Women, have a support group! You might think you’re invincible by yourself, that you don’t need anyone. That couldn’t be more wrong. Building and running a business is hard and it can be a lonely place. Having a support group will be the difference between succeeding and getting burned out.
This is general advice, but it’s especially important when starting a business on your own. It will take away a lot of your time and effort. You might be working day and night, weekends even. There’s no day off when you’re the boss and it’s easy to feel overworked. A good way to make sure that doesn’t happen is to schedule a time to see others.
I’ve said it before and I will repeat it until I see a change in society. Mental health is important; your mental health should be your priority. Don’t get me wrong, work hard, and do as much as you can to fulfil your dreams. But your mental health should be as important as building your own business.
It can be as easy as planning a phone call with your best friend one day a week. Or you can decide to turn off your phone for a Sunday picnic with your family. Also, try to befriend people in a similar work position. When you’re an employee, you have a whole team you can steam off and go for drinks with. When you’re the boss, talking with other bosses might help you - the can understand the stress you might be going through.
The most important thing is that you schedule that time off like you would schedule a work meeting. Make it part of your routine and don’t make exceptions. Looking like you’ve got it all under control on your own won’t benefit anyone. Your business will reflect your mental state and many of us lose out from burning out.
If you feel like you haven’t been taking care of yourself, I will give you an exercise today. Schedule in a phone call with your best friend or a family member this week. I promise you, you will feel so much better after.
Have a great Sunday folks!
Valentina x