Digitally She Does It Podcast

EPISODE 95: The Power of the Pause

• Karen Davies • Season 1 • Episode 95

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In this episode of Digitally She Does It, I take a deep dive into the often overlooked yet essential aspect of entrepreneurial success: self-care. Running a business can be exhilarating, but it also comes with intense pressure and endless to-do lists, making it all too easy to neglect your personal well-being. In this heartfelt episode, I’ll explore why taking time for yourself is not just a luxury but a necessity for sustaining both your personal and professional growth.

I dive into the hidden dangers of burnout, the long-term effects it can have on your business, and why pushing through without proper rest can do more harm than good. You'll learn about the importance of integrating intentional pauses into your routine, no matter how busy you are, and how small adjustments can lead to huge improvements in productivity and creativity.

I’ll also talk about actionable strategies to support your overall well-being while running a business. From incorporating micro-breaks into your day, practicing digital detoxes to clear your mind, to setting and maintaining boundaries with clients and colleagues, you’ll gain practical tools you can use right away to maintain higher energy levels, foster greater creativity, and preserve your mental and emotional balance.

Tune in for practical tips and meaningful reflections on why self-care isn’t selfish but an essential part of growing a thriving business. This episode will not only inspire you to prioritise your health but will also provide the tools you need to make it a sustainable habit that supports your long-term success. Listen to the full episode now.

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Karen Davies [00:00:00]:
Hello and welcome to the digitally she does it show. This is episode 95. And in today's episode, I'm talking about the power of taking a pause and why self care in business is essential for success. So let's jump right in and let's get started. Welcome to the Digitally She Does It Show. I am your host Karen and I'm here to lift the lid on what it actually takes to create a successful business. If you are an ambitious creative ready to build a business on your own terms and without compromise, then this podcast is perfect for you. With my award winning approach to marketing, and expert knowledge in creating online courses, this show will leave you feeling inspired, energized, and ready to bring those big dreams to life.

Karen Davies [00:00:51]:
Join me each week for a dose of motivation and marketing know how along with actionable step by step strategies to help you accelerate your businesses grow. So, let's dive in and don't forget to subscribe to all my upcoming episodes which drop every Wednesday. 

Hello, and welcome. Thank you for joining me today. I'm your host, Karen, and I really do appreciate you hitting our play button to listen to today's episode. Today, I am talking about self care. But before I do, I want to talk about the digital creators hub. Now if you're not in there, then go and get yourself in there.

Karen Davies [00:01:35]:
It's completely free because I have so much good stuff to share with you. This hub is your one stop shop for getting started online. I have resources. I've got templates. I've got training. So if you are looking to create an online business, then go and get yourself in the Digital Creators Hub. Now to access the hub for free, head on over to my website www.karen-davies.com/hub because there's no better time to get started with creating your digital business than now. So go and enjoy these free resources.

Karen Davies [00:02:18]:
Okay. So back to today's episode. And today, I am talking about self care and why it is essential for achieving success in business and why it's really important to take a pause. Now I get it. Being an entrepreneur, especially in the online world, taking a break can feel counterproductive. More often than not, you have things that you need to do in your business. So you've got all of the things that are on your task list. You've got the deadlines.

Karen Davies [00:02:51]:
If you're working with clients, you've got clients to support. And, of course, you may be somebody that likes coming up with new ideas and wants to bring out new products. So you there may be that side of you that is kind of always on it in terms of developing your business further. But here's the thing. If we do not learn to take a pause or a break, then we simply run the risk of burnout, which is going to lead to you losing your creative spark or even jeopardising your health and possibly relationships as well. So it's really important to be able to kinda give yourself the space to take a break. Because I think especially with running a business and this is something that I've learned over what the you know, I've been in business 7 years. Yeah.

Karen Davies [00:03:48]:
7 yeah. 7 years actually. So I've been in business 7 years and I've learned that it doesn't matter what I have on my to do list, there's always gonna be more things that need to be added. Like, I'm never gonna get to the end of my to do list. There is always something. And at the start of the week, when I write down my goals and I look at what I need to do and where my focus needs to be, it just generates a ton more things to do. And that's only in my business. It doesn't include all the things that I need to do with my family, the doctor's appointments, taking the dog to the vets, the the jobs that he's doing.

Karen Davies [00:04:23]:
You know? It it is just ongoing. It's never ending. But I think that in order to be sustainable long term, and I think that's what's important. It's building something that is sustainable, and that means not everything is is about you doing stuff all the time because that's just simply not possible. So in order to create a sustainable business that's going to be here in 5, 10, 15 years' time, you have to learn to take a break, to take a pause, and practice self care. Because if you are not in the best health that you can be and you are not feeling your best, then it doesn't matter what your goals are in your business. You're most likely going to struggle to achieve them. I think one of the reasons why entrepreneurs struggle to take time out is because there is a sense in the business world that if you're not hustling or you're not working hard or you're not moving the needle in your business, then then you're simply slacking off.

