Taking care of yourself and your business as a self-employed mum

For many mums, being able to earn a living doing what they love that has the flexibility to work around their family life is the ultimate dream. Lots of businesses are born from women who have entered motherhood and turned their backs on being employed by someone else. Since becoming a parent they want more freedom, which allows them to provide for their family but also allows them to be present with their children too.

Now working for yourself isn’t that stereotypical image of Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and The City sitting in Starbucks all day on her obligatory MacBook Pro. It’s a tough gig. Balancing that with the all-consuming beast that is motherhood, isn’t an easy thing to do. As a result, many mums who set up their businesses with a sense of newfound freedom quickly feel swamped by the mental load and never-ending tasks, as if they never left their 9-5.

It’s so easy to put yourself at the bottom of the priority list when you’re a mum, coupled with running your own business is a match made in hell for this reason. However, YOU are your business. Without you, there isn’t a business. Even if you’re not running it solo and have a team supporting you, that still requires some direction and input from the boss. It’s vital that you create space for yourself so you can thrive in your business and in your personal life too – they’re closely interlinked.

The feast and famine cycle of running your own business can make it very tempting to keep on going and put your own wellbeing at the bottom of the priority list. For instance, even when you’ve scheduled a week away, the pull to still be present on social media and take your laptop with you is all too strong. Switching off and being in the moment can feel hard, especially when it feels like there’s so much to do.

It can be so easy for mums in business to keep on pushing and resisting the need to refocus their energy on themselves:

– The to-do list is an endless list of tasks that never seems finished
– There’s always something else that crops up that feels more important than your own needs
– The weight of other people being dependent on you means that you have to keep on going

Listen up, it’s so important that you give yourself the PERMISSION to slow down before your body gives you no other choice. 

A few years ago, I would have been so disappointed with myself that I didn’t have the mental or physical capacity to keep on going. However, now I’m fully embracing it in a way that works best for me.

Discovering self-care has been a game changer for me in terms of learning to honour my needs and not feeling guilty for doing so.

There is no failure in the need to slow down. Only sheer courage in rising above the societal expectations that teach you that you have to keep on doing, regardless of how broken you feel.

Taking some precious time out for yourself not only benefits you but everyone around you too. The ripple effects of self-care are powerful and will not only positively impact you, but also your little ones, family, business, pets, and even your plants!

When you’re feeling your best, you can serve at 100% rather than struggling and serving from low energy reserves. Creating more balance in your work and family can look like many different things, but it’s important that whatever helps to fill your cup back up helps you to feel good, supported, and uplifted.

So, these words are a gentle reminder for you today, if you’re feeling the need to take a step back, give yourself some grace, and unapologetically honour this season of your life – your business and your family will be forever grateful that you did.