Life as an entrepreneur is busy. There are always a million things to do and if you’re not careful you end up working 24/7. I know, because I’ve done it. I’ve worked 15 hours a day, 7 days a week. Work-life balance? Non-existent! Taking care of yourself when you’re an entrepreneur is impossible. You have so much to do, no time to do it, and everything rests on you. The pressure is immense, the fear is intense, and it can be very difficult to know what self-care strategies will actually work. I let my relationship and friendships suffer, but most importantly I did not look after myself. Adrenal Fatigue, high blood pressure, and depression where the results. I knew something had to drastically change and I finally had to start looking after myself.

What does my life look like now? I work maximum 8 hours a day, my health has improved, my relationship is better than it has ever been, and most importantly, I take time for myself to do fun things that are not business-related.

Here my five top tips on how to reclaim your health and sanity as an entrepreneur…

Self-Care Strategies For Entrepreneurs

Eat Clean

This is a non-negotiable. If you just do one thing to improve your life, it’s making sure that you eat a healthy wholefood diet. No more frozen pizzas, takeaways or pack of crisps at your desk. Get those fresh vegetables, protein and fibre in you. Your body and mind can’t function without proper nourishment, meaning you can’t do your best work which won’t be good for your customers or you.

Set Clear Working Hours

I know we all chose this life to have the freedom to do whatever we want, but structure is your friend. Trust me. By setting up clear working hours, you not only give yourself some routine & free time, but also manage your clients’ expectations. (make sure to set an autoresponder communicating this to your clients). There will always be more things to do, but remember, if you’re burnt out you won’t be able to work at all.

Hydrate

It’s a no-brainer but you’d be surprised how often we forget to drink enough water. Dehydration results in decreased physical and mental capacity. I confess I’m still working on this one, but on the days I do manage to hydrate my productivity skyrockets. Put a big jug of water on your desk, set a timer every hour to remind you to drink at least one glass of water. See what it does to your productivity.

Move

You don’t have to run a marathon or become a contortionist. (It’s cool if that’s your thing) For the rest of us it’s enough to start moving in a way that we enjoy. A few sun salutations in the morning, a walk after lunch or a Zumba class will do to start with. It will get your creative juices flowing again.

Date Night/Social Nights

The life of an entrepreneur can be very lonely, especially that of an online entrepreneur. Yes, it means you can work from wherever you want, but it also means that actual human interactions can be rare. Isolation and being a workaholic means that your relationships suffer. Set up regular date nights with your partner and social nights out with your friends and leave the shop talk at home.

I know it can feel like your business will collapse if we don’t make our clients our number one priority. Believe me it won’t. Your business will actually improve because you’ll be more productive in the times that you are making them a priority.