As you can imagine, owning a business means you are NEVER off the clock. That doesn't mean you can't still balance your work life and personal life to make time for what's important. Even if what's important is resting and relaxing. It's easy to get burnt out but it's also important to make time for YOURSELF. If you get burnt out it will be reflected your work life and that's no good! Taking time for yourself is a huge part of keeping your business successful and your life full!
A lot of people might not know this but part of building a great business/brand is getting personal with your clients. Making connections and creating a clientele full of "new friends"! If you are burnt out, its hard to be genuine and interested in others lives... I mean how could you be if you feel like your life is full of chaos and exhaustion? I don't know about you but I can't stand checking out at the store with a silent and lazy cashier. Even that small interaction can effect how you feel about where you are. I want someone who is interested in engaging with me and hearing about my experience in the store or my personal life. I still remember a sweet girl at Hy-vee asking me about what was going on with my day as I was checking out after I had just gotten my new car. All I could think was how great it was that a literal stranger took the time to converse with me about my life/day. I felt important! Even the gal at the bank drive thru that remembers my face cheers me up! I know they have so many customers and could also be having a long day. Yet they took the time to give me some of their energy that day. What an amazing feeling!
If you are exhausted and don't give yourself time to take a breather, relax, and disconnect for bit it will 100% show. We know this! I literally cut some of my days short after work to make sure I can get the proper sleep to be sure I'm bright and cheery for our clients in the morning. If I don't, it shows! I never want a client to sense exhaustion. Sure I might be chugging a big cup of coffee but at least that gets me in the mindset of "it's time to work and time to be present and alert for your client".
Another part of balancing work life and personal life so you don't get burnt out is bringing your personal life into conversation! Like I said, people love to connect and learn more about the person they are investing in. Who knows? Maybe the crazy thing going on in your personal life is something your client can relate to!
At the studio, we love to watch tv and listen to music while we work. It helps keep us going because we are doing two things at once and getting a little mental break during our tasks. It also gets us chit chatting! When either of us work alone, the day drags on. Having someone to have a chit chat break with really helps my mind take a little break. It also helps US connect our personal lives so that we can be a better team and work well together.
Whether its a little coffee break with a friend in the middle of your day, working out at the gym, or just simply relaxing on the couch at the end of the day with your phone silenced for an hour, it's all sooooo important because it pulls you away from the chaos for a minute to refocus. Every time I vacation I come back home feeling SO recharged. I get motivated again to work hard and be my best self for our clients. Taking breaks throughout our day in the studio is also a life changer. I used to like to work through the whole day but once I started making time for breaks, it was a lot easier to make it through the day without feeling completely drained at the end of the day.
Moral of the story: MAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF TO BREATHE AND RELAX.
I can't stress how important it is. I know life gets in the way and when you are a parent, is there ever really an actual break? But try! Try as hard as you can to make time and you will become your best self. It shines through when you are giving yourself time to recharge. If you don't have an escape already, it won't take long to find something. Find a new hobby that will fit into your life, listen to your favorite album, read a book while having a glass of wine, have a conversation with someone about the highlight of your week, meditate, work out, whatever it takes to get yourself to let your hair down and recharge. I personally like to pick up new skills or craft for my Etsy shop when I'm bored because it makes me feel like I am taking the time to better myself. Not just for myself but for also for those around me. Find your trick and put it into play!
Happy recharging!
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