5 Easy Relaxation Tips for Busy Entrepreneur Moms

It seems like there is no rest of the weary.  And, the weary person is usually mom.  Moms take care of hearth and home, but who takes care of her?  If you are a busy entrepreneurial mom, (and lets face it, we all are in one way or another!) learn to value yourself as a person and schedule personal time.

Personal time is a right of being a person.  Each of us has the capacity to nurture others but that type of care takes its toll.

A car is filled with gas to make it run.  Eventually the gas runs out and your car won’t move unless the car is replenished with fuel.  The same goes for you.  Emotional issues can develop when you don’t take the time to take care of your emotional well-being, not to mention the physical results of emotional neglect.

Mom time refuels the tank so that you can give to your family as well as yourself in equal measure.  Don’t be ashamed to sit for fifteen minutes doing nothing.  In the springtime, relaxing in a hammock under a tree is the perfect getaway from the pressures of the day.  Reading a book for 30 minutes can also seem like heaven to many moms.

Here are a few tips to help you fit in much needed “mom” time:

1. Get up early.  When you have kids, the day begins at a hurried pace.  Once you hit the ground running, there is no stopping you.  Waking 30 minutes to an hour ahead of time means quiet solitude to drink your coffee, read a book, meditate or listen to music.

2. Turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.  When you take a bath, add candles, bubble bath, quiet music and/or an inflatable bath pillow.  Your regular bath has now become a spa level experience.  If you watch a movie, turn out the lights, pop a bag of microwave popcorn and curl up on the couch.

3. Ask for help.  Kids love their mothers but time spent with dad is important too.  Let them bond with dad while you go shopping for a new outfit or root around in the garden.  Since the time is yours, do whatever you like.

4. Act Like a Boy Scout.  Always be prepared and you can spend more time in a relaxed mode.  Fix lunches the night before.  Iron clothes for the next day and place backpacks by the front door so kids can grab them on their way out.  The fewer things you have to do throughout the day, the calmer you will be with your family and not experience burnout.

5. Take an exercise break.  When you get a few minutes the last thing you want to do is exercise but getting a little physical activity in your day has far-reaching implications.  Exercise helps you to think clearly and stretches the muscles.  Also, stress will drain away as powerful endorphins are released into your system.  Do jumping jacks during a television commercial or jog to the bus stop to pick up the kids.

6. Laugh.  Keep a funny calendar cube on your desk or subscribe to a daily joke site.  Laughing releases stress and can lift your spirits significantly.  It also keeps the abs tight.

Take care of you.  Your family would miss you if you were not around to love and care for them.  You owe it to yourself and you deserve a break from the daily hustle and bustle.

Let Yourself Shine! Be Yourself

Personality marketing is one of the most powerful kinds of marketing you could employ. Take Oprah for example. Oprah is one of the most powerful women in the world, able to take unknown authors to the top of the New York Time bestseller list just by mentioning them on her show. Her entire business is built around her personality.

People often follow websites not for its content, but because people like the personality behind the website. In many industries, like weight loss for example, success is determined much more by your personality than by anything else.

Most People Aren't Willing to Let it Out

Everyone has a personality. When you're with your friends, you probably say things spontaneously that could come off as hilarious. And you probably aren't afraid to express dissenting opinions.

But online, people tend to tone their personality down. They sound "correct" rather than spontaneous. They err on being right down the middle, rather than risk their audience by expressing an actual opinion.

This can get you so far, but you can't build a truly successful business on it. Most people are afraid that they'll lose their audience if they let their personality out. The opposite is true.

When you withhold your personality, you don't grow your audience. People just won't be that drawn to your work. When you really express your personality, it's true that some people will be polarized away from your work. But those people weren't really your audience anyway.

How to Let Go

Of course, telling someone to just express their personality can be about as useful as telling someone to just "be yourself" in tense social situations. For some people, it just doesn't come that easily. So what can you do?

Take out a journal and a pen. Write your opinion about a topic, as if you were just ranting to yourself or to an imaginary friend in your diary. Talk as if nobody would ever read it. Pour your emotions and inner thoughts into the page.

Once you're done, let it sit for a day, then use that journal entry as the outline or foundation for your post. This can be a very useful technique for circumventing your mind's innate resistance to expressing your personality.

Getting Positive Feedback

Perhaps the best thing about letting your personality out is the positive feedback you get from your audience. People will generally be much more excited about your work when you're pouring your heart into it.

Start letting your personality out to your audience. Then listen to their feedback. Let the excitement from your audience pour over into your own excitement, and use that to bring even more emotion into your personality marketing.

