5 Mindfulness Tips for Small Business Owners
Being a small business owner means that you constantly have your mind on. You are managing every single aspect of your business and need to have your to do list running in the back of your mind on replay. It is a ton of work that we can easily get caught up in and forget to check in with how we are doing mentally along the way. By having this constant replay of our to do list, we are putting ourselves on the back burner. The busier the mind gets, the harder it can be to get through the hours of work to come. This is why bringing mindfulness tips into your day can help you manage your mental health as a small business owner.
Here is a list of 5 mindfulness tips from Soul Self Apparel that you can use to check on your mental health while running your business:
1. Retrain your Beliefs
BELIEVE that you do in fact have time to practice mindfulness. We often ask people, “hey, how are you doing?” and the response is “good, very busy.” You might be thinking – “now you’re asking me to add another item onto my to do list?!” I know how it sounds, but let me tell you – you do in fact have the time to practice mindfulness. If you believe you don’t have the time, then you will never have the time. Believe that you do and make it happen. By practicing even 5 minutes of mindfulness you can dramatically change your productivity in the day for the better. Mindfulness decreases stress and approaching what you need to get done with less stress will allow you to work more effectively and efficiently.
2. Start Small with Mindfulness
Approach mindfulness with SIMPLICITY. It may seem complicated to try out a mindfulness practice. Maybe you’ve never really tried a practice like this before, or you’re not exactly sure what to do. Mindfulness practices can be extremely simple. There are many different ways to practice and one of them could be a simple observation. When we move quickly throughout our day, or quickly during our decision making, sometimes there are lines that can get blurred. This is the opposite of being mindful. To practice mindfulness you can simply ask yourself this question when you’re making a decision – “am I rushing this to check an item off my list, or should I contemplate this decision further?” Having this observation can make the difference in the world of the decisions you make. It allows you to be more mindful instead of getting caught up in automatic decision making.
3. Embrace the ups and downs
Be TRUTHFUL to yourself. How often do you tell someone you are doing great, but really you have been struggling or haven’t admitted that to yourself? It can be hard to be vulnerable and realize that it’s been challenging for you to navigate through your days. There is no shame in having challenges with your Mental Health. The best thing that you can do is be truthful to yourself. If you constantly push down your feelings of unease and stress, then sooner or later it’s going to blow. Acknowledging your challenges as you face them can allow you to get through them in a much smoother way.
4. Focus on Self Compassion
Remind yourself that PUTTING YOU FIRST isn’t selfish. Sometimes we can feel that we are being selfish to put ourselves first. We feel guilty choosing ourselves over putting more time and effort into the business. We feel that we are not doing enough or that we aren’t enough, so we should just keep pushing forward on the business.
Choosing you and putting yourself first and be proactive with mindfulness tips is choosing the business. If your ducks aren’t in a row, then this will translate into what you do for the business. Consider something that your business may be challenged with right at this time.
For example, it could be organization. Ask yourself, how is organization within yourself in your mind? Sometimes this can be mirrored. Putting yourself first is a way that you can be mindful of your Mental Health and see a return on how your business operates.
5. Prioritize You
Make a COMMITMENT to mindfulness. Commitments, especially ones to yourself, can be challenging to sustain over time. They say that the adult mind can only focus for 20 seconds… wow! Making a commitment allows you to reinforce something positive and in turn becomes more present in everything that you do. Committing to mindfulness will change your perspective on the actions you take and how you go about your day. It’s something that will take up a short amount of time and energy, but give you a huge return on your investment. Don’t believe me? Give it a try in the upcoming Mind Your Mind Challenge, hosted by Soul Self Apparel.
At the end of the day, you need to put yourself first! Incorporating mindfulness tips like these help to lightens the heavy load that all small business owners take on. I encourage you to find something that can remind you to check in on your Mental Health from time to time, because I know you’re putting the work in and you deserve the world!
Are you ready to take action on your mental health?
Here’s a chance for you to support your Mental Health as a small business owner, but also contribute to the Mental Health of others. The Mind Your Mind Challenge is a fundraiser that raises awareness and funds for local Mental Health Initiatives. It challenges you to 200 minutes of Mindfulness during the month of May. The best part is that the hardest part is done for you. All you need to do is click play! Each day participants receive a 5-10 minute video of a guided mindfulness practice led by professional and certified teachers. By completing the 200 minutes you can enter to win TONS of exciting prizes.
The prizes you could win include:
- 8 Personal Training Sessions on WRKOUT ($675 value)
- $500 to The Face Studio
- $200 Gift Card to Save On Foods
- $100 Gift Card to Joseph Richards Group (JRG)
- $100 Gift Card to Soul Self Apparel
- $50 Gift Card to Restore Rehab & Wellness
- $25 Gift Card to Body Energy Club
- Reiki Session with Brenna ($80 value) at Restore Rehab & Wellness
- Foam Roller
- Mala Bracelets
Get Involved
Is your small business conducting any mental health initiatives for your employees or are you looking to add another one to make an impact? Reach out to Soul Self Apparel to learn more about becoming more involved with the Mind Your Mind Challenge.
Soul Self Apparel
The Soul Self Apparel operates as a shop to support model. Every purchase contributes to supporting an important cause around Mental Health, Inclusivity, Sustainability & Community. The actions you take matter and go a long way. We’ve partnered with the Soul Self Project to make what do you matter.