Self-care for Entrepreneurs, avoid Burnout!

Burnout is real. Too real, it's discouraging but you press on.

I have been one of those who started your own business, took responsibility on her shoulder on high, and forgot how to draw the line between work and life. It was close to non-existent but I enjoyed every bit of having to see my diary filled with accomplished to-do lists and done even more than what was plotted.

When you're an entrepreneur, it can be easy to pour yourself mentally, physically and emotionally into the business to the point that everything can become very blurry - hence, burning out. You'll never know not until you experience it yourself, but I don't recommend it.

I had a turning point in my self-care journey, as a founder, not too long ago. I was fresh from all the adrenaline of finally taking my business full-time, sat at a comfortable coffee shop and was on fire. There's a certain high when you get to be extra productive, it feels like you're unstoppable and invisible. I would wake up at around 5:30am to jog or 10:00 am when I have no scheduled route to run, and work non-stop until heading to bed around midnight or even as late as 2:00am to have my website done after midnight.

Yes, I'm the Ms. DIY and I enjoy learning every bit about technology since 6th grade.

But then I had a wake up call when I met up a colleague for our weekly coffee when she asked why I was responding and sending emails by 3am, still seen online by midnight and been posting about work on weekends. To make it even worse, she made a comment on how exhausted I looked. And, I was exhausted.

I figured, since I have my bi-monthly spa sessions, I thought it was enough. I had been running and operating like clock-work, all my energy was put in the business. I have forgotten how to take good care of myself and only take breaks when my boyfriend finally imposed a "No laptops, no phones, just Netflix" when we're together at the end of the day to "spend time."

Being the workaholic that I am, I'm grateful to have a partner who's concerned about my health and would want me to have the break I need - although, I must admit, it's tough. Really tough. Working has become my drug.

It's strange that I have founded a company (The After Six Club) where mindful leadership is one of our core values. It felt so wrong - even disingenuous to my company's brand- that I was talking the talk but not walking the walk.

Being a yoga teacher, I'd have to also breathe our practice. It took a whole lot of contemplation and when I reviewed my reasons on why I left the corporate world, I was reminded by the Tedx talk I had when I said "Sleep is (too) important" for me. What sleep? where did sleep go?

The fitness enthusiast that I am went missing. How was I supposed to grow a business built upon mindful leadership, prioritizing self-care, down-time and happiness at work when I wasn't practicing it myself? It took me time to get off the addiction but I did it, otherwise, and still a work-in-progress.

I've enlisted few strategies which have worked for me and gotten me a better handle how to balance work and life:

HEADSPACE "me" time

I subscribed to the headspace app, a meditation app which has helped me slow down. It can be accessed for free for the first 30 days, after which, you can opt-in to subscribe should you wish to do meditation according to your state: prioritization, stress, anxiety, etc. I typically turn it on at night, and I always end up falling a sleep. If you're someone who always have an active mind, this definitely works. Give it a chance.

A "me time" routine

No phones, no screens allowed first thing when you wake up.

I always have this habit on picking up my phone even right before my two eyes are wide open. Having to look at your phone the moment you wake up on-sets a wave of excitement and possible anxiety, opening your inbox will make you stay-in far more than you're supposed to stay in bed. Which may also result to hindrance from being productive and self-care.

Soon as you wake up, give yourself the 5-sec rule and do something for yourself, not for the business or anyone else. You'll thank yourself from self-induced anxiety and be on a better mental-state.

My mornings is now composed of: Going to the loo to wash my face and do my business, fix my side of the bed, pour myself a cup of joe, and jot down whatever comes to mind to my sketchpad to re-organize my day and plot out the day's priority lists. Sometimes, I also savor the moment to reheat my food or cook breakfast.

Being in charge of the morning helps you practice mindfulness; focusing on yourself and commit a few minutes more for yourself before you hop on to the business concerns.

Just before bed, give yourself time to watch something new on Netflix or listen to a podcast on your drive home. Whichever that is not within work scope. 

Affirmation & Prioritization

You are not obliged to respond to every email, right away, every day but you'd have to know and be decisive of which is important. Zooming in to what's important will give you a much more sense of fulfillment, productivity and wins for the business. Forgive yourself if you weren't able to accomplish everything on the to-do list you've written down in the morning. Having to write down your tasks means you're aware on what needs to be attended to.

Face yourself in the mirror or have your eyes closed, acknowledge that there are things that needs to wait and that you'll be able to face them, one at a time. As an entrepreneur, it's easy to fall into the trap of negativity especially if you didn't meet the demands and your personal deadlines.

Be kind to yourself, you're not a robot.

Say No to allow more Yes!

