Self-care is a strategy for business success
As a healer or helper, you hold the space for healing and transformation on a daily basis.
The energy of holding that space takes a toll.
If you aren't filling your own self-care tank, overwhelm takes its toll and burnout is sure to follow.
On top of providing the space for your healing work, you also have the business-side of things to manage.
Managing your coaching, healing, or helping business requires strategic planning, quarterly assessments, monthly targets, and weekly maintenance tasks to keep business operations running smoothly.
It’s a heavy energetic load...especially if you are high on the sensitivity scale.
My best advice?
Sacred energy management: for you and for your business. Energy management is learning to manage your energy at all levels, including the energy of your business.
Sounds simple enough, until you start to seek that balance.
Balancing your time, business activity and finances is a juggling act, especially when paired with your actual healing or helping work. But there are a few simple remembrances that can help to keep you in the flow.
Put yourself first —because without you, there's no business.
This means time for precious self-care is non-negotiable. Committing to your restorative practices shows commitment to your business's success. Nourishment and rejuvenation are essential.
Go ahead, eat something nourishing.
Or put your feet up. Take a savasana. Your business (and your ever-expanding to-do list) will be there in 10 minutes. And the more you nourish yourself, the better off your business will be.
Practice a Restorative yoga sequence for a treat at the end of your day or to unwind before bed.
Make friends with your finances
In order to "make it" in business, you must focus on earning a profit. More income, and / or fewer expenses are requirements for your business to earn a profit —and to remain in a positive energy balance. If you're close to overwhelm (or burned out —again), then it's time to heal some energy leaks. If you're in a service-based profession, time is money, so let's start with what hurts: money. If your current financial situation is dire, take a look around at the places money energy is “leaking out” —maybe it’s your billable or non-billable hours — and stop the leaks! Then decide how much money you ACTUALLY do need to remain in financial ease .
Once you know that, it’s easier to….
Guard your time
Your time is sacred, precious and finite —use it effectively by truly staying focused on the services, offerings, tasks, hobbies and causes that light your heart fire.
Anyone who has time to bingewatch [insert your favorite series] on Netflix has time to build a sustainable business.
Seriously, though, get strategic about how you are using your time —in business and in life.
Could you sacrifice that weekly energy drain and use the time you save to develop a higher value service: like an online program or signature workshop series? Absolutely.
Could you give up one night of Netflix every week to spend a couple hours working on that book? Sure.
The thing is that you do really have the time: it's a matter of shifting the focus to the tasks and goals that will leverage your business success. But if you burn through productive hours or busy-busy weeks without a measure of thoughtfulness, you will continue to end up frustrated, overworked, and overwhelmed.
Building a sustainable business is a supreme act of self-care because it allows you to be mindful and attentive to where you spend your vital energy. It allows you to manage energy at all levels: subtle, financial and physical.
