This week we are talking Self Care and our topic is " Unplugging from the demands of your Biz". I want to share a few tips that have worked for me:
Plan ahead, but leave room for flexibility. We all know that when you can plan ahead and have more control over your schedule, it is easier to schedule some free time in for yourself! Well I've recently started doing this and let me tell you, it gives me so much extra time to work on other projects or actually take some time for myself. However, like I said.....leave room for flexibility!! I sat down over the weekend and wrote out all of my posts for my group for the entire week. I felt so accomplished because this week is a super hectic week filled with lotssss of clients, calls, and I also did a Chloe & Isabel party for a friend. Well somehow in between packing up my laptop to host that party, bringing it home and opening it this morning, my saved document with the posts vanished! And I even allowed myself to relax in bed a little longer than usual because I knew I had already written my Tuesday Tips for you. This is where I STRESS, leave room for flexibility. This ties into number two.
Don't overbook yourself. Have you ever been so excited to plan "me time" that you've planned it with maybe friends or some type of activity and then you realize life happens and you don't have as much time to do it as you thought you did. You feel rushed because maybe you hit traffic on the way to your friend or your client had an emergency and you had to help them in the moment or you lock your car keys in your office because you're rushing out and don't want to be late? Well I'm sure these sound so natural for me to say because they have ALL happened! We try SO SO hard to do it ALL and we CAN'T. It just isn't humanly possible. Something or someone will feel rushed. Be mindful and give yourself enough time when you want to unplug from your biz. Plan in a cushion time for last minute pop ups. Things always happen last minute to plan ahead for them!
Get used to unplugging. Give yourself a goal or create a rule in your biz. Mine is: Meet at least one friend for coffee/lunch/hang out time per week, have a phone date with a bestie at least once per week, text at least a few friends per day to check in, & call/text/visit family at least a few times per week. For me, spending time with people when I unplug feels really good. I feel refreshed and inspired. Each day I already have 30-60mins of self care time built into my schedule where I listen to an audio book, take a walk, read a book, do my nails, crochet, anything that provides a little extra joy in my life. This comes pretty natural, but the socialization piece I have to schedule in and plan because it can be easy to get sucked into work and not find time for the people I love the most .
Now, speaking of unplugging. Here is what unplugging looks like for me:
We all know we can come up with every excuse to not unplug. And there will be times in your business where you really don't feel like you can take any time at all away, maybe during a launch period or new website design or while developing a new program.
Well here is my advice.......don't completely unplug if it is going to cause you more anxiety. We all know this can happen! We can't enjoy ourselves because we are so anxious thinking about that launch tomorrow, etc. So my solution...... I trick myself into it and here is how I do it!
I will find a webinar, podcast, training, book, meditation, anything related to what I am launching or working on at the moment on audio. I will set aside an hour or so to listen while laying down or with a fun crochet project in hand or while taking a bubble bath or even while baking brownies! This provides me with a little bit of down-time work while playing and for me this feels so good! Now this isn't for everyone, but for me it feels good, it satisfies that need for relax time, while also teaching me something relevant to my business.
Now I want to hear from you, what are your thoughts on this topic?
~Would something like this work for you?
~Or do you do something different during a high-pressure time in your biz?
Comment below if you found this helpful and if you make unplugging a practice your biz or an intention you would like to begin.
Check out my video for some more of my thoughts on this topic: Unplugging From Your Biz Have a happy & healthy day!
XO Kate