Page 99 - INC Magazine-November 2018

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The Smart Way to Self-Carehe Smart Way to Self-Carehe Smart Way to Self-Care
T T
Running your own business means
working, a lot—but also knowing when
and how to give yourself a break.

ina Eiland, founder of
PLAn bIG bREAKS
X Washington, D.C.–based Earl Choate, the founder and CEO of Concrete Camouflage,
an Isabella, Missouri–based e-commerce company that sells
publicity firm X+PR,
always pushed herself
concrete-staining products, takes Saturdays and Sundays off
hard. She would start her
and insists his employees do so as well. His explanation? Back
day by 7:30 a.m. and go
when he was a contractor, he noticed that when he and his
crew put in more than five days in a row, the quality and quan-
till 9 at night. If she
tity of the work declined. “Everyone would fall back into the
couldn’t sleep, she’d send
tired and dull fog,” he says.
emails to staff or clients
Longer breaks are important too, for your personal health
at 2 a.m. “I worked all the
time,” she says.
Until she couldn’t. In 2016, Eiland sprained her ankle while as well as your business; people who don’t take vacation time
are more likely to suffer heart attacks, according to the Fram-
running, her one release from stress. She was exhausted, which ingham Heart Study. Mark Aselstine, the co-founder and CEO
she says contributed to the severity of her injury, and she still of wine club Uncorked Ventures in El Cerrito, California,
can’t run. But the sprain, she says, forced her to confront the began taking two weeks off every summer after noticing his
lack of balance in her life: “It made me realize I had a problem.” productivity waning as the weather got warmer: “With
It’s a common one for entrepreneurs. Almost half of all half my sales occurring at Christmas, summer was about
business owners clock more than 50 hours per week, and when I needed some time off.”
82 percent work more than 40 hours, according to a poll by Yes, you’ll probably get some pushback about taking a real
the Alternative Board, a small-business adviser. Worse, fewer vacation. Ashley Simon, co-founder of New York City–based
than half put in those hours happily or enthusiastically. Curious Elixirs, a purveyor of nonalcoholic cocktails, says she
Instead, their motivations range from believing their role is received more than a few passive-aggressive comments about
indispensable to fear of failure. a recent one-week break. And no amount of success seems
This isn’t a good long-term business strategy. (Just ask to stop the vacation critics: Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian
Tesla’s Elon Musk, whose increasingly erratic behavior and recently took to Facebook to report a complaint from a ven-
minimal-sleep habit set off headlines—and federal charges— ture capitalist when he took a holiday earlier this year. “If you
this summer.) Business owners who regularly work excessive think that spending time with your wife and kid on vacation is
hours told the Alternative Board they experience impatience, an example of a poor work ethic, you’re part of the problem,”
insomnia, forgetfulness, mood swings, and bursts of temper. Ohanian posted in rebuttal.
“Burnout can happen to anyone, no matter how much they If this happens to you, don’t apologize. “I typically
love their work,” says Nancy Cramer, a leadership consultant acknowledge that yes, I’m super busy, but I still make time to cknowledge that yes, I’m super busy, but I still make time to
a
and founder of Correct Course Consulting. do things that are important to me,” Simon says, “and that I
So how can you practice self-care the smart way while still don’t think it’s smart or enjoyable to work seven days a week
effectively running your business? for years on end.”

DIGITALLY DETOX
Just because email, Slack, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and
countless other online communication tools exist doesn’t mean Helaine Olen
you need to use all of them. It’s overwhelming and you’ll strug- (@helaineolen) is a
gle to keep up. Instead, pick one, and request that your clients veteran personal finance
use that method to get in touch. “Set the expectation and hold journalist, the author of
Pound Foolish: Exposing
them to it,” says Melissa Morris, a Gainesville, Florida–based the Dark Side of the
business operations consultant for entrepreneurs. Personal Finance
It’s also a good idea to set parameters on time online. Carrie Industry, and the
co-author of The Index
Weaver, a professional coach and CEO of Silver Branch Card: Why Personal
Consulting, once advised a client who would put her children Finance Doesn’t Have
Shayan aSgharnia to bed and then answer email at night for two hours. When
to Be Complicated.
Weaver instructed her to stop, it turned out no one noticed the
change—and her client was more relaxed and effective at work.

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