Do you often feel rushed, frazzled, and overwhelmed during the week? Are you surviving, but not thriving? Sometimes that hustle is unavoidable depending on how much you’re juggling on any given day but it doesn’t always have to be an endless cycle of exhaustion. There are simple things you can incorporate into your week to bring a better sense of work-life balance to your world. After all, this is what you work so hard to create for your clients and you deserve it too! Start with these small but significant rituals to help restore your balance.
For many of us, Monday mornings are the day we dread most. You have emails from the weekend that require a response and a pending To-Do list for the week that’s a mile long - and procrastination may be looming over your head. Dedicate some time on Monday mornings to journal. It may mean getting up 30 minutes earlier than normal in order to set aside some time for yourself. It may mean getting up 30 minutes earlier, but why not start the week off on the right foot?!
Try it. You’ll be surprised how much it can help you bring perspective and positivity to the rest of your week.
Okay, you got Monday under your belt! Despite all of our technology these days (and we love technology), it’s very easy to feel lonely and disconnected – especially when you’re an entrepreneur (yes you are!) and you work alone or from home – this can easily impact your overall mood. Make a conscious effort to take some time today to call a family member or a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while. Text or email works, too; whatever fits your lifestyle. With all the responsibilities and obligations of life, it’s very easy to let the people you care about most slip through the cracks. Think about is as making one of your loved ones feel extra special, we think you’ll appreciate it too! :)
That midweek slump is REAL. Maybe you haven’t been sleeping well or your hips are tight from sitting at a computer all day. Maybe your mind is scattered, or you feel like your patience is running thin. Try a low-impact physical exercise, a deep stretch, or mindful breathing. You can go to a class – the warm, steamy rooms can be especially comforting in cold weather – but you can also do it at home. All you need is a bit of space and a mat. There are plenty of yoga, breathing, or meditation apps you can use to structure your routine. Getting in touch with your body and letting go of tension is a surefire way to get over the hump, reduce stress, and re-energize yourself for the rest of the week.
It’s almost Friday and that deserves a little celebration! You schedule everything else, so why not some time for yourself? If you put it in your calendar, you absolutely can’t skip it, right? Whether this is part of your morning or evening routine is entirely up to you as is the type of self-care you decide on. Ask yourself what really makes you feel like the best you. This could mean putting on a face mask, watching the latest episode of your favorite show, doing a crossword puzzle, taking a bath, knitting or cracking open the latest true-crime novel. It isn’t about what you do, it's about actually taking that half-hour out of your day to do it.
Remember that To-Do list you made at the beginning of the week? We all have those items on our lists that never seem to make it to the top priority spot and consequently keep getting pushed to tomorrow or next week. These tasks can often weigh us down mentally as they constantly linger in the back of our minds. Carving out time on Fridays to take on one “lurker” task will help you to move into the weekend feeling a bit lighter. The simple act of scratching that one item off your To-Do list will free up your mind to concentrate on more important jobs and help you to re-prioritize come journal time on Monday morning.
We know it can feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day, but if you plan ahead, you can always make sure to accommodate for a little “me” time during the week. Not only will you feel better for yourself and loved ones, but you’ll be a more productive practitioner and a stronger business owner. That’s a win-win if we ever heard one.
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