A common misconception is that entrepreneurs need to work non-stop for their business to grow and thrive. Also, that the best entrepreneurs constantly and consistently juggle multiple responsibilities (no breaks required) without experiencing burn out. 

We recently attended an insightful webinar hosted by The Honeycombers where four incredibly inspiring entrepreneurs (including founder of Core Collective, Michelle Yong), shared some of the key lessons they've learned on their journeys as business owners. One of the speakers spoke about a key lesson she learned the hard; taking time away from her business and regularly engaging in some form of self-care. 

Today, we’ve rounded up some of the tips that were shared to help you stay engaged in bouts of self-care, even as a busy entrepreneur! 

1. Set boundaries 

Give yourself strict working hours and draw clear lines on what responsibilities you can attend to at specific times of the day. Remember that it’s okay not to be available to everyone 24/7 and working around the clock.

When you’ve had these boundaries clearly drawn out, ensure that you communicate this to your clients, team members, friends and family members, and set the expectations straight early on. 

Dedicate a block of time, however many days a week you need to (whether it’s twice a week or daily), purely for self-love. Use this hour or two to turn your phone off and disconnect from the world around you (including your business), and engage in an activity to fill your cup back up. 

What you choose to do during this time might be different to what another fellow business owner would - and that’s okay. Some people are energised by being around other people. Others prefer quiet time for activities such as photography, playing musical instruments or painting. 

Whatever it is you choose to do, the time that you intentionally put aside to recharge will allow you to be more present with your business, team and family members when you need to be.  

Some of you may or may not have time to time-block one or two hours everyday for self-care. This, however, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take any time at all! 

You can consider creating self-care mini rituals to do throughout the day by spending three to five minutes, three to four times a day to slow everything down and do things certain things with intention.

There are plenty of self-care rituals that can be done in 5 minutes or less such as going for a short stroll, tuning-in to your favourite podcast, doing a tech detox or even mind-dumping.

Eventually, these mini rituals will become habitual and your internal clock will stop you everyday for a brief moment for them. 

4. Meditate to clear your mind 

Make it a habit to meditate to clear your mind whether that’s in the morning before you get out of bed, in the middle of the day or at night right before you close off the day. 

Meditating is not only a wonderful way to quieten the noise that’s surrounding you as a business owner all the time, but it’s a great tool for managing stress, increasing self-awareness and promoting overall emotional health and wellbeing. 

If you’re not exactly sure how meditation works or if you’d like some guidance for the most effective meditating, you can also consider meditating with a meditation coach! 

As business owners, you may not have the luxury of eating healthy and engaging in exercise as frequently as you’d like. Intentionally blocking out time for yourself once in a while specifically for your health and fitness will not only keep your body in tip-top shape, but also promote feelings of positivity within yourself. 

Review your calendar ahead of time and based on the outlook of your schedule for that week, block out time to cook yourself a meal (or a few meals for the week), go for a massage or workout! If you train with a personal trainer or a group class instructor to maintain your fitness, book your sessions in at this point as well, just to really lock yourself in. 

Core Collective is building centres of excellence where the top fitness and wellness professionals collaborate to deliver best services and results for our customers, all under one roof.