Prioritizing Daily Self-Care Just Might Be the Key to Greater Impact in Business

If you want to create more impact as an entrepreneur, start with yourself. Self-care is a crucial component of your business’s success. As a productivity coach, I work with clients to help them overcome feelings of guilt and embarrassment when it comes to taking time off. If you view self-care as something that happens only when the workday is over, you’re missing out. 

Effectively managing your time and energy can mean the difference between being energized and being exhausted. Regular lunch breaks, coffee breaks, and vacations aside, there are ways to take care of yourself while in the office. Here are three key areas you’ll want to pay close attention to on a regular basis for self-care success.

Make mornings work for you. 

Do you tend to reach for your cell phone the moment you wake up? Give yourself time every morning without being connected to your smartphone. Doing so will allow you to warm up to the day and prepare for what’s ahead.  

To that end, try using an alarm clock or watch instead of your phone. Keep your phone outside of the bedroom or on the other side of the room so that you must get out of bed to retrieve it. Once you’re up, follow your existing self-care routine. That might be exercising, walking the dog, getting children ready, bathing, dressing, or having breakfast and your favorite hot beverage of choice.  

Now, this isn’t to say you can’t consult your phone during the morning. There may be times when it is necessary, but at least give yourself a reprieve from your phone when you wake from your nightly slumber.  

Protect your time at all costs. 

There are tasks in your business that only you can work on. You’ll need every bit of your full attention and concentration for this work. So, if you’ve been freely giving up your scheduled work time to others, be it staff or vendors, you’ll need to pull back. You can consider this a long-overdue calendar reset for yourself. 

Start right at the source: Schedule a few hours of non-negotiable work time for yourself directly into your digital calendar or paper planner. Ask your assistant not to schedule any events or meetings during this time. Remind key staff and employees as to when you’ll be unavailable throughout the week.  

The next step is to show up and work with purpose. Choose a handful of small tasks or a larger task to tackle during this time. Do whatever you need to stay focused. Temporarily silence your phone, log out of unnecessary apps, and remove physical clutter. When you dedicate time to work on what matters, the work will get done.  

Avoid working on more things.

Entrepreneurship can be exciting, but it can also be draining. That’s why it’s important to pace yourself at the end of the workday and practice self-care. Remember, this is about your long-term business success, not how fast you can burn out.  

Instead of jumping on to the next task at the end of your day, take a few moments to complete a thoughtful daily review of your work. Aim to finish up the bulk of your main work at least half an hour in advance. Turn your focus to the bigger picture. Given your daily goals, where does your work currently stand?  

For starters, you can try asking yourself these three questions:  

• Which tasks did I complete today?  
• What is the status of my remaining tasks? 
• Which tasks need to be rescheduled for tomorrow or the day after?  

Closing your day with this exercise might seem completely unnecessary. However, the proof is in the pudding. In time, you’ll begin to see how this exercise can set the next day’s work up for success. Not only will you gain a better understanding of your work, but you’ll have a clearer mind as you transition to your evening routine at home. 

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