Finding the perfect work-life balance can be easier said than done. As a busy entrepreneur, I know how things get! 

With never-ending to-do lists, prioritizing work over wellness can become a habit that just seems to make the most sense. 

Don’t get me wrong though. Working for yourself can be so incredibly rewarding. With no “boss” but you, being in charge gives you the complete freedom to work whenever you want, and call all the shots. 

Running your own business comes with its own huge challenges, too, however. Entrepreneurship can become so consuming. Before you know it, you’ve completely forgotten what ‘taking a break’ even feels like. Sound familiar? 

Fortunately, there are several ways that we as entrepreneurs can practice self-care in our day to day routines.

Create “me time” in your daily routine.

The tendency for busy entrepreneurs is to try and squeeze as much into every single day as humanly possible. This works for a while. The reality though, is that this is a sure way to burn yourself out. 

So what can we do?

Oddly enough, the best way to actually boost overall productivity is to mindfully give yourself time every single day to simply unplug, unwind and set aside conscious “me time” into your everyday schedule.

Your self-care time can be as simple as meditation, journaling, or going for a quick walk outside. By giving yourself this time to decompress, it allows you to really quiet your mind and check-in with yourself.

Learn to say no.

Do you ever just wish you could put your foot down sometimes?

So many of us feel compelled to agree to every single request that comes our way, but the end result of always saying yes leaves us juggling a million jobs, with zero time for ourselves. 

Sound familiar? 

Don’t wait until your energy runs out completely before you take a much-needed step back to recognize that you are most likely burning yourself out!

Being unable to say no can make you exhausted, stressed and irritable. Plus, there is nothing worse than spending hours anxiously wondering how to best get out of an already-promised commitment.

Avoid the stress by learning to just say ‘no’ when you feel you need to.

Delegate

At the end of the day, you are only one person! And while you probably CAN get it all done… does it really make sense to!? 

You know yourself best, so why not take some time to really ask yourself where your strengths lie? Figure out which tasks you enjoy (or dislike!) the most, what you do best for your business, or where you feel that you could use a little extra help.

If there are menial tasks that are taking up too much of your valuable time, consider delegating these jobs to someone else!  Perhaps you might consider hiring a part-time VA to help with your day to day routine administrative tasks, or finding a freelance blog writer to help you stay on top of that growing webpage.

Cross all the little things off your to-do-list AND have more time to get bigger things done? Win-Win if you ask me!

Unplug

Avoid a mental burnout by consciously forcing yourself to simply disconnect from your cellphone and/or social media on a regular basis. 

Maybe this means turning your phone off by a certain time every evening, not checking e-mails over the weekends, or planning an awesome vacation getaway annually. 

As an entrepreneur, it’s so easy to just be “on” 24/7. But of course, we know that this is not healthy. 

In fact, not knowing when to “unplug” or worse… HOW to unplug, can really have a negative impact on your effectiveness, and even throw off your entire creative flow without realizing it. 

Take time to decompress and unplug frequently.  Your business and your mind will both thank you in the long run!

Practice mindfulness 

Mindfulness is a type of meditation that helps you really be in the moment. 

You can practice mindfulness by simply being very aware of your senses, and tuning in to how you are feeling in the moment.  The tricky part about practicing mindfulness is that this is done without interpretation or judgment.

Spending too much time planning, problem-solving, or over-thinking can be exhausting after a while, and lead to feeling stressed out or unhappy.

Practicing mindfulness exercises can help you direct your attention away from this kind of thinking and engage with the world around you. 

Two of my favorite ways to practice mindfulness in my day to day routine are:

• Focus on your breathing. When you start to feel pessimistic or negative thoughts, try to sit down, take a deep breath and close your eyes. Focus on your breath as it comes in and out of your body. Sitting and breathing for even just a minute can help.
• Body scan meditation: Lie on your back with your legs extended and arms at your sides, palms facing up. Focus your attention slowly and deliberately on each part of your body, in order, from head to toe. Be aware of any sensations, emotions, or thoughts associated with each part of your body