worked, saved my pennies from my own labor, and bought myself a present with my earnings - all mine to share or not to share as I see fit. It means a lot to me because I earned it through my own work. When there's not a ton of earned cash in the coffers, a single piece of dark French chocolate, a bouquet of fresh spring flowers, or a back rub from my husband or child will do just as nicely, thank you.
Finding creative ways to treat and reward oneself is essential to business success. Not doing it will surely contribute to small business failure. It's not the price tag, it's the action that counts.
Big or small, frugal or pricey, there are a zillion and one ways to relax, reward, and replenish. How do YOU re-energize and renew?
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