7 Self-Care Tips for Entrepreneurs and Side Hustlers

Every entrepreneur and side-hustler has a few things in common. They know how important their time is and how critical it is to set clear goals. They’re not afraid to stay up until 2 A.M. or wake up at 5 in the morning if it means reaching their dreams.

These people are filled with big ideas, tons of passion, and the discipline to do what they’ve set their mind to. However, such habits can put hustlers on a fast-track to burning out if they don’t recognize the value of self-care.

Practicing self-care on the road to success is kind of like taking pit stops during long drives. You may not think you need it until it’s absolutely necessary, but the more you make it a priority, the easier the whole journey becomes.

Here are a few self-care tips to help you start taking better care of yourself right now.

1. Fix Your Sleep Schedule

Most entrepreneurs think it’s smart to sacrifice their sleep when they have a full schedule. They choose to work until their eyes can’t stay open or their thoughts aren’t making sense, rather than knowing when it’s time to go to bed.

This may seem beneficial in the short-term but it does more harm than good in the long-run. Running on empty for so long can only get you so far.

It’s better to put a project down at the end of the day and allow yourself a full night’s rest than to push your body beyond its limits. Fixing your sleep schedule is a self-care habit you can start practicing this evening, not to mention, a tip you’ll see results from almost instantly.

Everything changes when you start sleeping better. You’ll feel more energy throughout the day, be able to focus easier, and have improved memory functions, too. Aim for 7 or 8 hours of sleep every night and try to fall asleep/wake up at the same time every day.

2. Move Your Body and Feed It Well

You won’t feel all the benefits available with better sleep if you’re slowing your body down with greasy food or skipping meals. Many entrepreneurs know this life. You’re either “too busy” to slow down and eat lunch or you tell yourself the only thing you can squeeze in is a quick McDonald’s run.

It’s time to change the narrative. Start meal prepping on the weekend or setting more time to take lunch every day. Don’t forget the value of a full breakfast and a healthy dinner either, and try to work out a few times a week as well.

Think about it this way: your body and mind are your biggest assets. You have to take proper care of them, in the most fundamental manners, if you want your new business or side hustle to truly succeed.

3. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

Speaking of fundamental self-care tips, start noticing how well you’re hydrating throughout the day. You can’t function on coffee and Red Bull alone. Well, you can, but not to the best of your ability.

Skip your afternoon coffee and reach for a tall glass of water instead. Actually, keep a reusable water bottle by your side to sip on all day long. This helps oxygen flow which improves energy levels and thought processes.

Plus, water can help flush out all the caffeine you’ve been drinking or the fast-food lunches you’ve grown accustomed to.

4. Spend Time With People You Care About

There’s self-care for the body which in turn benefits the mind, and then there are emotional self-care activities. These focus on mental health from the get-go.

Sometimes, all you need to do to take better care of yourself is to spend time with your loved ones. This has to be in-person and totally tuned in.

You can’t equate scrolling through social media as quality time, and getting a quick coffee with someone doesn’t count either if you’re looking at your phone every two seconds. You have to sit down, speak mindfully, and listen well. These are the basic rules of human interaction that the busy life has made people forget.

5. Learn to Say “No”

When you make plans with others or agree to jump on a certain project, be conscious of what you’re agreeing to. It’s good to take a little extra time for lunch if it means catching up with your mom or seeing an old friend.

But, it might be time to start identifying the toxic people in your life and the tasks you simply don’t need to do. Sometimes, the best way to recognize your personal needs is to say “no” to the requests of others.

You don’t have to go to that baby shower you’re dreading or the boys night out that leaves you feeling more exhausted than it does refreshed. As much as you need people in your life to spend time with and keep you going, you have to notice who are the ones holding you back.

6. Notice How You Talk to Yourself

One of the best ways to identify toxic people is to pay more attention to how they talk to you. Are they lifting you up or putting you down? Do they challenge you with honest, constructive criticism or by pushing you until you break?

More importantly – are you the one who needs an attitude adjustment? Take a look at the person in the mirror and ask yourself how you’ve been telling your story lately. Chances are, you may need to change the way you phrase some things.

It’s human nature to be your hardest critic, especially as an entrepreneur. What most people don’t realize, though, is it’s more beneficial to be your own biggest fan. This starts with self-care but it doesn’t go full-circle until you learn how to ease up on yourself.

Be patient with the strides you’re making and start listening to your mind and body more. Recognize when you need sleep rather than another hour of work and when it’s time to sign off from the computer and tune into the world around you.

7. Maximize Your Morning and Nighttime Routines

It’s one thing to understand these self-care tips in theory and another to start using them. The biggest opportunities you have to take better care of yourself are your morning and nighttime routines.

The first hour or so of your day is often the most crucial. For example, it’s better to wake up, eat breakfast, and do some personal reading or a bit of journaling than it is to rush out the door and head straight to work. Similarly, you’ll find winding down at the end of the day is easier with a workout or some family time rather than emailing until your eyes hurt.

There is a balance between checking off everything on your to-do list and knowing what to leave for tomorrow. It’s found when you give yourself time to mentally prepare for the day in the morning and set boundaries between work and self-care at night.

Putting Self-Care Tips to Use

Here’s another interesting thing about self-care: the more you start making a habit of one or two of the self-care tips above, the easier the other ones become.

Self-care doesn’t always have to be taking a day off to do no work or filling up the bathtub every night with bubbles. In fact, it’s more manageable – and more effective – when it’s part of your everyday routine.

For more ways to love yourself more and take on your big dreams, click here.