This Mindset Monday, I’m going to teach you about 3 tips for a healthy work-to-life ratio as a solopreneur.
One thing many solopreneurs struggle with is feeling overwhelmed.
As a solopreneur, you can feel overworked since you handle all your business yourself
Many solopreneurs also feel as if they have to keep working to make enough money to support their lifestyle and goals.
Overwork and burnout are real challenges that face every solopreneur.
One way that solopreneurs can tackle these issues is by having a healthy work-to-life, or work-to-break ratio.
Here are 3 tips for achieving a healthy work-to-break ratio to keep you a motivated and healthy solopreneur.
1. Set Up “Work Hours”
As a solopreneur, it is easy to simply work when you feel like it.
You manage your own time and resources, so there’s no one breathing down your neck to tell you when to work and when to sleep.
This is an obvious benefit of being a solopreneur, but it comes with a drawback: your work-to-break ratio can be completely skewed.
Though it is OK to not follow a schedule every now and then, you need to have a pretty consistent work schedule to follow on your regular work days.
Work hours can help you know when it’s work time and when it’s rest time.
Make sure to schedule given breaks into your day, just as you would if you were an employee for someone else’s business.
2. Schedule Off Days
In addition to having a work schedule, make sure to plan for off days as well.
Most solopreneurs have a wacky schedule that has them doing work seven days a week.
Though there are some weeks where you may need to work more than others, you need to have consistent off days.
If you have children, you might want to schedule your off days at the weekend when they are home from school.
You can also schedule off days on any other day during the week if another day fits your schedule better.
It doesn’t matter when your off days are, just make sure you take them.
3. Plan For Holidays, Vacations, and Sick Days
Finally, the third tip for having a healthy work-to-break ratio is planning for holidays, vacations, and sick days.
When you have a regular nine to five job, you will have paid vacation and sick days.
Though you obviously won’t get paid for these days when you work for yourself, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take them.
Follow Through
The three tips I mentioned above all relate to planning your work life in a way so that you have free time to focus on yourself and rejuvenate.
It’s important to note that these tips mean nothing if you are not willing to follow through.
Make sure that you consistently stick to your work schedule, complete with frequent breaks.
Also, do not work at all on off days, holidays, vacations, and sick days.
Though it may be difficult to fight the temptation to work, give yourself a break and view these off days as actual off days.
If you need a little extra motivation to improve your work-to-break ratio, just remember that breaks are necessary for mental and physical health.
If you don’t take time off, you will get worn out and sick, causing you to experience burnout and produce lower quality work.
In other words, taking more breaks leads to better work, which leads to a more successful business.
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