TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF - MY EXPERIENCE AS A SMALL BUSINESS MANAGER

I myself was in a constant race - maintaining the home, looking after the family's health, trying to plan family celebrations, motivating schoolchildren to study, entertaining and caring for everyone in the house and in constant quarantines, and on top of all that, running a family business that requires constant concentration and unlimited working hours. At times it seemed that I forgot to count the few minutes in the day when I could sip my favourite tea in peace. Nothing new, right?

No matter how glamorous and cheerless the pictures on social media are, I can clearly say that behind the happy pictures there is so often a lot of work, rushing, stress and burnout. I, too, have to admit that I sin too much, and first of all against myself. As an entrepreneur, even on weekends it's so hard to get all the worries out of your head, from advertising campaigns and photo shoots to misprinted labels and expired sketchbooks. When the orders are many, these worries are like a positive dopant, but there are also more empty periods when anxiety gnaws from all sides and the mind turns any scenario into worry and stress.
I found myself in a thorough squirrel rut, constantly running, looking after the whole family (we are 7 and a cat) and experimenting with company activities during covid and in the e-commerce field new to me. It didn't take long for my body to give me the first signals. A conscientious and caring woman, of course, ignores these signals, and it wasn't the temperature and the cold that stopped me... I had just forgotten that I was no longer a student and hadn't had a proper holiday for several years.
The missed opportunity to sleep in and take care of myself knocked on the door several times and never went unheard. Then, thoroughly offended, it transformed into aggravated stress and more serious illnesses several times in a row, until the body itself took a break, not coordinating with the "higher management", no longer discussing respite and a moment to itself.

I recently found my ideal retreat - a way to restart and regain my strength - in animal welfare-related good deeds projects. Putting my heart and care into animal advocacy is where I reaffirm to myself over and over again that it gives me the greatest satisfaction and peace of mind. After the #monthatcage project, I felt so useful and did such valuable work that no coaching session could have done my self-esteem any better. Taking action made me realise that I can do anything if I believe in it and make time for it... and that is no small thing.
I also realised that I have to plan my time carefully, it's not something I take for granted, so I made a commitment this year to list the hours I can be just with myself. My goal is 10 hours a week of #rupeyourself time doing only what recharges me - books, yoga, crafts, learning something new, meditating, writing gratitudes and beauty rituals at home.