Prioritize your health and wellbeing so you can enjoy more and be there for the people who need you.

Business owners are used to doing a lot but far too many don’t do enough to take care of themselves. Take a few moments to read why it’s so important to prioritize your well-being.

Why self-care is important for business owners

You’ve heard this before and it’s just as true today as the first time you heard it: Without health everything else means nothing.

Overlooking your mental, physical and emotional well-being puts you at risk. For burnout. For injury. For disease.

Sub-par health and wellbeing also mean you can’t maximize the enjoyment of being with the people you cherish and experiencing things you work so hard for.

You set an example

As the boss, failing to take care of yourself not only diminishes your well-being, it also affects your employees. We recently spoke to the owner of a massage therapy practice who had an “a-ha” moment. She realized that her habit of overworking was making her employees feel like they had to overwork too. She pulled back, started taking a lunch break and limited her hours to create more balance in her life.

Setting boundaries on work and making time for self-care helps you achieve your wellness goals and sets a good example for your employees.

Plan for self-care

A common perception many business owners have is that they don’t have enough time for self-care. To counter this, start scheduling time for yourself. Start with daily activities. Block out time for meals and exercise. Allow yourself enough time to get a good night’s rest.

Throughout the day, give your body and eyes a break. Get up from your desk and move. Stretch. Shift your gaze away from the digital screens and focus on something in the distance.

Another way to enhance well-being is to develop and nurture relationships with people outside of work. Aim to connect with others at least once a week. Schedule coffee or dinner with your old college roommate. Reconnect with people you miss. Plan a pizza-and-games night with your kids or friends.

Schedule things further out too—like long weekends, vacations and staycations. When you have a plan for time off you get the added enjoyment of being able to look forward to your break from work

Self-care includes caring for your future self

A contributing factor to many business owners’ stress is concern about their long-term finances, including retirement. Having a plan can help you overcome worries about how you’ll support your future self. One way to prepare is by investing in a traditional or Roth IRA Account.  If you have employees, an employer retirement plan can provide them and you with a path toward financial health even after you’re done working.

The more you take care of you, the more you can be there for the people who need you.

 

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