Why self-care matters SO MUCH for self-employed women.
Hi there. I see you.
Hi there. I see you.
Being self-employed is empowering, but let’s be real... it’s fricking exhausting. You’re the boss, the marketer, the service provider, the accountant... and that’s just before lunch. Without a structured 9-to-5, it’s easy to blur the lines between work and rest, which can lead to burnout before you even see it coming.
To me, as a busy mum of two working from home, self-care isn’t optional or a luxury... it’s essential. I’ve learned the hard way that when I don’t prioritise myself, everything else (my creativity, my ability to make decisions, and even my relationships) will suffer.
Let’s talk about the hidden cost of hustling.
We start our own businesses to have freedom, but often we accidentally slide into burnout. When you’re running on empty, it impacts everything: your creativity, time management, decision-making, and even the quality of service you provide to your clients. When I neglect my self-care, I notice that my work feels forced, my patience wears thin, and I second-guess decisions that would normally feel effortless.
Why self-care has to be non-negotiable as an entrepreneur…
A clear, rested mind makes strategically aligned choices. Stress and mental chaos, on the other hand, leads to rushed, reactive decisions that don’t serve us in the long run. I’ve been there, pushing through exhaustion, convincing myself I can handle just a little more, only to realise later that I’d made choices from a place of depletion rather than clarity.
Allowing yourself space to recharge also fuels creativity. Some of my best ideas come to me when I’m not working, when I’m on a walk, stretching on my yoga mat, or just allowing myself to be still. If I push myself too hard, my ideas feel stale, my motivation drops, and everything starts to feel like a grind.
And let’s talk about productivity because sustainable business growth isn’t about doing more; it’s about working smarter. Hustling 24/7 leads to burnout. But when I pace myself and honour my energy cycles, I get more done in less time and still have room for life outside of work.
When I take care of myself, I show up better for my clients too. When I’m rested and grounded, I can be fully present in my work. But when I’m drained, my attention wavers, and my capacity to hold space for others diminishes. That’s not fair to me or to them.
So, how do we actually make self-care a priority? Here’s what works for me:
Giving myself permission to rest.
I used to tell myself I’d "earn" rest once I’d checked everything off my to-do list. Spoiler: the list never ends. Now, I schedule self-care like a client meeting, non-negotiable, no rescheduling. If I don’t carve out that time and physically add it to my calendar with reminders, it doesn’t happen. I read a great quote recently about having “fire days” and “potato days”. To take advantage of your productive action-driven fire days, you have to be ok with the slobby gremlin potato days. That means no beating yourself up for being lazy, ignoring the urge to get up & fill your free time with a chore, and letting yourself actually properly decompress.
I also set clear boundaries around my work hours (as much as possible with kids anyway). If I let work bleed into my evenings, I don’t get that mental separation I need to recharge. Keeping a dedicated end time helps me be more focused during the day and actually relax when I step away.
Celebrate small wins. This is a game changer. As a business owner, it’s easy to keep chasing the next big milestone without acknowledging progress. But when I pause to recognise even the little victories like getting the “YES I love it” email from a client or completing a brand launch, it gives me those little dopamine hits I need to stay motivated and excited about what’s next.
Spiritual & energetic self-care.
Beyond the practical life stuff, I’ve found that deep spiritual and energetic rituals have been just as important for keeping me aligned and inspired in my work.
I start my mornings with a grounding ritual. I always start with a big glass of warm water, then 5-15 minutes of deep breathing & stretching on the floor to help release my hips & lower back, then breakfast & coffee. Once I get into my office I light the same nag champa incense every day which signals to my brain that it’s time to shift into creative mode, and pull a card (tarot or oracle). It helps me check in with myself before diving into the demands of the day.
Energy clearing is another big one for me. When I feel stuck or heavy, I burn some incense, use sound healing, or even just open the windows, tidy my desk and let fresh air move through my space. Keeping my work environment organised & energetically clear makes a noticeable difference in how I feel.
I also practise moon rituals occasionally and pay attention to the lunar cycles to set intentions for my business. I find that aligning my goals with the natural rhythms of the moon and planets helps me stay connected to a bigger picture and trust in divine timing. I identify as a chaos witch with a loose relationship to routine, meaning I have a few concrete spiritual practices that I do regularly to keep me sane but otherwise I swing between different types of spellwork, divination and esoteric modalities according to what I feel I need on any given day.
Reminder: you don’t have to earn rest.
You didn’t start your business to work yourself into the ground. The whole point of being self-employed is to create a life that feels fulfilling and aligned. That only happens when we give ourselves permission to rest, to play, and to enjoy the life we’re building.
So, what’s one self-care practice you can commit to this week? Whether it’s setting clearer work boundaries, making space for creativity, or tuning into your intuition, know that you deserve it, no justification needed. Let’s work on releasing any guilt or shame around not being productive 24/7.
