Often, the result is that they neglect their health, relationships, and passions. This takes a toll not just personally, but professionally. Your creativity, focus, and performance, the very things that drive your business, suffer when your wellbeing is sidelined.

I get it, staying balanced can feel like an uphill battle. With constant distractions and the demands of running a business, it’s easy to get knocked off course and for self-discipline to go out of the window…what a day, give me that wine! Over the years, I’ve learned that protecting my energy and focus isn’t just self-care, it’s a critical component of success. Here are a few things that work for me.

1. Focus and Unfocus

A while back, an article showed up on my LinkedIn feed from the Harvard Business Review that completely changed the way I work. It suggested that maintain performance requires toggling between focus and unfocus. It helped me realise that excessive focus was leaving me mentally drained, it was literally burning my focus circuits. But when I allowed my mind to unfocus through daydreaming, taking a walk, or even just sitting quietly, I discovered that this was when I had my best ideas.

Think about it, I’m sure your best ideas have come when you were doing almost nothing, when you’ve allowed your mind to wander. That’s because your brain connects the dots from past experiences, current situations, and future possibilities during these moments of unfocus. Since reading the article, I’ve deliberately carved out time to let my brain wander and let the magic happen.

2. 90-Minute Focus Blocks

Your brain can only focus intensely for about 90 minutes at a time. After that, productivity plummets. I work in 90-minute blocks, followed by 10 to 15-minute breaks. During these breaks, I ‘unfocus’, move around, take a quick walk, stretch, or grab a drink. If it’s been a particularly intense block, I spend three minutes practising deep breathing to reset.

These small breaks aren’t just refreshing, they’re essential for maintaining energy throughout the day.

3. Get on Board with Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Love it or loathe it, AI is here to stay. It’s revolutionising productivity, and if you’re not using it, you’re falling behind. I’ve embraced AI tools to streamline repetitive tasks, brainstorm ideas, and even create content. It’s not about replacing what you do, it’s about enhancing your capabilities so you can focus on what matters most.

4. Stop Saying Yes to Everything

This is a big one for me. I’m a people pleaser, and saying yes to everything left me feeling overwhelmed and stretched too thinly. Eventually, I realised that saying ‘yes’ to one thing was saying ‘no’ to something else, often something more important.

Now, I say no more often. It’s not easy, but it’s liberating. Protect your time and energy, and don’t be afraid to set boundaries.

5. Close Off the Day

At the end of each day, I take five minutes to write a to-do list for the following day. This simple habit helps me process what’s left to do and lets me mentally ‘clock out’. Knowing I’ve already planned tomorrow allows my mind to rest in the evening, making it easier to unwind and recharge.

6. Be Present and Breathe

It might sound a bit airy-fairy, but taking time to breathe has been transformative for me. I spend three minutes at the start, middle, and end of the day practising focused breathing. This resets my energy, clears my head, and helps me perform better.

7. Sleep: Your Secret Weapon

If there’s one thing that impacts every area of your life, it’s sleep. Quality sleep fuels focus, creativity, and resilience. I make it a priority by setting consistent bedtime routines and creating an environment that promotes rest.

I found that I was routinely responding to emails while lying in bed, ready to go to sleep, which was not a great way of resting my mind! To break this habit, I’ve invested in a good old fashioned alarm clock, one with bells on the top, so that I can leave my phone downstairs until the following morning. It’s also particularly loud, so it certainly gives me a jolt in the morning!

These strategies aren’t complicated and won’t work for everyone, but they’ve made a huge difference in my ability to stay energised and focused. Running a business is tough, but it doesn’t have to come at the cost of your health and happiness. By making time for yourself and working smarter, not harder, you’ll find that you’re more creative, productive, and ready to take your business to the next level.

What works for you? Let’s start a conversation about how we can grow without burning out.

Contact the team at RTC: www.rtcnorth.co.uk.