5 Tips To Help Keep Your Work-life Balance In Check for The Busy Entrepreneur

5 Tips to “Help keep your work-life balance in check” is to help us entrepreneurs juggle our responsibilities without burning ourselves out. Working smarter, not harder, should be our mantra period. It is very hard to get out of the stereotypical mindset that our business is last in the priority chain. As a working mom, I had to juggle the workload with the family load. It meant usually; the last to get into bed and the first to get up in the morning. Get the kids off to school, throw a load of laundry in, feed the dog, schedule rideshare. All of this had to happen before I walked out the door to go to work.

Setting aside time to do a little yoga, to walk the dog instead of just feeding the dog, just wasn’t in the cards. I geared all my energy to work and to get out the door on time.

Even at work, I got the phones calls, my son forgot his lunch, my daughter didn’t have her permission slip for the field trip they were to go on. I am sure you get the picture. The one thing that I totally ignored was my health. I saw it as “I had no extra time” I did not see it as “I have to take the time!”

I longed to work for myself. Schedule my day, be in charge of me. What I did not realize was how stress and exhaustion would play a heavy role in my health. While still working for an employer, I got involved in network marketing. I wanted to be around other people that wanted to make their lives better. It enabled me to take business classes, and figure out what I was good at.

Years later, I learned the hard way. By not putting time in to take care of me, I crashed. Going through cancer was my wake-up call. For the first time in my life, I had to take care of myself. When this happened, I was supplementing my income by doing graphic and web design on the side.

While dealing with cancer, my only goal was to get better. I attended support groups and literally pulled any mental strength I had from deep within. Not wanting any of you to experience what happened to me prompted this article.

What I could do to exercise? I was very low on energy. The chemo totally took its toll. I had my dog, Bubby. He was my first Sharpei. It was good that he was older. Our energy levels were better matched. I started out just walking to the mailbox. I know, doesn’t sound like much, but it was all I could do.

Tip #1: Set aside time for exercise. Walking costs nothing and the only competition you have is yourself. Set your goals. Walk to the end of the driveway and back or the end of the street and back. If you have stairs, walk up the stairs until it becomes easier and increase the number of times you walk the stairs. Like yoga? Find a favorite app and work that into your daily routine.

I do my routine first thing in the morning. I am a morning person. In the summer, I may do a short walk in the evening in the neighborhood, but Sir Riley and I have the routes that we pick from each morning. Either a 2mile, 3, 4.5, or a 6-mile route. Yes, we have worked up to 6 miles comfortably. “Don’t forget to drink your water!” I drink water all day long.

Tip #2: Drink a glass of juice: Every morning, I take my supplements with my green juice. Yes, the green juice isn’t always tasty, but it is good for me and I want those greens in my system. I do this every morning.

Tip #3: Set a goal: When I first used a stair stepper, I thought I could go 10 minutes! Boy, did I find out real quick that 3 minutes was the longest minutes I ever experienced.

Here is another idea. A great way to stay motivated is to listen to your favorite podcast. You may ask, “When do I have the time to listen to a podcast?” Actually, that is exactly what I thought. Since I work out of my home, once I started my workday, I did not have time to listen to a podcast. My solution? Listen while walking, Sir Riley! I listen to “Entrepreneurs on Fire.” I love this podcast. John Lee Dumas interviews many entrepreneurs. I learn new ways of thinking, how someone got through a rough patch. They introduce business books I wouldn’t know anything about otherwise.

Tip #4: Set some time for fun. Whether it’s going shopping, watching a movie, visiting a friend, it is imperative that you get away from the business! You are not on 24/7. Now for the 5th tip.

Tip #5: Schedule your workdays. If you worked for someone else, you would have the hours and days that your schedule would be. As an entrepreneur, we think we need to work through our weekends. That is so far from the truth! Yes, sometimes you will put in extra hours. A deadline has to be met, or an emergency arises. Let your clients know you are not available on the weekends or on a weekday. It is totally your choice to choose whether you will do some work on your time.

For me, if I want to do something on a Thursday, I will swap it out for a weekend day. Since I am in charge of my schedule, the client doesn’t care when I work; they care about their project getting done on time.

Bonus Tip: Put your cellphone away! When I meet with a client, I either shut my cell off, put it in my purse, or leave it in the console of my truck. I give my undivided attention to my client. If I am out to dinner with family or friends, the cell phone is in my purse. They can leave a message and I will get back to them. But I am not married to my cell phone. It is a tool, nothing more.

Don’t worry about doing all the tips. Pick one, and start with that. Once your tip has become second nature, move on to the next tip. These are my top 5 tips. Your tips may be different. The good news. Whatever your tips are, you are on the road to new discoveries. To better health, more energy, and a way to handle stressful times better.