Transformative Self Care for Female Change Makers

ENTREPRENEUR HUB / 20 JULY 2023

Self Care for Female Change Makers: Transformative Tips for Long Term Success

Female leaders, entrepreneurs, and change makers are some of our community’s most hardworking and dedicated people today. They are naturally inclined to care for everything and everyone, often without expecting anything in return. Unfortunately, this drive and determination can come at a cost – burnout.

Therefore, it’s crucial to invest in ourselves and adopt a transformative approach to self-care to allow us the greater chance for long term success.

Rather than settling for “regular” self-care practices from a more indulgence POV, to adopt a transformative self-care routine is one that approaches ambitious professional goals with a holistic lens, one that nurtures you in all aspects of your life catering your mental, physical, and emotional well-being.

In this article, we discuss the 7 cornerstones of developing a mindset that will balance challenge and compassion. Together, we can learn how to thrive without feeling like you are constantly on the go, working 24/7.

Transformative Self Care Essentials: The Hitlist

1. Create Purposeful Weeks with Daily Intentions

Adopt a mindful approach by committing to 15 minutes at the start of each day with a reminder of why you are currently pursuing your current goal, role, business. If you can align back to your purpose every morning (even if its just for 5 minutes) this will do wonders for you to ensure that you stay on track. You will become more intentional with the decisions you face throughout the day, the week, the month, the year. Grab a post it note, and get specific each day with what you want your intention for the day – write it down and place it somewhere you’ll see it throughout the day. This daily intention can is unique to you and how you arrive each day, it can be absolutely anything – big or small, business, or personal, to set the tone for the day. Remember, each new day, brings a new opportunity.

Transformative Self Care Tip:

Keep the post-it notes somewhere visible, like your desk or planner, to serve as a constant motivational prompt. When faced with hard decisions, it will help you make them with clarity and purpose.

2. OFFLOAD YOUR TASKS TO Free up your Mind

Everyone is different, we all work and manage our time in different ways. There are also a lot of tools promising short cuts and cut your time on mundane tasks by 50%. My advice, keep it simple to start with, build the foundations and then add on. By adopting basic scheduling techniques to optimise your productivity and overall well-being you’ll start to figure out which methods work well for you and which ones cause more chaos than organisation. Once you know your weak spots, this is where it helps to invest in those additional tools and support otherwise you run the risk of spending more time with 5 different platforms and flipping between the 20 tabs open on your browser, forgetting what you wanted to achieve that day.

Here are some of the daily non-negotiables that will allow you to offload your tasks and free up your mind to get creative, grow, and succeed.

Start the week by reviewing your calendar, and if you use a digital one, consider whether creating separate schedules between work and personal life is something that you would benefit from or whether combining them makes life a little easier for you to manage. If you’re unsure, test it out for 2 weeks and see which method you prefer.
If you use a digital calendar, transfer your weekly schedule onto paper at the start of each week to track your achievements and check off completed tasks. By bringing pen to paper you’ll be more clear on your weekly goals, tasks and important deadlines.
Kickstart each day by reaffirming your intention at the top of your daily planner, setting a positive tone for the day ahead. Small, but effective
Be genuine with yourself, set only appointments, projects, events, deadlines that are achievable. There is nothing more de-motivating than setting 10 deadlines for the day and realising that you can barely complete 1.
Create breathing space between meetings, allowing 15-30 minutes to recharge. Strive for a well-managed schedule, avoiding exhaustion. This should be a non-negotiable.
Girls gotta eat, so don’t skip out on a lunch break. Fuel = energy and energy = productivity.
Essentials for a balanced day include integrate time for play this can include anything from movement, hobbies, errands, and quality time with loved ones.
Set notifications 15 minutes before each scheduled appointment to clear your mind and prepare. Jumping between meetings without any breathing space risks overall productivity and focus. To be engaged means also showing up as engaging to those around you. Remember that if you show up to a meeting frazzled from a stressful finance topic and then move into a creative strategy session with your team without a pause you run the risk of carrying frustrations, challenges or negative energy from one topic to the next – even if they are unrelated and with different people.

