~by Haley Gray~
The hardest thing to do when you’re an entrepreneur is to take care of yourself. It’s true. If you’re anything like me, there are kids that need stuff, and they need to be driven somewhere. They also like to eat on a regular basis, have clean clothes to wear, and little things like that. You may or may not also have another job, a spouse, and lots of people and things pulling in different directions.
Add everything up, and it can be a serious challenge to get a shower every day, and actually take care of yourself. I know, I’ve been there, and that is my world every day. I have to trade off 15 more minutes of sleep versus putting on makeup most days of the week. The sleep usually wins out.
You have to take time where you can, and learn to say no to things that aren’t as important.
Sometimes you can make small changes that don’t take much time that allow you take better care of yourself. That means you’ll be able to do a better job and focus better on your business.
They can be tiny changes, like drinking water. Feel like keeping up with a water cup is a pain? Then buy bottled water, and drink that.
Schedule a few minutes a day when you can exercise. It doesn’t have to be a 2 hour production. You can do stretches by your desk when you take a break every hour. It will make you more productive.
Pack healthy snacks, so you won’t be tempted to eat junk food. That can be as simple as bringing an apple to work, or keeping some healthy nuts at work. Or, you can buy bagged veggies and eat those instead. Just make sure you have a healthy, nutritious food option conveniently near you.
My favorite way to get some me time is to take a hot bath, and shut the door. I can usually manage to keep the kids out of the bathroom, if I wait until after they’ve gone to bed.
Saying, “No” to things that aren’t as important to you is also crucial. For me, those things are going to be different than they are for you. In my house, I’m not the best cook, and I’ve been permanently banned from using the washing machine. (I managed to dye all the clothes in the house pink within the first month of our marriage. I have some serious talent!) I choose to farm out the things that don’t mean as much to me so that I can keep my sanity. As much as I’ve tried to come up with a way to get more hours in a day, I’m still bound by the space-time continuum.
In order to take care of your business, your family, and your life, you have to take care of yourself first. You have to make sure that your health is a focus, and a priority, so that you can do the things you want to do.
