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Leaders, remember to take care of yourself before taking care of your work.
As we spend more than one-third of our daily time at work, it may take a toll on our personal life as well as our mental health.
Small business owners are one good example, as a new study by Capital on Tap revealed that nearly one-third (32%) of 250 UK-based small business owners said that they’ve had to make uncomfortable and difficult decisions in their personal lives for the success of their business.
*While the survey was conducted in the UK and on small business owners, HRO believes the results remain relevant to our readership in Asia.
According to the results, the number one sacrifice for small business owners is having to miss events with friends or family, with 36% of those surveyed saying they’ve had to skip important moments before.
See below the top five sacrifices business owners have had to make due to business commitments:
Rank | Sacrifice made due to business commitments | % of small business owners who experienced this |
1 | Missed events with friends and family | 36% |
2 | Work long and unsociable hours | 35% |
=3 | Spend less time with family than would like | 34% |
=3 | Mental health has suffered | 34% |
=3 | Work-life balance has suffered | 34% |
4 | Sleep schedule has suffered | 33% |
=5 | Have had to make difficult decisions in my personal life | 32% |
=5 | Sacrificed financial security | 32% |
Facing such a busy schedule, two-fifths (39%) of surveyed business owners think it’s important to make time for self-care each day, and 89% of include some sort of wellness in their daily routine.
The most common self-care activities are:
- taking a shower (99%),
- healthy eating (93%),
- going for a walk outside (92%),
- skincare (85%),
- reading a book (66%), and
- listening to a podcast (66%).
Whether you are a business owner, a manager, or simply an ordinary employee, it is important to make sure you take care of yourself, and factor in time for the things you love. David Luck, CEO at Capital on Tap shares the top five tips to help maintain a good work-life balance:
1. Set expectations for yourself
We only have a certain amount of hours in the day and it’s easy to get caught up in thinking we can get more done than is physically possible. Having a daily routine to stick to should help you manage your time though.
Try to factor in starting and finishing at a normal time, make sure you take a lunch break, allow for a little flexibility, and then set out what you think you can actually accomplish in a day.
2. Delegate where possible
Try not to fall into the trap of doing everything yourself. If you are able to delegate certain tasks, whether that be within your company or through outsourcing, this will free up some time for you to focus on other aspects of your life.
3. Protect your free time
Set clear boundaries for yourself, and make sure to protect your evenings and weekends where possible. The first step is often switching off the devices for a little while, and giving yourself that time to recharge.
4. Don’t give in to social media pressures
Don’t get too caught up in comparing yourself to others. Social media is full of people celebrating wins and successes, and while this is great, what you don’t tend to see are the trials and tribulations that this company has faced along the way.
5. Keep the focus on you
Although there will be plenty of other distractions, try to focus on your own business and your own goals, and remember that success will look different for everyone. A quarter (24%) of business owners think that manifestation got them where they are today, so having a clear vision for what you want and where you want to go is also really important.
Lead photo / 123RF
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