Life isn’t about working hard and making money. Be kind to yourself, have fun, and get the support you need so that you can lead a fulfilling life.
Some mompreneurs think that they have to do it all: run a business, look after their kids, and be loving partners. But finding sufficient time for all those things is a massive challenge. There just aren’t enough hours in the day to get it all done.
For that reason, mompreneurs need to be kind to themselves and get support when they need it. Otherwise, you’ll feel burned out on all fronts. Your business will suffer because you’re not on form. Your family relationships will deteriorate because you’re tired and irritable. And being there for your kids will become impossible since all your evenings and weekends are taken up with work.
So how can you look after yourself as a mompreneur?
Take It A Day At A Time
Building a business can seem like an overwhelming task. You have to create so many systems, talk to so many people, and spin multiple plates simultaneously. Getting everything done is a Herculean task.
Many moms, therefore, use the “one day at a time approach.” The idea here is to focus on the problem right in front of you instead of the one scheduled for next week or next month. Set yourself realistic deadlines for when you can finish things. And plan your days around the essentials – like getting your kids ready for school or taking your allotted exercise. Allow your work to slot into times of day you can spare.
Blend Your Work And Home Life
Some moms treat their work and home lives as entirely separate entities, but that’s probably a bad idea. Working on a business necessarily means that the work-life balance goes out of the window – at least for a time.
A better approach is to monitor how you’re spending your time throughout the day and then look for opportunities to include the kids. Sometimes, for instance, you can blend your family and work time together in smart ways. For example, you could bring your kids with you if you have to go on a road trip.
Get Help Looking After Your Children
Sometimes, you don’t have time during the day to cater to the needs of your children. Work matters are too important. For that reason, many budding mompreneurs use a first-aid certified nanny to take care of the kids while they’re not there.
These caregivers are highly trained and can do all of the things that you do with your kids, including provide meals, entertainment, and make sure they go to bed on time. Asking for help is NOT a sign of weakness, but rather an indication that you’re doing the right thing. Your kids would prefer to spend time with a mom who is in control of her life, instead of one who is thoroughly burned out.
Be Courageous And Ask For Help
Entrepreneurs aren’t indestructible people. Instead, they’re just regular folks who decided to take a risk and try something new. As such, they need help, just like everyone else. Even captains of industry have mentors.
Nobody finds entrepreneurship easy. It’s not. And that’s why you must reach out for help when you need it. Fight the urge to minimize your suffering. Be courageous and ask for help when the going gets tough. When you feel like you have support, your job suddenly becomes less stressful, and you feel like you can move forwards more easily.
Take Some “Me Time”
Everyone needs a little bit of space all to themselves, even the most extraverted individuals. Nothing is wrong, therefore, with taking the weekend off, switching your phone off, and spending a weekend hiking in nature. When you work as hard as you do, you often need time to recharge and get away from it all for a while.
Photo by Alisa Anton on Unsplash
A lot of mompreneurs feel guilty when they ask for space away from their business or their families. They feel like they need to be there the whole time. It’s their duty.
That’s not the case. Your partner can take care of the family, and your colleagues can look after the business for a few hours.
Remember, entrepreneurs often have their best ideas when they give themselves time out. Their brains relax and become super creative. They get away from the pressures and have a chance to look and reflect on their enterprises, looking for opportunities to improve.
Set A Stop Time Each Day
When you run a business, you don’t watch the clock. Instead, you keep working until you complete the job. Practices like this, however, can lead to severe burnout if you’re not careful. Moms often find themselves working late into the evening, trying to get projects done.
For that reason, a lot of moms are now setting “stopping times” each day. They agree with themselves that they won’t work after 6 pm, for instance. Instituting practices like these help to create a barrier between your personal life and your business commitments. If you need to get more done in a day, start earlier in the morning.
Spend Time Deliberately Taking Care Of Yourself
Think carefully about why you’re an entrepreneur. What is it you’re trying to achieve? If you’re like most people, you want a higher quality of life, and you’re willing to work hard to get it. You don’t want to get to the stage, though, where your work is stressing you out so much that it is cutting into your enjoyment of life. That’s not good.
Where possible, deliberately spend time taking care of yourself. Book yourself into a spa, take time off at the weekends, and remove dysfunctional relationships from your life. The more you engage in deliberate self-care, the easier the task of running a business will become.
In summary, mompreneurs need to actively focus on being kind to themselves throughout the working week. Being an entrepreneur isn’t all about working hard and trying to make money. It’s also about fun and trying to lead a worthwhile life. You can’t do that if you’re stressed out of your brain all day long.
