The Importance Of Self Care For Entrepreneurs
In our fast-paced, always-on world, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed, and as an entrepreneur, it’s easy to let stress take root in your daily life. After all, building your own business from scratch requires hard work, long hours, and countless sacrifices. Some entrepreneurs might make it look easy, but it can feel overwhelming to strike the right balance between sleep, family time, social life, and business success.
The entrepreneurial hustle is real, but self-care can help you prioritize your mental health without sacrificing success. Here are some effective self-care practices to help you manage your mental wellness, regain strength, and find a better balance.
Rethink your work-life balance.
Finding the right work-life balance can feel like a delicate tightrope walk, but burnout will only make it harder to run your business. You might lie awake at night thinking about how to boost your business or put your emotional needs on hold to deal with clients, but you don’t have to hustle 24/7/365.
In the long run, burnout can lead to severe physical and mental health problems, from chronic disease to mental health conditions, including anxiety disorders, substance abuse, traumatic stress, and other serious issues. If you’re on the road to burnout, self-care can help you build resilience, giving your mind and body the strength to cope with challenging situations.
Don’t sacrifice your self-care practices.
It might be tempting to skip journaling, counseling, working out, or even eating breakfast if you have an appointment-filled day ahead. It’s also easy to keep working past 5 PM because you’re determined to finish a project. Instead of sacrificing your daily routine, make sure you have enough time to practice self-care interventions each day.
Creating a self-care plan can give you a sense of control, especially during times of stress. Even if your self-care routine is as simple as stepping outside, eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, or calling family members for emotional support, make time for it. At a minimum, your self-care plan should combine mental and physical self-care to take the best care of your body and mind.
Make mindfulness part of your daily routine.
Sometimes, it’s easy to get so caught up between video sessions, phone calls, and appointments that you don’t get a chance to clear your mind. Meditation and mindfulness practices, whether through yoga, spiritual self-care, or journaling, can help you reprogram your body from stressful fight-or-flight mode to peaceful alignment.
Depending on your preferences, you might practice gratitude by journaling what you’re grateful for and what you’ve accomplished. Journaling can also provide critical insights into your thoughts and behaviors, helping you identify potential areas for improvement.
If you’re dealing with impostor syndrome, positive affirmations can make all the difference in your self-care journey. If you only have a few minutes to calm your mind and unwind, try practicing deep breathing or progressive muscle relaxation with a guided app.
Remember that you don’t have to do it alone.
Entrepreneurship can be isolating. If you’re facing specific challenges at work, it’s tempting to withdraw from your close friends and family because you think they won’t understand. If you’re dealing with a mental illness, symptoms can feel like significant disruptions to your workflow, leaving you scrambling to catch up.
Fortunately, there’s good news: You don’t have to do it alone. Whether you’re living with a mental health condition or trying to improve your mental wellness, working with a licensed therapist can make all the difference in your quality of life.
Even if you’re dealing with a chaotic schedule, it’s still possible to reap the benefits of counseling. With online therapy, you can schedule therapy sessions via video chat or phone call to access mental health treatment from the comfort of your own home. Many psychologists, therapists, counselors, psychiatrists, and social workers also offer early morning and evening appointments, so you won’t have to sacrifice your work schedule to commute to the therapist’s office.
Find compassionate online therapy services in New York City.
To make a positive change in your mental health, it’s worth finding an experienced therapist you feel comfortable with. Your therapeutic relationship—the relationship between you and your mental health provider—can have long-lasting effects on your mental health even after counseling ends.
To find the right fit, search for a therapist through the Therapy Group of NYC. Reaching out for professional help can feel intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Even if you’re a pro at managing the other areas of your life, one of our compassionate, licensed therapists can help you master the practice of self-care, find the right treatment plan, and become the best version of yourself.