As we all rush to the finish line of another year gone by, the hustle and bustle of the holidays and the last few weeks in the fourth quarter can always be a bit overwhelming. 

What better way to begin the close of 2021 than a quick blog post about our favorite healthy habits for business owners and entrepreneurs! We hope these tips can help you finish this year out strong and begin the next on the right foot. 

1. Add activities that are solely for YOU into your daily routine

By nature, we are creatures of habit. And whether you realize it or not, you probably already have a daily routine. Your routine may not be serving you as well as you’d like, so it might be a good idea to take a look at what you’re doing and where you’re spending your time so you can make the most out of your workday. 

Being a small business owner, it is hard to find time for yourself. You’re constantly wearing many hats, trying to scale the business, and make your clients and customers happy. But what do you do for your own happiness?

Whether you’d like to move your body more, read a good book, eat healthier, or spend more time with your family and friends – these can all be implemented into your routine. The key is finding where time is being misused and replacing it with something meaningful to you. 

Taking time for yourself gives your brain a chance to reboot. It increases concentration, improves productivity, and gives you a chance to think more clearly and problem-solve more effectively.

Adding activities that are purely for your enjoyment can also help you understand yourself better, and build a better sense of balance and self-awareness. By doing more for yourself, you aren’t taking away from your business, you are allowing yourself to perform better. 

2. Proactively plan your week

Routine is something done on a regular basis, somewhat unconsciously. This can help you to align what you do on a daily basis with your goals and dreams. However, the routine will only get you so far. 

Your routine might include meditation, healthy breakfast, or family dinners, but a solid daily schedule where you plan out your days can help make this possible. By implementing tools like time blocking or task batching, you can plan your days to optimize your highest value tasks – leaving time for you to do the things you love outside of your business. 

Try using your Sunday evenings to plan out your top goals for the week ahead. Write them down in a planner or organize your digital calendar, giving yourself specific time blocks for each task. This will help you feel more prepared and proactive for a busy week ahead. 

3. Unplug + Take Breaks

The amount of time you decide to devote to being unplugged or taking breaks is totally up to you and how you like to work. Depending on how you’re feeling and what your business can stand, it’s so important to get time away from your work and offline. 

Whether you decide to take a daily afternoon walk to clear your head or set strict rules for when you’re available to clients and coworkers, creating space can be very beneficial to your mental and physical health. 

When you’re a small business owner or entrepreneur, your identity can become deeply intertwined with your business that it can be difficult to find the opportunity to relax. 

It’s a good idea to set boundaries for clients, loved ones, and even yourself for when you are “available” to others. As a business owner, it is all too easy to let your workdays run into work nights. Not only is this unhealthy for you, but it is also establishing an unhealthy and impractical work relationship with your clients. Trust me, your clients will respect you more for having these boundaries. 

4. Self Care + Stress Management

Everyone has their own version of self-care, whether it be a bath with a glass of wine or 10 minutes to journal each morning, making the effort to treat yourself with kindness can go a long way. 

Making this a part of your routine and daily schedule will help to ease the idea that you should be doing something more productive. Once you’re able to understand that with the right priorities and plan, you can still get everything done on your list, hopefully, your well-being will improve. 

The joys and the struggles of running a business are just a part of life as an entrepreneur. The best we can do is make the effort to amplify the joy and mitigate the struggles. 

We hope you find these habits helpful! Cheers to the new year ahead!