November 19 - Business Advice - Culture

Practical Ways To Prioritise Your Wellbeing

2020 has been up there with the roughest year to be a business owner and wellbeing has taken a back seat. For a lucky few, their industry has boomed with the changes (essential services, digital businesses, bottle shops), but for many, the forced closure has resulted in an incredibly stressful few months. 

Either way, being your own boss comes with many perks, but it often also comes with an impact on your mental health. It’s no surprise – the ups and downs, the responsibility of managing a team, the pressure to deliver to clients is incessant. We shoulder more than we should and saying “no” is something often learnt the hard way. 

SO! On a brighter note, we’ve put together a list of things to consider; some practical ways to prioritise your mental health before you burn that candle out at both ends. 

Sleep on it 

Big decision to make? Need to respond to a client and you’re feeling terse? Get some shut-eye and revisit in the morning with a clear head.

Get the right information 

In times of overwhelm, we can do or say things in the heat of the moment or with the intention of ticking a job off the list as quickly as possible. Take the time to gather the facts and come at the task from a logical and informed position.

Prioritise Your Wellbeing

Mindfulness that actually works for you

We don’t need to sell the perks of mindfulness and meditation to you – it’s well known that practising has huge benefits, both physically and mentally. The trick is persistence and finding the method that works for you. There are some great apps like Calm to guide you through it, or you could give active meditation a go where you can do it whilst walking. Even five minutes a day can help your brain reset. This is Shelley’s number one stress reliever – make sure you tune into her video on our IG stories to hear more.

Exercise you enjoy

Jason’s go-to is a run or HIIT outside to get those endorphins going. Similar to meditation, it’s about finding what works for you. The exercise you enjoy isn’t hard to keep up but forcing yourself to do a workout you can’t stand just adds to the already mile-long task list. Give Yoga With Adriene a crack – it’s free on YouTube and can be done in your living room. 

Get your green thumb on

Indoor plants are proven to increase productivity and improve mood. Get some green into your office space! 

Tech-free time

The best part of Greg’s day is turning off his tech, and silencing his notifications to have an uninterrupted dinner with his wife and daughters. Puka Up recently did a great podcast with sleep expert Dr David Cunnington who explained the importance of completely switching off from work during your breaks.

Having lunch? Do it away from your computer and turn your phone over so you aren’t grabbing it the instant a notification comes through. These calming periods throughout your day are essential to let your parasympathetic nervous system relax which does wonders for your wellbeing.

The most important one of all: ask for help! 

We aren’t superhuman, we can’t do everything well all the time by ourselves. Call on those close to you and in your workplace for support when you need it – which might be very regularly at the moment.

What are your favourite ways to turn off and recharge?

Speaking of reaching out for help… if there’s anything we can assist with to lighten that load, let us know.