3 Ways To Find The Time For Self-Care (Even When You Think You Don’t Have A Second To Spare)

by Giorgia Guazzarotti 

Whoever said you can work only two hours a week from the beach has obviously never started a business. When you’re your own boss, you gotta wear so many hats – you’re the CEO, the social media manager, the web designer, the accountant… There’s so much to do, you barely have time to have a bite to eat in the morning. A proper night’s sleep has become a luxury. And who remembers the last time you went for a run?

It’s overwhelming. Before you know, you’re operating on 4 hours of sleep, skipping meals and neglecting your friends. If you keep this up, you’re going to burn out. Deep down you know it – you need a break. A few precious moments for yourself to workout, eat a healthy meal and take a nap. But how can you when there’s still so much to do?

Here are three simple ways to find time for self-care even when you think you don’t even have a second to spare:

1. Make It A Priority

Did you skip exercise for the fifth time in a row this week because you had to schedule all your social media posts for the month? Did you stay up late last night to finish an important presentation you now have to deliver on no sleep and a huge cup of coffee? There’s so much to do, self-care always seems to do end up at the bottom of the list.

Make it number one. Now.

You ARE your business. If you don’t take good care of yourself, how can you take good care of your customers and clients? When you burn the candle at both ends, it’s only a matter of time before you miss a deadline, confuse clients’ names and order more inventory than you need. The little odd slip up is turning into a giant snowball that is threatening to ruin your business!

Self-care is smart business. Make it a priority.

2. Schedule It In Your Calendar

If it’s not in your calendar, it’s not gonna get done. You’re gonna forget, or put it off or find some excuse not to do it. If you’re serious about self-care, prove it. Decide what you’re gonna do to take better care of yourself – exercise, go out for lunch with a friend, get a Thai massage – and schedule it in your calendar. Treat it like a business meeting – you wouldn’t cancel that at the last minute, would you?

3. Say No

When you’re first starting a business, saying yes to every opportunity that comes your way makes sense – you never know which one will be your golden goose. But when you say yes to everything without considering how it affects you first leads to resentment and burnout. Next time someone asks you to do something, pause and think: how important is this really? Can you afford to prioritize it in your schedule or could you use that time to do something more important?

If a colleague wants to meet at a cafe the other side of town but you can’t afford to take two hours off your schedule to get there, say no. If you feel guilty, offer her an alternative. For example, could you jump on a video call? If someone is interested in your services but you have a feeling they’ll be a nightmare client, turn them down.

When you say no to the things that don’t matter to you, you’re freeing up so many space for those that do. Use some of that extra time to nurture and pamper yourself. You deserve it.

——————————————————————–

Giorgia Guazzarotti is a personal development writer and lifestyle entrepreneur. She’s on a mission to help women build an unshakable self-love, silence their inner mean girls and break through their fears so they can lead the epic lives they deserve.

Guest Post

She Owns It accepts guest post submissions at https://sheownsit.com/guest-post-submissions/. If you have an article that would be of value to our community, please submit for approval.

All posts will be screened, links checked (limited to 3 and must be relevant), and author must be verifiable through a website and social media accounts.