Self-Care, Side-Hustle, and How to Have Them Both
Here’s a common conundrum: the need for extra cash when you’re already strapped for time. If that sounds familiar, keep reading. Today, Mentality Magazine takes a quick dive into ways that you can pad your income without sacrificing yourself along the way.
Start With A Self-Evaluation
Are you stressed out? If you’re not sure, self-evaluate. Start by looking at your face. Acne is a common indicator of stress. Other things to look for include frequent illnesses, unresolved pain, headaches, insomnia, and changes in sex drive. Before you start up a second job, you’ll want to address your stress triggers. These might include:
Issues in your relationship. Problems within your romantic relationship often stem from uncertainty about the future and disagreements. Instead of getting worked up, sit down with your partner and talk things out.
Grief. Grief is a funny thing, and it can linger for many years after a loss. Look inward to determine if you’re unknowingly fixating on the loss of a friend, relative, or even a relationship. Once you know what’s bothering you, you can work through it. Keep in mind that the death of a loved one isn’t the only route to grief. People often find themselves grieving when they experience a major life change, such as job loss; a crisis of faith; or a serious illness. If you’re having trouble coping with or moving on from a life event, you may be suffering from grief.
Loneliness. Since the beginning of the pandemic, loneliness has negatively impacted many people’s mental health. If you’re feeling lonely, consider starting a side job that puts you in close proximity to other people. Remember, as Harvard Magazine explains, loneliness can keep your body in fight-or-flight mode all the time. The fight-or-flight response is your body’s reaction to stress, and it prepares you to either battle or flee from a threat. It’s a survival technique that puts your body in a state of physical stress, so it’s important to find ways to relieve yourself from it in order to regulate your blood pressure, heart rate, and adrenaline. If you constantly have a feeling of being “on edge,” you may be dealing with chronic fight-or-flight mode.
Finances. When you’re looking to start a side job, money is an obvious problem,ut, just throwing dollars and cents into your bank account may not be enough. Think about your spending, and then learn to make a budget that helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses which can then help you create actionable goals.
Self-Care For Start-Ups
Now that you’ve identified your sources of stress, you can begin to implement self-care strategies that keep your mind and body in top shape so that you can best handle your personal and professional responsibilities. A few things to consider here are:
Learn to be efficient. Running your side business can take up a huge number of hours each day. But, it doesn’t have to. For a small investment, you can outsource virtual assistant services to an individual that can handle mundane responsibilities, such as returning emails, booking travel, and making phone calls. Online job boards can help you browse reviews and compare costs, skills, timing, and availability of virtual assistants.
Get more sleep. Unless you have a rare genetic variant that makes you the ideal night owl, most experts say that you need at least seven hours of sleep each night. This is enough to help you be alert and engaged while giving your body enough downtime to heal from the wear and tear of the previous day.
Prioritize your body. Speaking of your body, self-care also encompasses eating well and exercising. Strive to put healthy foods on your plate each day (barring the occasional sweet treat or fried indulgence). You should also get plenty of physical activity, which should include both strength training and aerobic exercises. Self Magazine offers more information on how to get started with cardio, even if you’re not one for running.
Spend time alone. Spending time alone is also crucial to your health. If you find that you’re constantly running on empty, it might be time to take a day off and go for a drive. Similarly, a weekend away by yourself can help you relax, recharge, and feel renewed as you try to balance a job, a side career, family, and a social life.
Self-care isn’t necessarily an indulgence. Instead, taking care of your mind and body is crucial to your success, especially as you start a new professional endeavor. In order to have a side gig and take care of yourself, you’ll need to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. Then, look for ways to keep yourself healthy and happy from the inside out, even if it means outsourcing some tasks to someone else or stepping away and making peace with yourself in solitude.
Sources:
https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2021/01/feature-the-loneliness-pandemic
https://bettermoneyhabits.bankofamerica.com/en/saving-budgeting/creating-a-budget
https://www.upwork.com/services/virtual-assistant
https://qz.com/quartzy/1476218/how-much-sleep-do-i-need-the-eight-hour-rule-is-a-myth/
https://www.self.com/gallery/cardio-for-beginners-workout
https://www.joincake.com/blog/causes-of-grief/
https://www.stress.org/how-the-fight-or-flight-response-works