You may or may not have noticed that it’s been roughly 4 months since my last blog post.
Oops.
I can only explain that last summer was a very busy time for my 2nd year in business, and as veteran entrepreneurs will easily diagnose, I simply burned myself out. I continued through Autumn, Henna Con with putting one foot in front of another and providing the highest quality service in my capability, but I was lacking in emotional energy, never really truly replenishing.
So, over the holiday season, I took a social media black-out – unannounced. I’m not abandoning it, you understand. I was just taking time to re-energise, rejuvenate and replenish my energy stores. There are so many benefits to using social media, but it does come with substantial costs: Time; Mental energy; Emotional energy; Creativity. And all of these could be applied to other practical business activities. Large corporations and businesses have TEAMS of people who manage the social media accounts. I am currently working with a company where I have communicated with a regional manager, a website programmer and a social media executive. It highlighted that I am doing all three of these roles for myself in my business – it’s no wonder I burnt out!
When I slowly returned, I noticed a very similar theme among the accounts that I follow regularly: Social Media Fatigue. The very task of posting images, status updates, tweets, links and so on had become an emotionally draining chore. And the kicker is: Social Media Works. It kicks up your SEO for your website. It increases your exposure and credibility. People look to your social media to glean a more rounded understanding of YOU and your brand. It WORKS… and here I was taking a break from it… #insane.
So I begin 2018 with the resolution to practice better SELF CARE: To reconnect with my self and my ethos. To take better care of myself and know when to rest. To nurture and maintain the connectivity and authenticity in my business practices and in my social media interactions. To improve the quality of my activities as a result of better self-care.
My chosen image for today is this very special hamsa foot design for Georgina at ‘On the Lash’. As a fellow entrepreneur, she and I often connect over the mutual feeling of the insatiable passion to improve, the drive to provide quality service, the unending creative thought process, the difficult task of tearing ourselves away from work, switching off the phone/devices, and finally, the inability to take time for self-care. This photo symbolises one of those rare occasions when a hard-working, self-employed boss FINALLY took some time for themselves. Let me tell you, it is a hard task pinning this individual down for her regular dose of henna therapy! So when the occasion finally arises, I always, always ensure that it is an intention filled and beautiful experience for her, because dammit, it’s what we all deserve!
I challenge you all to have a think: When was the last time you took the time to take care of yourself? Switched off, and really indulged*? If it’s already been too long, maybe it’s time to schedule that time in now.
*** *** *** *** ***
Henna [therapy] Appointments available to book online
NEW Henna Workshops for 2018:
7pm-9:30pm. Thursday 18th January 2018 @ Fox and the Magpie, Shipley Bradford
1pm-3:30pm. Saturday 27th January 2018 @ Cass Art Manchester
*** *** *** *** ***
*The irony of the fact that entrepreneurs view standard self-care (eating, resting, exercise etc) as an indulgence.
P.S. I am currently experiencing technical issues with the layout of my website and have yet to fully comprehend the reasons for this. Please bear with me as we fix these issues -Thank you for your patience!