Life as a business owner is never dull. From making critical decisions to maximizing profits to inspiring their team, an entrepreneur’s typical responsibilities can keep their adrenaline pumping seemingly nonstop.

Dive deeper into the weeds, though, and it’s easy to see how the day-to-day routine can become draining. It’s true that an efficient, productive company depends on consistency to thrive. But if that requires a leader to regularly work late into the night on weekends, a certain malaise can set in, making them feel like it’s nearly impossible to separate themself from their duties.

The solution? Breathe new life into your routine. Since your company counts on you to be at your best, here are some ways you can fine-tune your habits and make sure you are.

Start each day off right

Most successful businesspeople would agree that having the right frame of mind in the morning sets the tone for the rest of the day. So don’t sleep on the golden opportunity mornings offer. For instance, waking up early—before family members crawl out of bed and emails start rolling in—can provide a quiet, distraction-free time to get a handle on what’s ahead. Or you could set aside an hour for precious “me” time: doing engaging activities like reading a book or hitting the gym.

Eat well

Entrepreneurs aren’t exactly known for having a well-balanced breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day—but they should. Getting proper vitamins and nutrients through wholesome foods can provide a host of health benefits, not the least of which are optimum brain functioning and reduced fatigue. No matter how busy your day gets, make sure you dedicate time to proper meals. (As a bonus, eating a healthy lunch in your office will give you a convenient reason to close your door for a spell.)

Be honest with yourself

Let’s face it: it’s sometimes difficult to admit defeat as a leader. But for the sake of both your business and your family, you need to know and acknowledge your breaking points. Consider your emotions and behaviors during overly stressful times. Do you tend to get cranky at home? Do you perhaps feel listless or have trouble focusing in the office? Take the responsibility of recognizing these signs, and then find ways to pull back and regroup (such as the ones that follow).

Commit to personal time

This may be the most challenging ask for a leader, but it’s one of the most important ones—especially when it comes to establishing a healthier work-life balance. To reinvigorate your daily routine, consider making some or all of these changes:

• Earmark a certain amount of time for yourself on your calendar each day. It only needs to be a fraction of what you dedicate to your business, an hour at minimum, and you can take it all at once or in small chunks. • Figure out the best way for you to enjoy that time. Whether you go out for coffee or a drive for a half hour, take occasional ten-minute walks while listening to music or podcasts, or just get up and stretch and walk for five to ten minutes every hour, use these moments to refresh your mind and spirit.
• Set boundaries for your availability. After all, you don’t need to be available for business matters 24-7. Figure out where to hard-stamp your sign-on and sign-off times, and make them clear to your team and your family. Frankly, the person who may struggle the most to abide by your brand-new boundaries is you, so having others hold you accountable will help.
• Unplug. The only way you can commit to a better routine is to completely put away your phone and your laptop (or at least minimize your technology to devices that have no traces of work). If you have kids, it may be fun to try this challenge together—you’ll be a role model while potentially also carving out more family time.

Commit to sleep

While you’re resetting boundaries for your work-life balance, you should do the same for your sleep-wake balance. It’s a longestablished fact that business leaders tend to brush off the impact of a good night’s rest, but ensuring that you get at least seven hours a night can improve both your mental acuity and overall health. To put it another way: you wouldn’t stand for your team members always being lethargic and unfocused, so why would you allow yourself to be that way by not enjoying enough slumber?

Establish needs versus wants

As an entrepreneur, you naturally want to be involved with everything in your company—but do you really need to be? Conversely, does your family need more of your attention? As you ponder these questions, keep in mind that the phrase “living at the office” doesn’t hold the cachet it once did. In fact, it can actually harm you, your team, and your loved ones.

Learning to let go of your wants as a business leader reduces your omnipresence in the office, which will benefit not only you but also your team since your ubiquity may seem like a sign that you don’t trust them. For example, you can easily record Zoom meetings and watch them later instead of being in every one of them. You should also sit down with your executive team to discuss reasonable ways they can be your eyes and ears more often or take on responsibilities that you don’t absolutely need to shoulder.

Make self-care dynamic, not static

Refreshing your routine isn’t a one-time-only cure. Ebbs and flows exist in every business, and you can tweak your routine accordingly for maximum impact. Always remember: it’s OK to occasionally think of yourself and your personal needs first. After all, helping yourself will inevitably benefit your business and your loved ones as well. Life as an entrepreneur can be both rewarding and challenging. Switching up your routine every now and then can keep your mind and body fresh, helping to ensure that you’re at peak performance as a leader both at work and at home.

TAKE ACTION:
Commit to making three to five adjustments to your normal daily routine.