Self-care as an entrepreneur: Your guide

As a freelancer or a small business owner, a lot falls to you to get the job done. It becomes a big part of who you are—putting in some late nights, pitching to new clients, and putting yourself into a position of success. Sometimes work takes the place of sleep and relaxation. If that happens or if you want to prevent that issue, then these suggestions for taking care of yourself are ones to note. When it comes to tips on self-care as an entrepreneur, abiding by them can take you far professionally.

The overworking mentality

When you search for freelancers and small business owners online, you can find countless photos of digital nomads making hundreds of thousands of dollars on a beach. While that scenario is possible, for most people the path is a ladder, and it takes a while to get there. That can feel like a lot of pressure.

To reach that dream scene, many entrepreneurs put in more hours than is healthy, and it takes its toll on the body and mind in the long term. It is impossible to produce your best work when you are tired and burning the wick at both ends.

There isn’t a secret button to press to transport yourself to sipping cocktails on the beach for a living. But there are a couple of things that you can do to support yourself when you are on the work hustle. When it comes to taking care of yourself, here are some things to keep in mind:

Self-care for the entrepreneur: Get a move on

Yes, move even when you feel tired. Moving your body for a while is great for you mentally, both emotionally, and spiritually. Even a 10-minute yoga session or a 30-minute walk is helpful. Many freelancers spend much of their time working on their computer at a desk so it’s good to get up and stretch now and then.

More often than not, the desk and chair combination is not ergonomic. This can lead to neck pain, stiffness in the shoulders, and even lower back pain too.

Try to fit the sessions of yoga with Andreine into your day; those ten minutes of stretching can help work out any kinks and tight shoulders. When the opportunity arises, try to go for a walk too.

Disconnect

Throw your phone in a drawer on silent for a while as part of your focus on self-care as an entrepreneur. Set your emails to “out of office,” even for an hour for a much-needed self-care break.

Enjoy the silence. Most people are so heavily connected to the internet that it can feel you don’t really get any peace.

If you imagine relaxing in a wooden cabin in the woods, you probably picture a book and a cup of hot cocoa – not your mobile phone. Phones and computers are associated with work for most people, and then they move to recreational usage too.

On your designated “not working” time, switch some (or all) of the notifications off on your phone. Mute the work chats, Slack app, plus anything else that will require your mental energy. You’re a busy entrepreneur but you need to allow downtime to refresh your mind.

Multivitamins

You can support your whole body by feeding it a range of vitamins. It is usually best to have a chat with your doctor about what you ought to be taking, and check to see if you have deficiencies first.

Consider adding vitamins C, B12, and D, as well as some CBD Gummies you can trust. If you want to delver further into what vitamins and other supplements can bring to your life, check out different nootropics too.

Here’s a final tip for self-care as an entrepreneur. Yes, you knew this one was coming:

Snooze

Even a 30-minute nap can give you a huge recharge. If you worry that you won’t be able to wake up after getting into nap mode, you can try some of the great naps on the Calm app. They are short, around 30 minutes, and wake you up gently to the sound of birds. Giving you a power-up any time.

Many people struggle to sleep because of anxiety, stress, and other things going on in the world. A night of deep sleep will give your body what it really needs to repair and rejuvenate itself.

The problem is when you try hard to sleep, what happens is your brain starts to track if you are sleeping. This action means your mind stays awake to monitor if it is sleeping. What?! Yes. Dr Steve Orma recommends that only going to bed when tired, staying off the smartphone close to bedtime, and not actively trying to sleep.

If you’re like a lot of people, you head to bed before you are truly tired. What this means is you look for things to occupy you, such as scrolling through TikTok and Instagram, or thinking about everything you need to do tomorrow. If you find your mind wandering then write down what you are thinking about, and deal with it tomorrow.

Conclusion on self-care tips for an entrepreneur

Sure, a bath, a facemask, and some fluffy socks feel great. But, more importantly, truly resting and unplugging yourself for a while is one of the best forms of self-care. It’s time to give yourself a real break.

Find more tips here to change your life for the better through self-care.