Have you ever wondered how entrepreneurs don’t burn out with the endless list of things on their to do list?

The answer, dear entrepreneur, is self care.

In my experience, successful entrepreneurs, have boundless amounts of energy.

This type of entrepreneur is highly motivated.

This type of entrepreneur is highly engaged.

This type of entrepreneur is a go-getter. They know what they want and they break down walls and barriers to get it.

Many of these entrepreneurs share something in common. Self care is their #1 priority.

They know that if their body and mind aren’t operating optimally, they and their business won’t either. Everything will suffer.

Whilst they wear multiple hats, juggling endless to do lists, it’s all a day in the life of being an entrepreneur!

Yet, it’s not like this for all entrepreneurs.

Many burn out because they don’t have self care practices in place around them until it’s too late.

And they’ve either lost their business or their health, family and relationship have suffered.

Can you relate to any of this from your entrepreneurial journey?

With the silly season upon us, a time for restoration and reflection, let’s dive into 7 ways you can be kind to yourself as an entrepreneur so you can thrive in your life, relationships and business.

1. Eat well

2. Exercise daily

3. Meditate daily

4. Journal daily

5. Limit your screen time (especially at night)

6. Maximise your sleep

7. Say No, To Say Yes

1. Eat well

The old adage that you are what you eat still rings true. In a world where we’re surrounded by everything on demand and at our finger tips, it shouldn’t be the same for food.

I’m not a health coach or practitioner, but healthy eating has been a passion of mine for many years.

Personally, I’ve felt the difference in my body and mine when I eat well. And professionally, I’ve coached many entrepreneurs who perform optimally in part because they eat well.

My advice (and experience), is don’t reach for the “convenient” and “quick” food options. They’re often not the right option for your physical and mental health.

Eat organic wherever and whenever you can.

Eat lots of greens!

And all colours of the rainbow for variety!

Fresh is best so stock up weekly so you’re eating as close to when they’ve been hand picked as possible.

Search for a great organic shop in your area And make the switch with your fresh fruit and veggies…and other products as you run out.

Find some great restaurants that cook healthy delicious meals and stay away from lots of fried foods and anything that doesn’t make you feel good.

Do what feels right to you.

Follow health coaches, nutritionists and dieticians with qualified tips and recommendations to help you optimise your health.

2. Exercise daily

Exercise is an absolute must and game changer.

A daily walk will do wonders for your health and performance in your business.

As I write this, I’m in my final weeks of pregnancy and I can well and truly vouch for its benefits as it’s my main form of physical exercise.

Something you may have felt the impact of during lockdowns, was the incidental walking you missed out on.

You know, the walk up the stairs to the next meeting, to the kitchen and the walk to and from the train station.

It all adds up and it can make a huge difference. So get up and move many times during the day and get your steps up!

Be kind to yourself and optimise your performance as an entrepreneur by adding other daily exercise into the mix.

The pandemic has given us many more options for exercising at home, outdoors and in the gym so look for options that work for you. Chris Hemsworth has a great program called Centr and there’s countless others! Here’s a list of some other popular ones:

• 28 by Sam Wood
• Tiffany Hall’s TXO
• Michelle Bridges 12WBT
• Alo Moves

As a trained yoga teacher, I’m a massive fan of practicing yoga. It has amazing benefits for your physical body, nervous system and mental health.

Search for a yoga studio in your area or choose from one of the many online options available. Give it a go and see how you feel!

A word of support though – it’s called a yoga practice because it’s not a destination. It’s not about flexibility or reaching an end point but rather a movement practice and way to connect your body and mind.

Yoga is a journey inward so don’t set expectations for yourself that are unattainable. And know that there are some shapes or poses you may never be able to do due to the skeletal structure of your body. Honour that!

3. Meditate daily

In my opinion, what separates high performing entrepreneurs from the pack is their daily meditation practice.

It teaches you to get out of their mind and focus on the task ahead.

It teaches discipline.

It teaches you to have clarity and to think straighter.

And to make better decisions because you’ve cleared the noise and clutter from your head.

It teaches non-attachment.

Meditation is different for every person though. Gone are the days of it involving sitting cross legged on the floor with your hands in an awkward position.

