Time boundaries

Being kind to yourself is an important business skill. I have worked in the service industry for 5 years and in all that time, I never really had a day off. I physically did have days off, but I never allowed myself to truly rest. I was always thinking about my work or school in all of my free time. I have been balancing tasks for YEARS. Only now am I starting to realize the importance of setting them down some times.

You deserve a slice of your time

Being a business owner brings flexibility, which is such a blessing, but can mean that boundaries are pushed and lines are crossed. It can mean you have the freedom to be with your family more, or to travel. It means you can set your hours. It is the ultimate perk. Whether you work with clients hourly or provide products for customers, your time is so valuable, and you deserve to have some of it to yourself too.

I experienced burnout at 19 years old. I pushed through it. I worked my service industry jobs while going to school full time. I made myself so miserable. It is liberating to take a guilt free day off. I would go to school Monday-Friday and then work through the weekends. In college, I even got up at 5 am to work my job before going to school for the day. While it was what I needed to do then, the lines have always been crossed for me. I felt like resting would mean that I was lazy, or not doing enough to further myself. What happened was that I built a life for myself that made me miserable.

Resting is for everyone

Taking time to rest is necessary so that you can show up as your best self. That means something different for everyone. It could mean taking off the traditional Saturday and Sunday weekend. Maybe it means staying off of social media after a certain time. Whatever it is for you, I promise you it will bring you so much goodness. I know it can feel like you might miss something. Or that you will be more successful if you just committed more time. While those things may or may not be true, you and your mental health are more important, and it will show in your business. When you are rested, you are going to be able to show up for your clients, to sell your products, or whatever it is in a much more genuine way. You won’t need to fake anything. You can show up as you. It doesn’t mean you won’t still have bad days, but you will be better equipped to handle whatever is thrown your way because you are fulfilled. Having a good work/life balance makes you better at your job.

And don’t half ass your rest. You should not be working while resting. Don't be too loose-y goose-y with this boundary. I don’t want to catch you scrolling that business insta when you are not in work mode. It is not enough to be having family time while only thinking about business. Set your boundaries and respect them. You need to set aside time each week that you do things that make you feel refreshed. That is the ultimate form of self care and it is not optional. You deserve it.

When I started this business, I knew I needed to begin setting that time boundary. I needed to start by taking weekends off. I make myself available all week—I needed to reclaim my weekends. Now, I am not perfect. I still catch myself scrolling or watching videos about work, but I am doing my best to make myself the priority during my time. That is ultimately going to help me do better for my business and better for my clients.