Self-care can get pushed to the back burner when you’re hustling hard at your business, but it’s just as important as all of your other responsibilities. In fact, self-care can help you perform better in your side hustle and get more from it overall. To find a balance between self-care and your side hustle, start with these helpful tips.
Make Time for Yourself
Make your self-care a priority. Whether you go for a long walk, eat an apple, or spend time with friends — make sure to do at least one thing every day that helps reduce stress. Take regular 10-minute breaks every day to refresh yourself so that when you get back to work you’re more focused, engaged, and driven than before. Consider setting up alerts in Google Calendar so they remind you when it’s time for a break. You could even take a road trip and visit somewhere like Frederick, MD.
Meditation and Mindfulness
A study by Harvard-affiliated researchers found that people who meditated every day for eight weeks had more gray matter in their hippocampus — the part of your brain responsible for learning, memory, empathy, and stress management. Many practitioners swear by it and report its long-lasting effects throughout the day.
Getting Enough Sleep
It’s important to get enough sleep. For most people, that means seven to nine hours of sleep each night. Any less than that, and your mental performance decreases. Sleep is crucial for any type of work: once you’re well-rested, you can approach your work with a fresh mind, increased focus, and productivity.
Nutrition to Stay Full Through the Day
It’s important to eat regularly, especially if you’re just starting a side hustle. Otherwise, your body may use muscle for energy. A good rule of thumb is that adults should be eating every few hours or about five meals each day, including three meals and two snacks. And try not to skip breakfast — this meal sets you up for success all day long. Aim for protein or whole grains, such as oats with fruit, in place of sugary cereal.
Finding a Balance
When starting out, it’s easy to feel like you have to work every waking hour. But if you burn yourself out, you’ll run your business into a ditch. Be smart about when you work. Consider getting help for tasks that free you up to be more productive. If visual design, for example, is not in your wheelhouse, consider outsourcing to a freelance graphic designer or illustrator. How much do illustrators make? A budget of between $15 and $30 per hour is a safe one.
Food Sensitivities
There are many food sensitivities that you may be unaware of, which can impact your health, such as a shellfish allergy or gluten intolerance, for example. Unique to You Nutrition can help you learn more about potential food triggers.
Make Finding Work Easier
Many opportunities exist to make working and finding work easier. For example, you can find work as a freelance illustrator, web designer, or content writer by creating a profile with an online job board for freelancers where potential employers can gauge reviews, expected delivery times, and costs of jobs before hiring you.
Benefit all Areas of Your Life
It can be hard to find a balance between running a business on your own terms while also taking care of yourself. Fortunately, with a plan, you can make it work — and it will benefit all areas of your life.
Visit Unique to You Nutrition for more nutrition tips.
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