It can be exciting to meet people everyday especially if you're a business owner who shifted from corporate to a sole proprietor. You'll miss having colleagues seated close to your desk and people to ask out for lunch. However, as you build your business, it's also important for you to prioritize which meetings, collaborations and partnerships are worth your time. If they need you, they'll go to your office and adjust to your schedule (not unless, you're the one who needs to talk to them dearly).

All these non-relevant "could-I-pick-your-brain" sessions should take a back seat if you've got a full plate. Don't allow these distraction eat your time from your business goals. You may also set a particular day and time for meetings, this way, you already have your schedule on template and you need not to worry about what your calendar looks like.

Should you say No to anyone, perhaps offer a solution rather than blocking them.

For example, I’ve been asked to speak on panels and at conferences since launching my business and I’ve said no to all of these requests. On top of saying no, I also tend to suggest another name (depends on what the panel is all about and what the requester needs) who might be a great fit. This way, it’s a win-win situation for both parties.

Focus on one task or theme to do per day

Focus is difficult especially in your humble beginnings. You really want to accomplish everything and make the roadmap move faster than a speeding bullet. Newsflash, you'll never get to.

It's understandable that founders juggles everything in an entire company's departments - marketing lead, editorial chief, social media curator, operations, strategic lead etc - it can get overwhelming, you'll lose focus and end up astray.

One trick I've used is to schedule out my days and my schedule. Usually, my Sundays are the quiet time for me to write and be on fire. On Monday's, it's all about content planning and meetings that needs to happen throughout the week to make developments going.

Often, I spend late nights for self-learning or book reading.

See what works for you. What's important is to provide yourself with clear goals each day and structure your week.

Show up, Always.

As much as we're privileged to wake up and start our day whenever time we'd want to start; regardless of the set-up, you should get-up, show up and hustle! 

You're in control of your own schedule and working from home is easy to just keep yourself in, but if you're someone who's goal-oriented and go-getter of your dreams. You better not skip a day from showing up from obligations, responsibilities and making things happen. 

It's always better to be prepared rather than stressing on the thought "I should've done this yesterday."

Ask & Delegate

There's nothing wrong on sharing a bit of your salary if you'll be able to function far much better and get to perform a much excellent job on your tasks. There's nothing wrong in delegating, provided that you know what you're actually asking for them to do and what the task should accomplish. 

As a Type-A person, with trust issues and recovering control freak, I’m awful about delegation or acknowledging when I need help. 

It is just recently when I overcame my trust issues and sought help from friends whom my heart feels comfortable working with. Truly, it's change my life and perspective in terms of teamwork. I have always been the person who's into collaboration but when it comes to deliverables, I have this thought that If I can do it, why delegate it? And, the answer just explained itself as I experienced the relief and having to see everyone excel in what they do plus clients feedback showed excellent response. 

I give at least a few minutes in a week to talk to my team, understand where they are and what they may need from you. Alignment is key to clarity.

Walk outside, excercise.

How many steps do you accomplish in a day? accept phone calls while walking or do work while standing every now and then. Sometimes, we forget to go outside and get locked up with work load. It's such a small thing but having to reply to one email after another will already tie you up to forever. 

Don't skip lunch, and savor it. Put on your sunglasses, log in some mileage either first thing in the morning or just right when sunset happens. Stop having "working lunches/dinners."

You deserve a vacation

Although there are those who keeps on preaching that if you love what you do, you will never crave for a vacation. I beg to disagree. As much as we don't crave for vacation when we love what we do, it's rightful for us to be elsewhere rather than being stuck in the city or your work desk.

We all need a different scenery to earn a new perspective, ideas and creativity to flourish. 

It's okay to put a real "Out of Office" message up, quit twitter, have late posts on instagram and just be. 

If you can manage, take a few days of rest, whether you’re headed to the beach or going on a day-trip. Starting your own business is an emotional rollercoaster, in ways, you'll need a breathing space. 

It may feel like giving yourself a time off could be hard work but you'll reap the rewards even far better than taking the workaholic pill. All the hardwork should also be rewarded. Money is not the end, but rather a tool to enjoy life.

YOUR TIMING

I find that I'm always more productive and efficient during early in the afternoon and up until late at night. Find out when is the best time for you. If you find you get the best work done late at night, be sure to leave your morning open for your errands, personal time and self-care.

Never forget yourself. 

Hi I am Kassy Pajarillo. Aged 33, A multi-passionate entrepreneur whose roots came from the hospitality industry and a few start-up ventures. My goal is to take mindful leadership and workplace culture a priority than a second thought; to keep more personal human connection and interaction going; and for everyone to #embraceambition. I have jumped into various businesses not until I found the intersection of all, currently the Chief Encourager of The After Six Club. I have been featured and appeared in numerous media articles, news outlets and I lecture in several universities and speaking opportunities to educate future entrepreneurs and professionals to go for what they immensely love and passionate about.