At Crystal Clear Bookkeeping, we understand how crazy life can get. How balance can sometimes feel out of reach. We are here to help by giving you a resource for your bookkeeping and office related needs. In addition to delegating tasks, there are a variety of things you can do for YOU each day to make your business more productive. Below is an article by Angela Greenspan on 5 Ways Self Care Can Improve Your Business Success. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
5 Ways Self-Care Can Improve Your Business Success
Working on growing your business is invigorating. However, it’s important to find a balance to recharge your body and mind. Staying focused requires a lot of energy. You will not be successful if you are all work and no play.
I work with many entrepreneurs who are stressed out and struggling to manage work-life balance. Many are struggling to keep up the pace and achieve their business goals. Small business owners are working tirelessly to grow their business and contribute to their family and community. It is easier to break promises to yourself rather than letting down other people. In order to maintain a high level of productivity, you need to plan “me” time.
Finding ways to take care of yourself, while still getting results, can lead to a better quality of life. It is essential to create a lifestyle where you prioritize self-care. If you are regularly dismissing the importance of sleep, nutrition and exercise, you need to work on taking steps to give yourself the care you need.
Here are five steps you can take now to improve self-care that will help you focus more on your business.
#1: Develop a morning routine. There is never enough time in the day, so developing a morning routine will help you do things you always want to but never get around to because you are too busy. Creating a morning routine is an excellent strategy for making time for yourself. It will improve your overall productivity.
I work from home like many entrepreneurs. Mornings can be chaotic with managing children and deadlines. If you find your mornings are not starting out on the right foot and are a cause of stress, creating a routine is a great place to begin to initiate change. I learned that if I wanted to have a peaceful morning, I had to get up earlier. I don’t like getting up early, but I also don’t want to start the day stressed and rushing to get the kids ready for school.
To get started in developing my morning routine, I read the book “The Miracle Morning” by Hal Elrod. It gave me a ton of great ideas. I created a routine that works for me. This allowed me to take control of my day and do some of the things I enjoy, such as reading something motivational, meditating, yoga or riding my bike. I plan to get up about an hour earlier than I need to to wake up the kids, so that I am relaxed and energized before the day begins.
#2: Take control of your schedule. Rather than letting your clients run you through hoops, develop a schedule for yourself for client work and stick to it. In order to control your calendar, you should try not to overload yourself the first few hours of the day. I tackle the most important projects during the first few hours of the day when my brain is at peak production. Later in the day – when fatigue sets in – it is difficult to focus on more challenging work.
Checking email all day is also a huge distraction and waste of your time. Try building a habit to check email and return calls a few set times during the day. I check in the morning, then around lunchtime and again before the end of the day. Setting up blocks of time for these routine tasks allows me to focus on client work and not get distracted every time an email hits my inbox.
#3: Exercise every day. If you want to make better decisions at work, be able to manage your work more effectively and plan more strategically, then you need to exercise more. Making excuses is easy. I know you are already stressed for time, and trying to fit in time for exercise feels impossible. But, it is a proven fact that physical activity boosts your mood and self-esteem.
Working out improves your brain function, which enhances your ability to focus. Even a small amount of exercise can produce significant benefits. Take a 10-minute break for a walk, stretch or meditate in the afternoon when you start to feel fatigued. You will get a good boost of energy and restore yourself to finish the day strong.
#4: Strengthen your relationships. Building healthy relationships creates a community inside and outside the office. It’s important to have people to vent to, get support from and celebrate your successes. Having a strong support network is crucial for your emotional health. Find ways to connect with your team during work and outside of work. It will help morale, and when you are working long hours, it’s nice to find humor in your day. Sometimes, when you are stressed, you have to laugh. A bonus is that laughing impacts your health positively!
#5: You do you. There is no magic formula. You find things you enjoy doing to take a break from the stress of work and enjoy life. By doing so, you will have more energy and excitement in your work. When you focus on activities you enjoy, you will be much more likely to make time for them. Develop routines that work wellness into your day, have fun, exercise (even at work), laugh, meditate, spend time with friends, and listen to things that ignite and inspire you. You will be surprised at how much more you can accomplish each day when you take care of yourself.
Self-care is an essential part of being a successful entrepreneur. If you are struggling to find time to make it a priority, take some time to determine where you might be out of balance. I encourage you to put one or more of these ideas to action to reap the benefits from self-care and achieve more in your business. March 4, 2019 Courtesy of ttps://www.firmofthefuture.com/content/5-ways-self-care-can-improve-your-business-success/?CID=DR_EM_40997_001_CO-US_ASG
