Make Sure to Take Time Off

As a small business owner, especially if you work from home, you may find that one of your greatest challenges is keeping your work from taking over your entire life. It’s tempting to answer “just one more email” before bed. You can find yourself still at the computer hours later, bleary-eyed and exhausted. You may feel that you need to work as many hours as possible, but doing so may actually be counterproductive.

If all you do is work, you may neglect your health — not sleeping enough, eating poorly, and getting too little physical activity. This will make you cranky and less than enthusiastic about work.

A better strategy is to allot a specific amount of time each day for an activity completely unrelated to work. Take an hour to go to the gym, or a brisk walk on the beach. Make sure to take time for regular meals. Stand up and stretch every 30 minutes or so. Spend time with friends and family. Most importantly, try to sleep at least 7 to 8 hours a night (ok, maybe 5 or 6 is more realistic sometimes). By making sure that you are well rested and healthy, you will feel better mentally and physically and ready to face the challenges of being an entrepreneur.

Michelle