The work-life balance is something that many people struggle with, and for small business owners, it can feel impossible. Small businesses are generally run by one person who may be the owner or just a team member. It’s not uncommon to find yourself working all hours of the day in order to keep up with deadlines, make sales goals, and complete other tasks related to your company. This constant pressure can take its toll on personal relationships, health, and happiness if left unchecked. Small business owners need time for their friends and family too!
If you’re ready to find a balance between your working hours and time spent with friends and family (and maybe even some leisure activities,) then this article is perfect for you! Here are some simple tips for living the small business owner work-life balance dream.
Get your work done as soon as you can so that you have more time to enjoy life
As small business owners, there is always so much on your plate. And of course, you prefer to get everything done as soon as you can, but perhaps, most of the time things just don’t work out that way. You might not be in full control of how much work you have to do, but you are in complete control of how soon you get what you have to do done. You can and should control your work-life balance. Don’t let your personal life suffer because you need a better work-life balance.
Every day you get a lot of distractions. Some might be completely unavoidable, while others may be avoidable if only you work hard enough to stay focused. Whatever the case is, it’s important that your mind is in the right place when working on something so that you can get the job done as soon as possible and achieve a work-life balance.
You can also prioritize your tasks so you can get the most important things done first. This way, it will be easy to decide how soon you can stop working for the day. Do what needs to be done for today and get some rest or do something fun.
Take a break when you need it
This is one of the most important tips to remember when working in a business that’s constantly on your mind. Small business owners are always busy, usually running around and trying to get as much done as possible. But this constant motion can take its toll over time if you don’t stop for a moment and relax every once in a while. You don’t need to work yourself into the ground just because you can.
Taking regular breaks is also a great way to help your mind stay sharp and focused. Many small business owners ignore this aspect of business growth. So the next time you find yourself struggling to get something done, take at least a couple of minutes to yourself. Make sure to keep a healthy balance between breaks and work so as to appease your mental health issues. Self-care is so important in order to achieve a company culture where free time is not only allowed, but encouraged.
Make sure to schedule in some “me” time every day
It’s all too easy to neglect yourself when you’re busy running a business that demands so much of your time. You might feel the need to work on weekends and holidays and forget about yourself in the process. And hey you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do, but don’t forget yourself. You can actually make sure this doesn’t happen by blocking out some me-time in your calendar every day, no matter what time it is. This avoids the rough patches that seem inevitable when you are a small business owner attempting to show that personal lives can coexist with entrepreneurship.
This doesn’t have to be a long meeting with yourself every day (although that would definitely help!) It can just be ten minutes of free space in your schedule for something you enjoy doing. Whether this means heading out for some fresh air or taking the time to read a book, make sure you are taking care of yourself first. Paying attention to personal needs like this is just one of the many tips you will find all gurus mentioning when they address this topic. By taking some “me” time, you give yourself back some of the power. If you are successful, you won’t have issues in the first place.
Make sure to take care of yourself by eating right and exercising regularly
You might not have time for regular meals, or perhaps, if you do eat regularly, the food isn’t exactly healthy. This is never good news for any entrepreneur. If you don’t eat right you will definitely pay for it. Eating healthy food will give your body what it needs to get the job done. If you’re too busy for regular meals, turn this into an opportunity to try out new quick recipes. Hey, meal prepping for the week won’t hurt either. And if time is really not on your side during the day, pack yourself lunch before you leave in the morning so that it’s ready when hunger strikes! This is one of many ideas that will help you succeed at eating right. Of course, eating right is an extremely important thing to get right.
Of course, as entrepreneurs, we can’t forget about exercise. But don’t worry, you don’t have to go to the gym every day or even run a marathon. Just get up and do something for ten minutes every day that gets your heart rate up. This could mean going on a walk around the block, doing some yoga, or giving your home an extra clean ( it’s a great exercise if you’re vacuuming).
Quality Time With Friends and Family
Life is often only as good as the people we have in it. Our friends and family. you can better balance your life if you spend more quality time with people who matter most. There’s nothing quite as relaxing as a good conversation with someone you love (for example), and it’s the perfect way to recharge your batteries. So next time, when you find yourself so busy at work that all your thoughts are there with your business, try planning some quality time. Make an effort to disconnect from your tasks. You’ll be glad you did!
Again, every little bit counts. You might not have the entire weekend to spend with your loved ones, but even just sharing a meal with them once a week can do so much for you.
Don’t forget about hobbies outside of work
Even if you’re not a big fan of what you do, a small company owner must find time for his or her hobbies, too. You should get involved in some activities that are completely separate from your work. This is one way small businesses owners can achieve and maintain a work-life balance. Whether it’s photography or painting, whatever floats your boat! Having an outside interest will take away the pressure and stress you feel about running a small company because then you’ll have something else (something fun!)to focus on.
Keep up on social media even if it means staying up late at night sometimes
I know, we might not all be small business owners who are big on social media but if you want to have that work-life balance thing going for yourself, set aside some time every day (if possible) for it. It’s extremely important in the small business world today and can create so many opportunities!
Work from home whenever possible
Well, this one is pretty self-explanatory. Working from home can be a wonderful thing when you’re a small business owner because it allows for flexibility with your schedule and saves time. If possible, work at home as much as you possibly can!
Work-life balance happens when you make your personal life a priority. Working from home actually makes this a little easier to do if handled correctly. Small businesses can be run from almost anywhere. Why not take advantage of the mental health edge you get from doing so? You may actually work longer hours, but you will have enough time to do fun things because you won’t have a commute.
Allow others to take the lead sometimes
I know small business owners are often type A personalities who like to be in control, but try delegating some daily tasks. Maybe you have a virtual assistant or someone else on your team whom you trust and delegate work to them. This is another way small business owners can achieve and maintain that perfect balance between their personal life and their work one. It is productivity insights like this that are often missed when examining the problem.
Find the balance between personal goals and professional goals
This might be a little more difficult for small business owners, but we’re all human and have lives outside of work. Make time in your schedule to take care of personal goals you may have like going back to school or learning an instrument. You’ll feel better about yourself if you keep up on these types of things even though you run a small
Remember that life is what happens while we’re busy making other plans
Let’s not forget small business owners have lives outside of their small businesses. You can’t be too busy perfecting your small business plan to enjoy the time you may actually get to spend with family or friends, so make sure they know just how much you love them and when you’ll see them next! No one said work-life balance was easy to achieve, everyone says it is imperative to achieve it nonetheless.
What to do now?
We hope you’ve found our blog post useful and we would love to hear your thoughts on the last two points. Have you tried any of these tips? Which one has been the most helpful to you so far in getting more done, feeling better about yourself, or spending quality time with friends and family? Let us know! Also, be sure to check out our upcoming webinar where we’ll give even more advice on how to work with us to fix issues like work-life balance. And if all that wasn’t enough information, please sign up for a FREE 30-minute consultation call to find a solution to these issues by clicking this link right now! We have great time management strategies for professionals like you!