Self-Care Begins with the Way We Speak to Ourselves
Discover simple self-care tips from Lauren Garchow to help busy business owners stay grounded, energized, and mentally well. Prioritize your well-being while managing your business.
s business owners, it鈥檚 easy to get caught up in excitement and take on too much. We wear many hats, chase big goals, and often end up overextending ourselves. But no matter how driven we are, we鈥檙e human first鈥攂usiness owners second.
As a therapist and mind-body coach, I鈥檝e learned that thriving in my work means prioritizing my own well-being, too. My client session days typically run from Tuesday through Thursday, but I鈥檓 intentional about setting aside some time for admin work and my personal self-care.
Here are two simple self-care habits I implemented for myself, and how you can, too:
Self-Care Starts with Self-Talk
Self-care isn鈥檛 just about bubble baths and beach vacations (though those are important too). It also shows up in the way we speak to ourselves鈥攖he internal voice we carry throughout the day.
Pay attention: Can you notice throughout the day, when you're talking crazy to yourself, when you are being too hard on yourself, or being overly critical? In those moments, try shifting to a more neutral or compassionate voice.
Instead of saying, 鈥淚 messed everything up,鈥 try, 鈥淭hat didn鈥檛 go as planned, but I鈥檓 learning.鈥 It鈥檚 a small shift, but over time it builds emotional resilience and self-trust.
Move Your Body to Clear Your Mind
One of the biggest perks of running your own business? You get to design your schedule. That flexibility is powerful鈥攁nd it鈥檚 the perfect opportunity to build movement into your day.
I start most mornings with a bit of movement to shake off mental fog and reconnect with my body鈥攅specially since my work involves a lot of sitting. Movement keeps me grounded, creative, and energized.
And here鈥檚 one of my favorite, underrated practices: dancing. Seriously.
A in the British Medical Journal found that dancing outperformed other exercises, counseling, and even medication in helping people through depression.
Just four minutes of dancing a day can make a real difference. Put on your favorite song and move however your body wants鈥攏o choreography, no judgment. The weirder, the better.
Sometimes when we get stressed, our bodies and minds tend to tighten up. So using your body to just move freely and fluidly can also help loosen up your mind in that restrictive feeling.
You don鈥檛 need a full wellness retreat to take care of yourself. Sometimes, it鈥檚 as simple as speaking kindly to yourself or dancing in your living room.
When you take care of the person behind the business, you create space for everything else to thrive.
Stay Connected with Lauren
Lauren integrates neurobiology, somatic, and relational approaches alongside traditional talk therapy to help women heal chronic pain. Her practice is based in Los Angeles.