Well-being as an entrepreneur: 5 ways to maintain your mental health when running your own business.
Hello, I’m Liz and five years ago I experienced what can only be described as a pretty spectacular burnout! I spent nearly a year recovering, and when I got better, I vowed never to let history repeat itself.
But for that to happen, things had to change. And so in 2013, after an inspiring yoga retreat holiday, having spent much of the last 10 years supporting organisations and individuals to implement change, I decided it was time I took my own advice and finally took the plunge to lead the life I believed was out there to enjoy!
The Decision To Quit
Unbelievably, the very ordinary girl with the sensible well-paid job decided to quit! I packed my life in my car and drove to southwest France on the start of quite an adventure involving Iceland, California, Santorini and a new home in Fuerteventura managing a beach yoga retreat!
Since then, most of the opportunities and experiences I have created in my life have been focused on improving my quality of lifestyle, health and well-being, alongside doing fulfilling, creative work. Then at the start of 2017, I finally decided to make the leap to set up my own business and created Answers On A Postcard to support start-ups, entrepreneurs and life’s adventure seekers to strive for better lives, better business and better balance.
At Last, My Own Boss
YES – I was finally my own boss! Working from home in my PJ’s, here I come!
The reality of running your own business is of course very different! Suddenly being the manager, marketing manager, book-keeper, admin assistant and social media guru of your own company can be EXHAUSTING and all-consuming.
In those early days I quickly found myself feeling overwhelmed by everything stacking up on the to-do list and all the self-care strategies that I’d spent years working on, flew out of the window overnight.
And I know I’m not the only one! I’ve been working with a number of clients recently who have launched (or want to launch) their start-up to redress their work/life balance, but end up working more than ever and start risking burnout!
Learning The Hard Way
Having learned the hard way in the past, I quickly had to go back to basics (and would encourage you to do the same) to remind myself why I started on this journey….to follow my passions, to improve my quality of life, maybe to make the world a little bit better in my own little way. I also focused on identifying ways to avoid the overwhelm and maintain my well-being as an entrepreneur, which I share in my workshops and I wanted to share these with you too! Here are 5 ways to maintain your mental health when running your own business:
Build A Value-Led Personal Brand That Is Authentically And Unapologetically You And Stick To It!
In 2018, most of us online have a personal brand, kind of whether we like it or not! It’s your reputation, what you’re known for and it’s how you can promote your USP’s if wanting to build or grow your business.
Your brand represents your values and what you want to change in the world. It is your personality as a business and your promise to your customers.
So you need to tell YOUR story (it’s stressful trying to be someone you’re not) and be proud of it! An easy way to start working on yours, can be to think about the 2 words that best describe you or why not complete my simple personal branding worksheet.
In defining your brand, it suddenly becomes easier to say no, by helping you to make decisions more clearly, avoid taking on work that isn’t your true passion and manage your workload better, all in all supporting your well-being. Sounds good right?
Self Care Is EVERYTHING!
I cannot emphasise this more strongly. Your well-being as an entrepreneur needs to be number 1 on the top of the to-do list every day!
And as an entrepreneur, one of the best ways to do this, can be to look at how you structure your day and make the most of the flexibility of being the boss. Think about your morning routine and how you can ‘fill up your cup’ early on, even if it means sitting down at the laptop a little later.
For me that means waking up without an alarm after a good night’s sleep, heading outside and getting active, before taking the time to make a decent breakfast, which I enjoy whilst reading my book or catching up on the news. Lots of the good stuff is ticked off early in the day, which realistically if I waited until after work, I’d be too knackered and decide not to bother with, which is not conducive to good well-being. Yoga and mindfulness can also be hugely beneficial, but you probably know that already.
Then get unsocial with social (and emails!). Try, if possible, to spend at least the first hour of the day, working on a task that is going to make a difference to your business, e.g. developing a new product or analysing your numbers, and NOT answering emails/checking social media. Yes, it’s good customer service to reply promptly, but an hour is not going to make a difference (you might have been in a meeting) and you will feel much less overwhelmed and fulfilled as those big jobs steadily get ticked off the list.
