We’re heading into a busy time of year. The spring is a busy time for most network marketing businesses. As many of us awaken from our own version of hibernation, we start to want to refresh our selves, our homes, our health, and more. You’re likely spending your time ramping up your connections to your network and preparing for the busy season. In all this busyness, it becomes easy to forget to take care of the most important person in your life – yourself. Without you, there is no network marketing business. You’re not only the glue that holds your network together, you’re likely the glue that holds your personal network and family together as well. Although it may seem counterintuitive to do when life has placed many demands on you, you’ve got to make time for self care. Here’s how.

If I’m not good to myself, how can I expect anyone else to be good to me? 

– Maya Angelou

Why don’t we make time for self care?

We know we need to take care of ourselves and take time out to recharge our internal batteries, so why don’t we do it? There are many reasons

We don’t have time

One of the main reasons we don’t make time for self care is that we simply don’t feel we can squeeze it in. When life is placing demands on us and these demands are taking up a lot of our time, it’s tough to justify – in our minds – taking time out to go for a walk, catch up on reading, or otherwise pamper ourselves. We feel we’re being extravagant taking 20 minutes out of our busy days to focus on ourselves. After all, we could use that 20 minutes to do something on our ever-growing to-do lists, right? 

While it’s natural to want to pack as much in as you can each day and want to get it all done, it can wear you down. Think of your phone – if you’re on it all the time using all the apps, talking to and texting people, updating social media, watching videos, etc. your battery wears down. The more you do on your phone the quicker the battery drains. You’re just like that – the more you try to do, the faster you’ll feel tired and drained. And, if you don’t recharge your battery, you’ll end up having no energy to tackle anything on your list.

Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.”

— Anne Lamott

We feel self care is too extravagant

Another reason we don’t make time for self care is we feel it’s too extravagant. With so much to do, it feels like too much of a luxury to spend time on yourself when you could be doing something we deem more productive. When demands are being made of our time, it can be hard not to feel guilty taking time out to recharge. 

However, it’s not a luxury to take time for self care – it’s a necessity. How can you give the best of yourself if you’re feeling frazzled and overwhelmed? It’s impossible to serve your network to the best of your ability if you’re feeling drained and simply don’t have the energy to deal with your business. And, it’s difficult to give those around you who you love the attention they need if you’re not feeling yourself. Self care is not an option; it’s essential if you want to give your business and loved ones the best of yourself.

“Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are.

”— Malcolm S. Forbes

We don’t know how to practice self care

Although many people may know they need to practice self care, they may not know how. Self care is something personal – there’s no right way or wrong way to do it. For some, recharging their battery means a power nap, for others it’s taking a walk around the block or reaching a chapter of a book. Or, it’s taking some time to pray or meditate. Whatever works for you. It’s about taking time to clear your mind and recharge. 

How to make time for self care

It’s not easy to make time for self care, especially when you’re busy. However, it’s important if you want to keep offering your network and loved ones the best part of yourself.

Make a date

It helps to make a date with yourself for self care. When you put it in your calendar, you make it official. Just as you wouldn’t ignore a doctor’s appointment or a date with your spouse or friend, give yourself the same respect. Whether you type it into the calendar on your phone or into the calendar on the wall in the kitchen, when you make a date with yourself, be sure to follow through. 

“Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.”— Oprah Winfrey

Add self care activities to your to-do list

If you live by your to-do list, adding a self care activity daily or every few days will help ensure you do it. Sure, it may feel weird to add your self care activity of choice to your daily list. It may not seem like a productive thing to do. However, it’s as productive as many other things on your list. If it helps to ensure you get it done, then be sure to add it to your list.

“Be patient with yourself. Self-growth is tender; it’s holy ground. There’s no greater investment.”— Stephen Covey

Change your perspective

If you find it difficult to see self care as productive, work on changing your perspective of it. Recharging is essential! No one, even the most elite athlete or successful business leader, can work hard all the time and not take time out to recharge and refresh. When you only focus on so-called productive activities, you’ve purchased a one-way ticket to Burnout City. When you burn out, you lose interest in your business and lose sight of your goals. It’s impossible to achieve success when you’ve lost focus and interest in your business. 

Self care helps you stay focused on the important things that help you drive your business. When your energy is renewed and you feel refreshed, you’re better equipped to handle the challenges of your day. You’re less likely to get frustrated and want to give up and will look for solutions instead. Additionally, since your mind is fresh, it’s much easier to think of solutions when challenges arise, either for yourself or your team. 

“The most important investment you can make is in yourself. Very few people get anything like their potential horsepower translated into the actual horsepower of their output in life. Potential exceeds realization for many people … The best asset is your own self. You can become to an enormous degree the person you want to be.”

— Warren Buffett

Self care ideas to get started

The key to self care is doing things that make you feel refreshed and rejuvenated. It’s different for everyone. While some feel rejuvenated after a brisk walk in nature, others feel refreshed after having a great conversation with one of their favorite people. Here are some ideas to get you inspired:

• Take a walk in nature
• Go for a run or bike ride
• Meet up with a favorite friend for coffee
• Take a nap
• Read a book
• Dig around in the garden
• Pray or meditate
• Stretch or do yoga
• Sit outside
• Pamper yourself 
• Bake a special treat
• Have a dance party in your living room
• Do something creative, such as drawing or painting 
• Play fetch with your dog 
• Cuddle an animal
• Get crafty and knit, quilt, or do some woodworking
• Spend time with loved ones

The key is to do something that helps you feel refreshed. If the thing that makes you feel refreshed isn’t on the list, that’s fine. Do it anyway. Self care is personal so whatever helps your soul sing is the right thing to do. Just be sure you carve out the time in your day to do it.

Teamzy can help you make time for self care

Teamzy gives you tools you need to streamline your business so you can find it easier to make time for self care. Instead of wasting time wondering who to contact next, Teamzy uses its algorithm to give you a list of people to connect with each day. Just login to your Dashboard and start connecting. Once your Power Hour is complete (in much less time than a full hour in most cases), take time to decompress, unwind, and recharge your internal batteries. If you’re not using Teamzy, what are you waiting for? Click here to learn more.