Managing your wellness as a mumpreneur.
Expectations and demands are inevitable pressures felt by every entrepreneur. Building a successful company and leading a team of people is a challenge for any business owner, without adding being a wife and mother to the equation. That feeling of barely treading water, spinning too many plates, juggling too many balls, with the constant threat of becoming overwhelmed, can quickly take its toll on a mumpreneur’s wellbeing.
Yes, you’re ambitious and passionate about your career. Yes, you’re invested in your family’s wellbeing. But it’s not impossible to make time for your own wellbeing too. With a little creativity you can manage it all, and both your family and business will reap the benefits.
The million-dollar question is: just how do you do it all? You love work and you’re determined to create the business you have dreamed of; you have a husband you love and are committed to, children to nurture and a home to run. So many responsibilities. So many goals. So little time. Especially for you.
The answer is to learn from the experience of others. There are so many women out there who have achieved their ambitions, and the best thing is that they are keen to share their experiences. Of course, there is no instant solution, no magic spell that can be cast to fix everything, and certainly not all at once. But there are certain strategies that lots of successful mumpreneurs have in common, and trying some of these things out could result in finding that perfect balance that works for you.
Choosing your hours
There are 24 hours in every day, and it’s up to you how you use them. This is where you can get creative and break free from society’s insistence of a regular 9–5 day at work. Oh, the wonders of being your own boss! As a mother, you need time for your children when they are awake, and as a wife, time for your husband when he is free too. Once you’ve established these times of day, you can get creative with how to plan around them.
Many mumpreneurs highlight the value of the quiet time before everyone gets up in the morning. Getting up at five am could give you a precious hour of peace to catch up on emails, or to go for a jog and feel energised for the day ahead. Let’s be honest, just a quiet coffee with a magazine might be bliss and focus your mind for a far more productive day. Every second of every day may be filled, but you have the pleasure of deciding what with and eliminating wasted time. Choose your hours and create a routine that works for you, your family and your business.
The power of a planner
The benefits to be had from being organised and writing everything down must never be underestimated. It may seem time-consuming, but the investment of planning pays dividends. Everyone has a calendar to schedule events, but it is the small daily goals and to-do lists that help mumprenuers to really stay on top of things. Jotting down achievable tasks to complete the next day relieves the stress of trying to remember everything, and it’s incredibly satisfying to tick tasks off as they get done. There will be times you’ll need to be flexible, but great organisation will give you the confidence to take the unexpected in your stride. Each little step taken to fulfilling your greater ambitions will boost your self-esteem, maintaining that all-important sense of wellbeing.
Time for family: It can be easy to convince yourself that the work you do is all for your family, only to have your husband or children resenting your business for being all-consuming. Luckily, being aware of this danger is the best way to prevent any cracks before they appear. Routine is the easiest way to go here – try to find a time of day when everyone is most likely to be in the same place and make it a time to spend together every day. Meals are often perfect for this – everyone has to eat, and conversation flows naturally about how everybody’s day went. Devices all away from the table, and everyone in the present. Again, think out of the box. Maybe dinnertime is impossible, but could breakfast be a meal spent together instead? If it’s part of everyone’s daily routine, then it will become a natural part of your family’s life. For bigger events, use your planner to schedule quality days together and make sure they happen – just like you would a business meeting. Go for a bike ride, spend the day at the beach, kick a football around in your local park. Make time for events that everyone can look forward to and enjoy making memories together. Spending time with the people we love is imperative for our mental health, and it’s up to you to make sure that work does not affect your relationships.
Healthy choices: Self-care is important for you to perform at your best. Fact. But it’s one thing knowing we should be good to our bodies, and quite another to actively make the right choices. Once again, the power of a planner and establishing a good routine is the best way to move forward with taking care of yourself. Schedule exercise, put it on your daily to-do list, and do it! Going to a gym may be far too time-consuming, but taking a jog where you live or completing a 30-minute YouTube exercise routine isn’t impossible to squeeze in. Plan meals for an entire week and put the menu on the fridge – healthy food and one less thing to plan each day. Less stress and a great vitamin intake will improve your memory, concentration and performance.
Daring to delegate: It is a strong person who is brave enough to raise their hand and ask for help when they need it. If things are getting too much to juggle, use your home support network or hire help. Would childcare or a cleaner make your life that bit easier? Could a trusted assistant take on some of the more mundane jobs that are eating into your time? Things could well become impossible to handle all by yourself, and having the courage to let go is admirable. Your mind and body will thank you for it and the time you spend with family or your business will ultimately be of a far superior quality. It’s win–win.
So, it’s easy to be a mumpreneur after all? Just follow all this good advice and life becomes plain sailing? Well, not quite, and you may be rolling your eyes as you read this article at how simple everything sounds on paper. But every great journey does begin with the first step, and there’s no harm in trying things a little differently. Making one small change at a time and testing how it affects your day could bring better results and set the foundations for real harmony in your life.
Some days you’ll fail to reach your goals, and it’s so easy to be too ambitious, but if you accept that this will happen and don’t dwell when it does, then you’ll find yourself that bit closer to discovering what nurtures your wellbeing. One thing is certain: it is vital to learn and adapt, staying ahead of the game whenever you can and reducing the stress and chaos wherever possible. The best part? As a mumpreneur, how you choose to do this is up to you. Your family. Your business. Your rules.
Caroline Naguib, managing director at Infomatrix PR, Etut, and JFC
