8 Ways to Care for the Entrepreneur in You

 

8 Ways to Care for the Entrepreneur in You

 

It’s okay to take care of yourself

 

When we begin working a job no one has to tell us how to care for ourselves outside of work. Being able to separate our personal lives from the life we lead at work is pretty cut and dry. We automatically know to care for our nutritional, hygiene and physical needs before and after work.

 

It goes without saying then that when we begin working at home we would care for our needs, too … or do we?

 

Here are 8 ways you can care for the entrepreneur in you without interrupting your work at home schedule.

 

  • You must eat breakfast, lunch and dinner … or get fat

Your body is like a high performance race car. If you don’t put fuel in the tank that car has no way to even start let alone race. Keeping the tank full of fuel is vital to prevent a nasty crash.

Guilty as charged, I found this out first-hand and gained over 100 pounds in just 7 years. Save yourself the grief and burden of packing that fat around…eat breakfast, lunch and dinner regularly.

 

  • Take a break every 2 hours – even slaves got a pee break

There is a reason all jobs provide 10 minute breaks to their employees. First of all it increases productivity and gets the blood circulating, too. Taking time to drink a glass of water, maybe grab a light snack and use the bathroom will aid in your concentration and overall feeling of well-being.

Since you are an entrepreneur and in charge of your own schedule it is imperative that you don’t short yourself the same benefits of taking a break a few times throughout the day.

 

  • Set boundaries – the office is off limits to hubby, kids and grand-kids during work hours.

This is where work gets done and the mortgage payment comes from. This one was by far the hardest and today…I still battle family about what is work space, office hours and common courtesy when using the phone. However, if you are to build a successful business it is critical that everyone know what, where and when are off limits and why. (If they wouldn’t come to your job to ask a question, sit to visit or demand you do the dishes; why on Earth would YOU allow them to do such while you are working at home)

 

  • Shower daily – take time for your personal hygiene (should go without saying but trust me, it’s that important to mention)

When you are working at home it is very easy to fall into a routine the same as we do when we work a job. When I first opened my auto transport business my day started at 5 AM, when the first phone call came in. The days were long and grueling with hardly one minute to do any of the above tips suggested above. I allowed my business to run me instead of vice-versa. Why suggest remembering to shower daily?

(The curtain is being pulled back here, blush, and blush) I would get so wrapped up in making money, serving my customers that days ran into each other. One week I found that it had been two days since I’d even brushed my teeth, showered or even changed out of my pajamas. Now, I’m not proud of that story…but, it’s real and why I share with you to make sure YOU care for the entrepreneur in you.

 

  • Take your vitamins there is no time to get sick

Believe it or not you are going to be exhausted come the end of the day. It takes time to find your balance and set the schedule that feels right when you work at home – home, where you feel safe, secure and relax – or do you?

In order to remain healthy and on top of your game you need to take a good multi-vitamin. Without those vitamins there is no way I could have kept the hours I did in working at home those first few years. Without a doubt, those vitamins are what helped my body stay healthy and not cave to the abuse I was putting it through.

 

  • Drink plenty of water; you sit more than you move

Because you will be working on the balance and schedule that works for you, special attention needs to be paid to getting UP more often. Push back, stand up and walk to get a glass of water. DO NOT use one of those 64 ounce gigantic mugs…get an 8 ounce glass and walk to fill it up. This will force you to take short breaks more often and actually drink more water, too.

 

  • Stand up; stretch even while on phone this helps you stop yawning in customer’s ear

Even if you don’t walk around throughout the day, it’s important that you stand up, stretch from side to side, front to back, rolling your neck and shoulders…especially if you work at home on your computer like I do.

 

  • Schedule time for YOU

Finally, you work at home, yes. However, YOU work … that’s the point. It is no different than working for someone else at a job away from home 8 to 10 hours a day. What good are those hopes and dreams of working at home if you are chronically sick, gain so much weight that you feel awful or worse drop dead from being so unhealthy and stressed out? You might as well have stayed at that job you hated, because they made sure to care for the entrepreneur in you even when you didn’t!!!!

I hope these 8 ways to care for yourself opened your eyes to the reality many face when working at home. Take these tips seriously; they are real…from my personal experience. Save yourself the grief and take time to care for the entrepreneur in YOU!

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