Let The Right People Help You
Running a business is tough, but it’s doubly tough if you don’t have the right team around you.…and yes, that’s even the case if you’re a solopreneur working from your kitchen table.
As much as your family and friends will be encouraging and want the best for you, they are not necessarily the right people to support you in running your business. The lack the right skills, knowledge, experience and objectivity to give you the advice you need, which can result in you feeling misunderstood and frustrated…not good for anyone’s well-being!
I strongly recommend having a mentor of sorts, even if it’s informally. This might be a business coach, a more experienced entrepreneur in your field, a Mastermind group, an enterprise start-up/development scheme, a therapist or whatever works best for you. These individuals and services are there to support you strategically as a sounding board, a critical friend, a senior ‘colleague’, a cheerleader and an accountability partner.
They can also help you build a network of like-minded people, which can be a huge source of support; and identify what tasks on your list you might be best delegating to someone else! Even if budgets are tight in the beginning, identifying the practical tasks that can be done quickly and effectively by an expert, will more than pay itself back in the time you can dedicate to business growth. Which leads nicely to…
Dedicate Time To Work On Your Business And Not Just Doing Business
In the early days of running a business, understandably it’s all hands-on deck getting clients and paying the bills, but it is also important to set time aside to work ON your business.
It can be overwhelming to think about building a brand, writing a marketing strategy and doing customer research & profiling, but these are the business development tools that are going to provide a framework for growth in the long run and ultimately make life easier going forward.
Yes.…having these on your to-do list can feel like increased pressure and more goals to tick off the list, but here I like to use SAFE goals (rather than SMART) which are specific, attainable, flexible & forgiving, and enjoyable.
So rather than setting yourself the deadline of writing your brand guidelines by the end of the month, when life may well end up getting in the way and you’ll feel like you failed; why not pledge to spend 2-3 hours a week in your favourite coffee shop as dedicated time to develop your branding. Less pressure, more flexibility, same outcome. Win, win.
Done Is Better Than Perfect!
Ever told yourself that you’ll launch your website when you’ve written 5 blog articles; that you’re not quite ready to launch your new product because you need to perfect it; or you want to launch a new event, but are worried no-one will come…? Yep, me too and it’s exhausting.
Here’s the thing though…not everything is going to work out & not all your product launches are going to be winners, but these things are definitely not going to work if you don’t give them a try! So sometimes you’ve just got to get on with it!
Start Before You Are Ready
Businesses and brands evolve because change is only natural. You cannot plan for every eventuality and it’s exhausting trying so START BEFORE YOU ARE READY! Dedicate time to work on what your brand stands for, get in your customer’s mind and go with your gut instinct. Yes, it feels slightly uncomfortable, but challenging your comfort zone, trusting your intuition and seeing results is amazing for building your self confidence and resilience as a business owner!
I’m not going to lie, running a business is tough and some days are undoubtedly sent to try us, but hopefully these tips can help you feel a bit more in control and that you’re not alone in feeling a little overwhelmed at times!
Reward yourself for your successes, however small, and be kind to yourself when things don’t go to plan. Enjoy it!
And most importantly, if a bad day turns into a longer period of time of feeling like you can’t cope, please do seek the help and support you need via your GP or local mental health services. #itsoktonotbeok
If you like this post why not read our post on balancing your own business and family life or on how to leave work at work!
About Liz
Liz is the founder of Answers On A Postcard, the coaching platform and consultancy for entrepreneurs, start-ups and life’s adventure seekers, looking to create change in their life or business.
Inspired by her personal experiences of escaping the city to live a location independent life between her home town of Leeds and the sunny Canary Islands, she is on a mission to support people to have better lives, better businesses and better balance.
Offering personal mentoring, business coaching and brand strategy for small businesses or those aspiring to take the plunge to self-employment, Liz wants to help you to create moments and experiences that make a difference!
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Thanks for these valuable tips a lot. Totally agree with the part about self-care. It seems important to me too.
Thanks for your comment. Yes I think we put self-care down our priority list at the times when we need it the most x