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I have six principles or guiding thoughts that influence the way that I manage my energy as an entrepreneur, but specifically as a low energy entrepreneur.
If you do not know, low energy entrepreneurship is a concept I co-created with my biz bestie Kendall Barger, and it is to help identify and describe the experience of entrepreneurs who also struggle with mental health issues, chronic health issues, disability, are a caretaker or a parent, or who just do not subscribe to the narrative of hustle, productivity, and perfectionism.
As a chronically ill person, who deals with a myriad of issues, managing my energy is crucial for my business but also my life outside of my business.
In order for me to support myself and my business in the best way I can, I know that I have to manage my energy in ways that work for me.
These 6 principles below are different ways that I manage my energy as a low energy entrepreneur, and how I also approach my time and balance support:
Taking breaks- Knowing that I don't have to be prepared to deserve a break and allowing myself to take breaks regardless of what has gotten done is a large pieces of managing my energy. I can take a break without having anything scheduled out, without doing xyz, without feeling guilt-- my energy shouldn't be wasted on that and neither should yours. Taking breaks doesn't always feel safe of accessible to us, this is okay. There isn't anything wrong with you. Try to build them into a structure or routine so that it doesn't feel like so much of a THING, and it is just a part of the things you do.
Flexibility- Building flexibility into my schedule is a great tool for managing energy. Not everyday looks the same and this is okay, I try to allow myself to take on the day based on how I am feeling. This doesn't change my task list, but it changes how I approach it and what things I do first, when to take breaks, when to change course, etc. This is very similar to that popular saying that goes around the internet about how your best is going to look different everyday. Not everyday is the same for people who identify as low energy. Give yourself grace and allow yourself to have the flexibility to move day to day knowing that it will look different but you can still accomplish similar tasks.
Finding joy online- Finding joy online is a HUGE part of managing energy since there is so much happening online constantly. Engaging online for pure enjoyment and not because I am engaging in marketing or business activity or catching up on the news/current events allows me to decompress some and find small pockets of joy and inspiration.
Understanding energy levels- Creating sets of tasks for different energy level days and taking extra care on extra low energy days is how I help myself ensure that what needs to get done, done- This is where it is extra important to pay attention to how you are feeling so you can build something that works for you. How can you ride the energy peaks you have? How can you work with your average low energy level? What can you do to support extra low energy days?
Our best- Always gently reminding myself that I am doing the best I can, with what I have at this moment and knowing that nothing is every really THAT important. The work that many of us do is not life or death. We have tomorrow to try again. It's okay that we are just doing our best right now.
Outside of Business- There are lots of ways I manage my energy as an entrepreneur outside my business and schedule that include therapy, nourishment, spiritual health, sleep, medication, acupuncture, and more. Find ways to support yourself outside of your business to. Tend to your whole human. You deserve it.
To learn more about the work I do and to join the free community I run with my biz bestie, Kendall, click here.