Self-Care for Business Owners
Self-Care is Non-Negotiable for Business Owners
You cannot survive, let alone thrive, if you are not putting your oxygen mask on first.
Photograph by Editor’s Course alum Sara Weir, Styled by Editor’s Course alum Sandra Chaufeaturing Editor’s Course alum Courtney Weston
I'm not talking bubble baths and Netflix. I'm talking about responsible self-care that can actually lead to success. In fact, to date, this is my favorite article about the kind of self-care I teach, written by Brianna West.
In Editor's Course, I teach the science behind all of these tips—yes, science backs this—but for today, I'm sharing three tips you can apply today.
WORKING ON NO SLEEP AND TONS OF COFFEE ONLY LASTS SO LONG.
Until you realize you have a heart condition and your ‘hustle’ has been destroying your health on a deeper level than you realized.
That right there is why I started writing Editor’s Course. I’ll never forget looking at the sticker under our dining table as I laid on the floor in the fetal position shaking. What I thought were panic attacks were actually a response to a heart condition I had negatively perpetuated with bad ‘hustle’ habits.
As I cried looking at that hot pink sticker I’ll never forget promising myself if I could figure out this entrepreneurship life, find success and not kill myself in the process I would help others. That’s when I started writing the curriculum, basing it on my experience and later, my clients’ experiences as well.
WE ALL HAVE A HEALTH OR NEGATIVE HUSTLE STORY WHERE WE HIT A BREAKING POINT.
We’re entrepreneurs. We are a little crazy and sometimes unhealthily find joy in the pain of hustle—who feels this?
But if you want to be a mature, sustainable, respected entrepreneur you will not last in that mindset. It feels cool. It feels like you’re really doing something, when in actuality you are wasting time, creating internal drama and hurting yourself and your business.
PUT YOUR OXYGEN MASK ON FIRST WITH THESE THREE, SIMPLE IDEAS.
My mom is a flight attendant and always asks when I’m stressed if I put my oxygen mask on first, before helping others. She’s usually right.
1. DON’T DRINK COFFEE FIRST THING IN THE MORNING.
I know, but this is part of the science I teach in Editor’s Course. Without getting too nerdy, basically the cortisol that wakes you up in the morning puts you in a flight or fight mode—a stress mindset. Caffeine amplifies whatever mood you are in. Do you want to start your day very stressed? Wait to drink your coffee 2-3 hours after you’ve woken up to allow the cortisol to go down and you can then caffeinate in a better state of mind.
2. CHECK THE ROI OF YOUR WORK.
In this article, I talked about being very specific and mindful of the ROI of your email marketing efforts. That should be applied to all efforts in your business. Are you killing yourself to get something done that will make you look successful, or actually lead to success? That way, when you do need to hustle and push, you know it is for something that is definitely worth the temporary sacrifice if a compromise or sacrifice is even needed.
3. BE SURROUNDED BY A COMMUNITY THAT WILL BE LOVINGLY HONEST.
What I adore so much about the Editor’s Course community is how eager the students are to help each other. There’s a genuine care for each other that happens every session that I can’t explain. I love seeing the connections in the community group and the wise and honest feedback they give each other. Make sure you are surrounded by people who will not perpetuate the problem, but will eagerly help you find an actionable solution.
