The ‘H’ in Hustle is for Health! Our Self-Care Action Plan for Women in Business
Four in five small business owners experience poor mental health and some of the common symptoms are the inability to focus, anxiety, exhaustion from disrupted sleep, panic attacks and symptoms of depression. Shining a spotlight on the health and wellbeing of small business owners, recent reports from iwoca and Mental Health UK showed 86% of female entrepreneurs struggled with symptoms of poor mental health. Four in five small business owners experience poor mental health compared to 77% of male entrepreneurs; and what’s more concerning is that nearly half of them do not seek or access the help they need.
In a quest to secure the livelihoods of those around them, women who ‘hustle’ tend to push themselves to the max and often to exhaustion. But if the ‘H’ in Hustle should stand for Health, the ‘B’ in Business could just as well be ‘Burnout’
‘Burnout’, while not classified as an illness or health-condition, is described as an occupational phenomenon and officially recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO).
As we hurtle towards the end of the year, life can easily become overwhelming for anyone, let alone for women running their own businesses and balancing family life. We all want to hit those year-end financial goals while juggling responsibilities at home and planning for upcoming festivities, so it’s not surprising to find ourselves feeling a little overwhelmed and perhaps a little burnt out. This is why AWEC mentor, Fabiola Riobe, is sharing her top tips on self-care for women in business.
Fabiola Riobe is a dynamic and influential expert with over ten years in academia. With a passion for continuous learning and professional development, she serves as the Associate Provost of Academic Innovation, Online Education and Global Opportunities at Rockland Community College in New York. In addition to her academic expertise, Fabiola is an empowerment coach and also runs a financial education services business to teach clients the basics of financial management, and brings this range of insights into what it takes to build a company and run a busy life.
As you go into the festive season, take a moment and create your personalized self-care action plan. When you take care of yourself, you’re able to fully show up for others around you.
Self-Care Isn’t Selfish: Behaviors and Tips to Create Your Personalized Action Plan
"You can't pour from an empty cup." With the greatest urgency, I encourage my fellow boss ladies to take the necessary steps to ensure that they can keep up with the growing demands placed on them. Selfcare is not only a recommendation; it is a need, same as food, shelter, or water.
In developing your self-care action plan, consider these types of behaviors:
Red: What are things you do that you need to STOP doing immediately? Unfortunately, this may include certain relationships that are more negative and draining than positive and empowering.
Yellow: Identify behaviors that you don't do enough of, and increase the frequency and consistency of those behaviors. For example, are you drinking enough water, getting enough sleep, and exercising?
GREEN: Name the things you know you need to do and create the opportunity to START doing them. For example, starting and finishing work on time and setting up boundaries for yourself may include delegating tasks and asking for help.
Here are three effortless steps that leaders can implement to guide their self-care process.
Be Intentional – create a schedule and follow it. Make appointments with yourself to do what you like to do.
Be Generous – self-care should be daily. It doesn't have to be a day-long event.
Be Yourself – focus on yourself and your journey.
Remember, self-care doesn't have to be complicated; it can be something as simple as taking an extra five minutes in the car alone.
Self-care is what YOU NEED, so there is no one-size-fits-all model. Be intentional about creating time for yourself in a way that fits your lifestyle.
Fabiola Riobe is a renowned self-empowerment coach. Contact her for more information on self-care action plans and empowerment tools for women.
Further Help And Support
To get more information we highly recommend reaching out to trusted people in your circle, seeking advice from medical professionals or looking out for support from organizations like Mental Health UK which is running a Christmas Advent Calendar bringing you daily wellbeing tips to help you get through the festive season.