Meditation takes many different forms and for the busy entrepreneur, it could include:

• walking in nature
• paddling on your Stand Up Paddleboard (one of my personal faves!)
• sitting still on the couch or floor
• lying down

The key to meditation is finding a focal point so you can surrender and get out of your head.

In the examples above, this is the sights and sounds of nature, the act of paddling and breathing whilst being still.

As part of my 1:1 and group coaching programs with my amazing clients, I encourage them to nurture a meditation practice.

Meditation also has amazing benefits for your sleep. My favourite meditation is Yoga Nidra, a sleep based meditation where you truly let go and get out of your head.

30 minutes of a Yoga Nidra meditation is the equal to 90 minutes sleep. If you haven’t already, but would like to experience Yoga Nidra, please comment below or send me a DM on Instagram so I can give you complimentary access to one of my recordings!

4. Journal daily

Another of my fave daily habits is journalling.

It’s made a profound difference to my life and business by helping to get thoughts out of my head and onto paper (or online document for that matter!)

And you’ll find the same too if you’re able to make it a daily habit. My fave way to do it is to use 750words.com as it keeps you accountable to write at least 750 words. It teaches you how to create a habit and stick with it and I encourage all my 1:1 Coaching clients to get onboard with this site!

Another way to journal is to use a good ol’ paper journal and pen and set a time for 15 to 20 minutes and just write.

See what comes out of your head from what’s on your mind, or take inspiration from writing prompts and see what follows.

Here’s some inspiration for you:

• What’s your favourite song at the moment and why’s it on constant repeat?
• What’s your favourite season of the year?
• Describe what you want to let go of in your life or business
• Where’s the destination for your next holiday?
• What’s your favourite childhood memory from Christmas?

5. Limit your screen time (especially at night)

This is a difficult one for entrepreneurs as you’re so passionate about your business. And you’re wearing many hats.

But limiting your screen time is important for your mental and physical well being.

Not to mention your performance as CEO and every other role you perform!

It’s really important to have separation from your work…but also from devices and blue light.

As a rule of thumb, try and switch off all devices (including TVs, computers, iPads and phones) at least 90 minutes before bed time.

Use the time before bed to read an inspiring book, journal or connect with loved ones face to face, not via devices.

Similarly, at the other end of the day, it can be tempting to reach for your phone as the first thing you do when you wake up. Don’t.

Keep all devices out of your bedroom

Create a morning routine of meditation, journalling and movement before you engage with your devices. Allow yourself to fill up your cup before it gets absorbed by your workload.

6. Maximise your sleep

Your sleep is so important, but it can often be tempting to sacrifice it to work late.

Again, don’t.

Your body needs to rest.

And restore.

It needs a break from the doing and the thinking.

And you need the break too so you can be top of your game when you’re working on your business!

You’ll perform so much better and be much more effective if you give your mind, body and soul this rest.

Sleep experts often say that every hour of sleep between 9pm and midnight is twice as effective as the hours from midnight onwards.

So, if you can go to bed closer to 9pm, you’ll be doing your entire system a massive favour.

Not to mention giving your business the best opportunity to prosper and succeed with you being well rested, tuned in and ready for a productive day!

7. Say No, To Say Yes

Put up your hand if you’re an accommodating person and put others before yourself?

I’m 100% guilty of it so my hand is raised! (doesn’t help that I’m a Libran either…)

The entrepreneurial pathway has you wearing many hats and you’re often pulled in all directions.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

I’ve tested it out and there’s 100% a different way.

My favourite saying is “Say no to others, so you can say yes to yourself and your priorities”. Why? Because if you don’t prioritise what’s important to you and your business, who else will?

Back in my corporate days I always sat amazed at how many of my colleagues would say they “didn’t have capacity” to do this or that.

Even though it was part of their job.

They would ask their boss what’s more important and they would prioritise that.

I recommend giving this a try as it’s empowering and a true game changer!

So there you have it. 7 ways to be kind to yourself as an entrepreneur

There’s no doubt about it – entrepreneurship is a journey.

It’s the greatest form of personal development.

It’s not easy. And it’s not for the faint hearted.

And that’s why it’s not for everyone.

And why you need to learn ways to be kind to yourself so you can thrive and prosper!