How Do You Balance Self-Care and Your Business?

In the aftermath of the death of my beloved companion dog Sophie, I have had to pay much closer attention to self-care.  I have been tired and distracted by grief. I couldn't concentrate enough to work very much for the first three weeks after she died.  Even reading was a challenge as my mind and body were processing her absence. The last time I lost a major figure in my life was 27 years ago when my father died with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease).  After his funeral I went back to work and managed the roller coaster of grief by pushing the painful feelings away.

This time I know that I must let the feelings come and stay until they are resolved.  I have lived a lifetime of over-riding my needs and feelings.  No more; because refusing to accept painful feelings of grief, sadness, and fear has kept me stuck!  If I'm going to have a powerful feeling, I'm going to be present to it so that it can move through and out.  The time for staying stuck is over!

This process takes time, fortitude, and faith.  It also demands that I attend to what I need - be it more sleep, solitude, time with friends, a dog on my lap, easy reading, or a movie to make me laugh or cry - while finding the balance of self-care and business.

I am aware that I could fall into the pit of despair and wallow there for longer than necessary.  So I've begun to rebuild daily habits now that my day is no longer scheduled around walking my dog 3 times a day.  And I'm slowly slipping back into work mode with much more curiosity about how to craft my days and my work so that I work and get my personal needs met.

I am intending that my days of being driven by my relentless Task Master and Critic are over.  Honestly, that part of me needs another job!

Already this feels better.  What I'm creating from this perspective feels more fitting and sustainable for me.

How do you balance self-care and your business?

Do you take time for sleep, exercise, relaxation, feeling where you are?

Do you race through each day taking care of the millions of things that an entrepreneur has to do?

What is your best self-care practice?

Please share.  I would truly like to know.