Transformative Self Care Tip:

Combine your digital calendar with an old-fashioned paper weekly planner, adding at the start of each day your daily intention and checking off tasks as you complete them for a sense of accomplishment.

3. KNOW YOUR Boundaries: Don’t Feel Obligated to Solve Every Problem

As an a highly motivated individual, you may face countless challenges and requests each day. However, it’s essential to recognise that you don’t have to solve every problem that pops up right then and there. Pause and re-prioritise your tasks and address them according to their urgency and importance. If you are completely overstretched and cannot manage, learn to delegate or defer non-urgent matters to avoid overwhelming yourself. Asking your manager, mentor or colleague to give a different perspective can also help in these challenging situations.

Another way to review how you can implement healthy boundaries in your life is to frequently audit your network and appropriately adjust the time and energy you spend with them. Surround yourself with individuals who support and uplift you. Be mindful of energy-givers and energy-drainers in your life. If certain relationships or engagements consistently drain your motivation and positivity, consider setting boundaries to protect your well-being. For more insights on identifying energy givers and drainers, check out our previous article “Are You An Energy Giver Or An Energy Taker?”

Remember, setting boundaries isn’t selfish—it’s an act of self-preservation and a way to safeguard your overall well-being. By implementing these strategies, you can cultivate a transformative self-care routine that supports your journey as a female founder and empowers you to thrive in the business world for the long term game. Your well-being is paramount, and embracing self-care is not only beneficial for you but also a powerful statement that challenges the narrative of the “hustle” culture.

Prioritise your health, be the role model for the community and use your purpose to be successful. You’ll emerge as a resilient and successful female entrepreneur, leading your game-changing company with intention and strength.

Transformative Self Care Tip:

Every time a new opportunity arises, ask yourself, “By saying yes to this, what am I saying no to?” This will help you make informed decisions that align with your priorities. Embrace the power of saying no, when necessary, as it allows you to focus on what truly matters to you and your business.

4. embrace the Micro Moments: opt for consistency

When we are on a roll it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and grind, constantly pushing ourselves to achieve more and reach new heights. While ambition and hard work are essential, we must also remember that we are in this for the long game. It’s not about achieving perfection overnight; it’s about consistent progress that brings us closer towards achieving our goals. Overnight success stories are rarely overnight success stories.

Use micro moments to support you in chunking down the overwhelm of hustle culture. These small pockets of time allow us to step away from our screens, desks, or phones. Embrace these moments as opportunities to stand, stretch, or step outside for a breath of fresh air. Leveraging the white spaces in your calendar to take a break and revitalise yourself is just as crucial as the tasks filling your day.

Have you ever worked on a task and got so deep into the zone that by the time you look at the time, you’re shocked to find out 3 hours has just passed? This type of activity has activated your flow state – usually this is an activity or task that leverages your skillset whilst also challenging you. You end up losing the concept of time and 1 hour feels like 15 minutes. This can be a great place to be in, but there is also a tipping point. Have you ever heard the saying ‘quit while you’re ahead?’ Spending too much time on flow tasks can lead to burnout, reducing productivity and negatively impact your goal attainment strategy. To avoid this, before starting the task set yourself a time limit to ensure that you take reguarl breaks, even if you’re on a roll. Whilst it may feel counterproductive, allowing your mind and body time to rest and recharge will keep your ideas fresh and your motivation high.

Transformative Self Care Tip:

In your next 15 minute micro break, disconnect completely from the world of technology and embrace the world around you outside. If possible, take yourself away from your work space either outside or in another room. Take some deep breaths in and add some moments of mindfulness to your day. What do you start to notice?

5. Letting Go: Release What No Longer Serves You

As you venture further into your journey as a female founder, it’s crucial to take the time to reflect on your personal strengths and weaknesses. By understanding these aspects, you can realign your tasks and focus on activities that leverage your strengths. Remember, the most successful people excel in the art of delegation. There is no shame in asking for help when needed.

