Imagine you’re the CEO of your own company. You’re working long hours with limited acknowledgment and praise or reward. But you do it because, at the end of the day, you feel valued, you feel accomplished, and deep down, you love what you do, despite its challenges.
Now imagine you’re the stay-at-home parent in your family. You’re working long hours with limited acknowledgment and praise or reward. But you do it because, at the end of the day, you feel loved, you feel needed, and deep down, you love what you do, despite its challenges.
Notice the similarities?
Why, then, when you have a full-time job out of the home, do people sympathize that it’s not so easy to schedule time out of the office or even schedule time off, but as a mumpreneur, we’re expected to prioritize ‘me-time’ and a self-care routine on top of everything else we do?
The truth about taking time off from our ‘day jobs’ is that if you do, the preparation required, coupled with the overwhelming game of catch-up you play when you return, makes taking time off a somewhat overwhelming concept. Whether you’re a stay-at-home parent, the CEO of your own company, or both (congratulations, you’re amazing!), making time for ourselves seems like a task that keeps getting pushed to the bottom of the priorities list.
On reflection, my recent Ausmumpreneur Instagram takeover for a day exposed an alarming amount of work and almost no time for me. ME. The glue that holds my home together. The heart of our family. The loving, nurturing role model that keeps the engine room of our family maintained and running smoothly.
Why is this happening?
What lessons or professional development have I missed along the way that would have equipped me with the tools to prioritize myself and recognize that working myself silly isn’t going to equate to success and longevity in my business?
Easy when you’re looking in from the outside (or on IG), isn’t it?
As an Ausmumpreneur, we become extremely successful at working in several capacities. That’s what makes us so good at what we do. I feel as though I have put others first for so long that it is difficult to switch gears and give myself permission to care for myself as much as I care for others. However, by making small changes at a comfortable pace for me, I now realize that the inclusion of more self-care would ultimately inject more energy and quality time into my business. I’d love to feel more refreshed and happy within myself, and surely the increase in dopamine (our ‘happy hormones,’ created by exercise, healthy eating, and a good night’s sleep) would improve productivity in all areas of my busy mumpreneur life.
The Ausmumpreneur Instagram takeover was an incredible experience for me on so many levels, and I’m forever grateful to Peace and Katy for giving me this opportunity. So many moments of reflection and empowerment in one short day. My advice to others struggling to find the right ‘balance’ is to reflect on your busiest day and increase your self-care time by 10%. Give yourself the permission to make more time for yourself and think of self-care as the most important ingredient to your recipe for success.
