Running a small business over the last year, with COVID-19 thrown into the mix, has caused significant stress for many business owners. In a recent survey by MYOB of over 1000 SME owners, 46 per cent of respondents stated that running a business has promoted feelings of depression and anxiety and a quarter of these identified mental health as a serious concern.
Practicing regular self-care is shown to reduce stress and anxiety levels, assist in combating burnout, boost resilience which in turn can help you to be more effective, both at work and in your personal life.
So, how do small-business owners take self-care from something that we ‘should’ be doing, to something that happens on a regular basis without any guilt attached to taking time out?
When it comes to self-care, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. It’s something that needs to be tailored to your needs and lifestyle. Here are four ways however that you, as a small-business owner, can start to introduce self-care into your daily routine.
Go outdoors
Aim to get outside at least three times per day. Before work, during lunch and after you clock off. This doesn’t need to be anything spectacular, it could be as simple as drinking your morning coffee outdoors, having lunch in the sun or walking around the backyard barefoot, grounding yourself. This does wonders for your perspective, the fresh air helps to clear your mind and open those airways. Feeling too busy? Take a phone call outdoors at the very least.
Breathe
As silly as it sounds, we often forget to breathe. Our breath has the power to completely shift our daily wellbeing. Many smartwatches have breathing apps on them these days, however, simply four rounds of deep, belly breathing every so often will support anxiety and lower your heart rate.
Set work boundaries
Separate work and home life. For those working from home or bringing work from home, (which is most business owners, even if they do have an office), separating your work space from your personal space is highly beneficial as it allows you to tune out from work mode.
And clock on and off – avoid allowing the day to just merge into your personal time. This is particularly important for those working from home. Use a smartwatch to set reminders to move each hour – walk around the block to start and end work. Respect the work hours just as you would as an employee, working for someone else.
Utilise your calendar
Schedule time for self-care. Use your scheduling tools to prioritise self-care just as you could a client meeting or an appointment for family members.
There’s no doubt, prioritising self-care in the new year will have positive benefits for you personally but will also allow you to be more productive, resilient and receptive to the needs of your business. Use this fresh start to create new habits, small yet effective habits that promote feelings of success to start the year off on the right foot.
