Although we’d never forget to take care of other people, especially at this time of year, most of us can’t say the same for ourselves. How often do you forego a break or other form of self-care to take care of something or someone else? Although we may be proud of having the heart to serve, it’s tough to take a break away just to take time to take a few deep breaths, a walk around the block, or even a short pampering session. While it’s important to serve other people, it’s important to remember that we have our own needs to take care of.

The downside of putting others first all the time is that we’re often left feeling frazzled and overwhelmed. This doesn’t make us more effective in our roles in life; it actually makes us much less productive, less effective, and sometimes even cranky. Although it may go against our better natures, it is essential to your business and your loved ones to take time out of your day for yourself.

Why you should take a break

If you’re like many network marketers, you’re focused on success. As a result, you may think that this means you have to work nonstop and put in hours in front of your computer to succeed. While that would be true in other professions, network marketing is different, especially if you’re doing it right. Instead of spending all of your time on a computer, the most successful network marketers spend a focused 60 minutes, at most, on their businesses each day, just reaching out to connect with their best people. In fact, those network marketers who are in the process of growing their databases spend less time – 30 minutes or less – reaching out and connecting with their networks each day.

It’s hard work, especially when you add in all of your other responsibilities. It may be tempting to plug away and work hard all the way through; however, this is one of the worst things to do. In fact, working nonstop will impair your productivity instead of enhancing it. 

Breaks give you a few minutes to give your mind and body a rest. You can clear your mind for a moment before you move on to the next task on your list. They allow you to recharge your internal battery so that you have the energy to get it all done.

“Love yourself first, and everything else falls in line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.”

-Lucille Ball

The importance of self-care during the holiday season

The holidays are a stressful time. This year, although your holiday season may look a bit different from previous years, it’s no less busy. As a network marketer, this is your busiest time of year, when you’re likely working hard to connect with your network and serve their evolving needs. You’re also trying to remind them of your business and offer opportunities to those who may be interested. 

All of this may leave you feeling frazzled and overwhelmed. To control the chaos, you may find yourself creating one to-do list after the other so you don’t forget a thing. However, you shouldn’t have so many sticky notes that your sticky notes have sticky notes! If you find yourself in that situation, it’s time for self-care!

“But I don’t have time for self care…”

Oh, you don’t have time to not take time for self-care. Many of us are so addicted to being busy that we cram everything into our day and don’t take time to rest. We’re left feeling exhausted and wondering where the day went. Even worse, we may feel that even though we were out straight all day, we didn’t get anything done. 

This may be the biggest sign that you’re in the fast lane to burnout. 

That’s why it is so critical to take a few minutes every hour to just relax and breathe. It seems so simple, but it’s essential and works wonders to clear your mind so you can focus. And that voice that says, “hey, you don’t have time for this. You have to do…” shut it off. Don’t feel guilty about taking time for you. After all, you can’t give your energy to the world if your tank is empty.

Also, plan to take days off, especially at this time of year. The holiday season is all about spending time with the people you love and care for. But, if you’re stressed and frazzled, you can’t enjoy any of it. And, you may take it out on those you care about, which is totally counter to everything the season is about. Instead, plan to take some time off. The key is to make sure that you put in the work ahead of time so that you don’t get out of the habit of working on your business.

“An empty lantern provides no light. Self-care is the fuel that allows your light to shine brightly.”

– Unknown

Daily self-care

If you’re not sure where to start, here are some ideas:

Unplug each day

You can’t recharge your battery when you’re hearing notifications every two seconds. During this time, hide your phone, turn it off, or at least turn off notifications. Take time to close your eyes, take deep cleansing breaths and just zone out. Relax and let your mind wander. 

Once you’re ready to rejoin the world, turn your notifications back on and resume your life. You’ll feel refreshed and ready to take on the world (or your next task).

Get outside

Although the weather may not permit this some days, try to get outside. Breathe in the brisk, winter air and just observe the world around you. Being in nature does wonders for your overall health and wellness. Take a walk around the neighborhood or just sit on the front porch and notice the sights and sounds of that time of day. Wave to a neighbor. Watch the kids play. Whatever it is, be sure it’s away from your to-do list and for you.

Do something you enjoy every day

This is where we often feel the most guilt. After all, we can enjoy ourselves once we’ve plowed through our to-do list right? Not necessarily. You may not have the energy to get through that list if you’re feeling so overwhelmed that you just can’t focus. 

You do everything for other people; take some time each day to do something for yourself. It could be running on the treadmill or reading a chapter from the book you’ve been so excited to read. Whatever it is, do it – you deserve it!

Other ways to practice self-care

Reward yourself

It’s so much easier to stay motivated when you have a reward to look forward to. When you reach your goals or even your milestones, reward yourself. However, keep in mind that the reward should be on scale with the goal or milestone. For example, you wouldn’t reward yourself for doing a week of Power Hours with a high-end designer handbag. That may be more suitable to hitting your quarterly goals.

Remember your Why

When we get busy, it’s easy to forget WHY we got involved in network marketing to begin with. Remembering your Why allows you to reconnect with what’s truly important. 

Wherever you wrote your Why, take some time each month to reconnect with it. Close your eyes and imagine yourself living the life you want to live. This will motivate you to pursue your goals and help you stay on track, especially if you’re at risk for falling off-track. You can also add more details to your Why, and even think of some goals to achieve in the future.

Schedule self-care

Throughout the year, plan for self-care. This could be a day that you take off to focus on you and pamper yourself. It could be a non-negotiable hour a day in which you do activities that recharge your battery. Whatever it is, get it in the calendar so that you can plan around it. Also, choose a few dates throughout the year to take off and spend time with loved ones. This will allow you to plan your business ahead of time so that it’s one less thing to stress about and one huge thing to look forward to. This will help to ensure your success in business and in life. 

Teamzy can help you keep it all together all season long

Log into Teamzy each day to see who to contact on your Dashboard. If you’re at a loss for words, use the scripts to help you start the conversation online. Teamzy was created to help network marketers thrive so be sure to use all the tools at your fingertips to help you create a successful and thriving business. Click here to learn more.