Take a close look at the tasks that consume most of your time and evaluate the return on investment for each. You are your most valuable asset, so it’s essential to prioritise your time and energy on activities that only you can handle. For the rest, consider delegation, elimination, or outsourcing.

By being proactive in letting go of tasks that don’t align with your strengths or provide a substantial return on investment, you’ll create space for meaningful endeavours and propel yourself towards greater success in the long term. Remember, success lies not in doing everything yourself, but in strategically focusing your efforts where they matter the most.

Transformative Self Care Tip:

Embrace innovative solutions and resources outside your usual scope. Something as simple as hiring a cleaner might save you five hours each week, allowing you to invest that time back into your business. If you find yourself struggling with copywriting for your website or social media accounts, consider working with a freelancer. Let go of the need to do everything yourself and explore the possibilities of delegation.

6. Celebrate your Wins – no matter how small

In the fast-paced world of entrepreneurship, it’s easy to get caught up in the constant pursuit of goals, always striving to do better and achieve more. It means that we often overlook the significance of recognising how far we’ve come and what we’ve accomplished so far. This can be particularly challenging for solo entrepreneurs, as they lack the immediate support of a team, colleagues, or leaders to provide encouragement and acknowledgement.

As a female founder, it’s essential to embrace the practice of celebrating your achievements and personal growth throughout your journey. Just as you’ve carefully crafted your company’s vision and business objectives, don’t forget to establish these for yourself as well. Personal development planning, often overlooked in traditional business plans, is vital to maintaining a healthy perspective on your progress and keeping yourself on track.

By regularly celebrating your wins and staying connected with your personal journey, you’ll cultivate a healthier mindset and sustain the motivation needed to thrive in the entrepreneurial world. Remember to appreciate your achievements. Don’t mistake this as a sign of complacency. It is a way to empower you to progress with confidence and purpose.

Transformative Self Care Tip:

At the end of each month, set aside around two hours for a monthly review session. Take the time to assess and reflect on all aspects of your goals and targets. Note three highlights, three lowlights, and three actionable focus points for the upcoming month. Acknowledge your top accomplishments and identify key learnings from the previous month. Integrate this review process into your quarterly strategy, allowing it to guide your continuous growth and development as a female founder.

7. Strategic Reflective Practice BUILDS RESILIENCE

Engaging in regular self-reflection is an invaluable tool for personal and professional development. It might seem like a luxury when it comes to allocating the time to your busy schedule. However, embracing reflective practice nurtures self-awareness, it gives you the space to delve into how you are feeling, what you might need/no longer need and re-align your efforts with your aspirations. Once you are consistent with your check in’s you’ll start to feel more confident in being able to get to where you want to be.

Reflective practice is a great way to get a ‘birds eye view’ of you are an individual but also the work or business that you are working towards building. It plays a pivotal role in aiding informed decisions and fostering personal and professional growth. If you are able to, try dedicate a portion of each day for quiet introspection. If a daily end of day wrap up isn’t feasible, start with 15 minutes at the end of each week to gather your thoughts – block it out in your calendar Friday at 3pm.

Transformative Self Care Tip:

Unsure where to start? An effective way of doing this is by journaling your thoughts. Here are some journal prompts to help you get started.

What was your intention this week?
What was the impact?
What went well?
What didn’t go to plan?
What achievement am I most proud of this week?
What have I learnt this week and how can I take that learning into next week?

Yes, disruptors need self care too

In the words of Audre Lorde, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation.” Embracing transformative self-care is an act of resistance, pushing back against the narrative that women change makers should handle everything on their own.

By prioritising your mental, physical, and emotional well-being, you can lead with greater resilience and strength and making a positive impact on the world.

You’ve Got This!

Are you struggling to see the balance between success and self care?

We’re here to help. We offer 1:1 personalised coaching programs for female change makers just like you. You deserve to embrace transformative self-care to lead with intention and achieve unparalleled success in your business.

Remember, investing in yourself is the key to building a thriving and impactful business.