How to Have a Healthy Life

One of the best things I love about my business is meeting new people and hearing their stories.  Lately I have been so inspired by my new "virtual" acquaintances that I was drawn to share.  As busy moms and business owners it seems like everyone I know is leading a crazy busy lifestyle and sometimes, among all the work, family, life juggling we forget that a healthy life also means a happy life.

So this week I asked my new friend Bess Blanco to share some of her insights on why she started her blog, "The Intentional Lifestyle" along with some tips and advice about running a business.  Here is what Bess had to say:

What Inspired You to Start "The Intentional Lifestyle"?
"I began The Intentional Lifestyle blog after I embarked on my own healthy lifestyle change with my own family of six.  I discovered as I began to shop & cook healthier for my family, that the help I needed was not to be found - at least not in one place.  I also couldn't find the resources I needed for my own situation - ideas that would work for picky eaters, a tight budget & realistic methods for a busy family.  So I began to hunt, gather, research and apply - and viola!  The Intentional Lifestyle was born!"

Tell us about your Biggest Challenge you faced in your business?
"Having enough TIME - time to work on the business, time to be mom and housewife and all that comes with that, time to serve others, time to goof off!   It has truly been my biggest challenge to find a realistic balance between it all - a challenge that I face and MEET everyday!"

If you could share one bit of advice, what would it be?

Bess Blanco

"Never, ever, ever, give up!'

I once won an award that was titled, "Miss Bounce-back-ability" because of my stubborn ability to "never give up" and come back from challenges!  Having a stubborn spirit in "keeping at it" even in the hard times will take you to success!

Are you looking to learn more about leading a healthy lifestyle?  Bess has recently published a book called, "Fresh Start for Health",  you can also find great recipes, articles, learn more about her and read the blog on the website.

Do you know a great Leading Mom in Business?  Tell us!  We would love to hear from you.

Savvy Moms Make it Happen

Startupnation's Leading Moms in Business.

In honor of Leading Moms in Business and Startupnation's Americas top mom contest, we are featuring businesses on our Facebook Business Page.  There are some really neat businesses out there run by amazing Moms!

Here are a few we highlighted this week:

• Black Pearl Bakery www.blackpearldogbakery.com
  Healthy, homemade dog treats made in the U.S.A.  All treats are handmade from start to finish.  All human-grade ingredients with only natural preservatives.  We offer cookies, celebration cakes, "mutt"-fins, and much more!
  
• Ink'd Content www.inkdcontent.com
  Ink'd Content provides content marketing services, helping to develop one of the most important aspects of a marketing strategy for any business -- after all, "content is king."
  
• iBetterAccessorize http://www.facebook.com/ibetteraccessorize
  iBetterAccessorize.com offers couture hair accessory supplies at wholesale prices. We have a low minimum of $5 for regular orders and the majority of the items are sold by the piece, not by the dozen. We provide tutorials, written by our customers, 10% rewards on purchases and recently raised over $440 for Wigs for Kid
  
• Women's Elevation Magazine www.facebook.com/womenselevationmagazine
  WE Magazine looks to promote, inspire, and elevate the mind, body, and spirit of women.
  
• Family Focus Blog www.familyfocusblog.com
  Family Focus Blog reports on parenting tips, family fun activities, eco tips, family food, family travel, decor, discounts, and giveaways.
  
• VirtuallyNSync www.virtuallynsync.net
  VirtuallyNSync, LLC was birthed to help those who are desiring to work at home find legit job listings and/or work opportunities that fit their lifestyles.
  
• DWD Designs https://www.facebook.com/pages/dwdesigns/119348638082108Interior Design business although not limited to! Holiday decorating is my passion, as well as event decorating, and public speaking on design!
  
• Party Plan Companies www.Facebook.com/partyplancompaniesinc
  The place to search for direct sales companies, home based business opportunities, cost effective advertising, and party plan consultants near you.
  
• Synergy Communications, LLC www.synergycommunicationsllc.com
  At Synergy Communications, we believe that our client's reputation is EVERYTHING!  Superior service is personalized to meet each client's needs and wants.
  
• Angela Brooks http://angelabrook.com/
  Angela Brooks is a mental health nurse educator who spent the last 22 years working in a state funded mental hospital. She is the author of “The Nurses Voice” who exposes raw truth as a nurse. She is transitioning from nursing to one of the top positions in a health company changing life’s one oil at a time.
  
• Jungle Gym Cafe The Jungle Gym & Cafe is a unique 8000 square foot hybrid of a fitness center, indoor playground, cafe, birthday party center and medical spa. 

If you know of a great business that we should feature, let us know!  Better yet, what is your favorite business?