Karen Davies [00:05:31]:
You're not working hard enough. You're not committed enough. You don't have the focus that you need to be able to create and run a successful business. And so I think what that does, it leads to those feelings of guilt. I mean, raise your hand if you've ever felt guilty for taking a break because I know I have. And then we have to deal with this thing called entrepreneurial FOMO, the fear of missing out as well. We see other people launching new products, other entrepreneurs creating and launching their courses, hitting milestones, growing their lists. And if you're not constantly at it all of the time, you also feel like the you potentially could be left behind.

Karen Davies [00:06:20]:
But I think the truth is that pushing ourselves beyond our limits is just not sustainable. And actually, studies show that 72 percent of entrepreneurs struggle with mental health issues. And this includes stress, anxiety and burnout. And most of this is stemming from neglecting their own well-being because they feel like they need to be working. They feel like they need to be at it all of the time. And I think this is just part of the business culture that I think is very easy to fall into. So taking time out, taking a pause, and I don't mean dropping everything and trekking off for months at a time. I think just simply taking on a pause in your day to have a moment to yourself where you can step back, think about things, reflect, and then come back almost recharged, I think, is an essential part of the process for for moving that business forward.

Karen Davies [00:07:38]:
I think this idea of having to work until you drop to kind of keep at it is just the opposite, actually, of probably what needs to happen. I think by just taking a pause, 5 minute breaks between tasks, stepping away from your screen to stretch or to breathe even, or to go and practice meditation for a few minute every morning can make a huge difference to your day. By taking some time out and creating space for yourself, it allows the brain to sort of shift out of that constant doing mode into more reflective state. And I think reflection is ultimately where clarity and creativity happen, so we need to be in that state. We can't always be in the mode of doing. I am so guilty of constantly doing. If I'm not doing, I don't know what I'm doing because there's this need to do all of the time. And I think, actually, when I talk about moving the needle in your business, actually, the needle moves when you're given enough space so that you can step back and reflect and then come back with clear thoughts, clarity of mind, and that creativity that's actually going to bring those ideas to life and make things happen.

Karen Davies [00:09:08]:
Now you've probably experienced this yourself. How many times have you had a breakthrough idea, you know, that light bulb moment whilst you've been on a walk? Or maybe you've been in the shower or doing something other than working. I often find for me when I'm getting ready in the morning I have this routine. So as my girl's getting ready for school and my husband's doing his thing, I I have a routine when I as I as I'm getting ready. And I I could just be in the shower and, you know, I'm just waking up and all of a sudden I have all of these thoughts that come through. And then as I'm doing my makeup and my hair and all of this, it's almost like I'm sorting out my thoughts for the day and I have this clarity. If I feel like I'm going off track, I can guarantee in the morning when I'm getting ready, I will know about it because I'll get these thoughts and these ideas and the and moments of reflection where I can actually ask myself questions about what it is I'm doing. And and it's almost like I'm giving myself the answer.

Karen Davies [00:10:19]:
So I think taking that time out and and allowing space to just think about things can be really powerful because I think that's where the magic actually does happen. Now I've recently decided to rejoin the gym. I'm not a gym buddy. I I'm to be honest, I could I could take or leave the gym. I'm not somebody that is in there for hours on night end lifting weights, doing the whole cardio thing and stuff. I just it's not really my cup of tea. But the reason why I've joined the gym is because I really like the swim in. And the gym that I've recently joined and I've joined back because I was a member, they have a really great swimming pool.

Karen Davies [00:11:01]:
Because what I find for me is that when I'm in water and I'm doing my lens and I'm swimming, and I've always done swimming, it's the one thing that really helps me to reset myself, to rebalance my emotions. And I'm kind of at that point in sort of my my life really where I'm sort of at the beginning of perimenopause, so everything's shifting. And sometimes I find that my emotions are all over the place. And I can wake up one morning and I'll be absolutely fine and I'll be really on air and I know what I'm doing. And then I can wake up the next day and I'm just so frustrated and I'm techy, and I just want to, I I just wanna scream. And I know it's because my body my body's changing and I'm moving into a new phase, but it doesn't help because it puts me in this state of, confusion. It's it's like sometimes I will have a thought and that'll go and then I just get this fog. And so for me, swimming allows me to to to just switch off and to be in water, which really calms me and balances me out.

Karen Davies [00:12:15]:
And I think taking that time out to go for a swim and to be connected to water, it's it's absolutely magical. It's the one thing that I know, for me, makes such a difference. And then afterwards, I have all of these amazing thoughts and then it's almost like I've given myself that gift of clarity because I've taken time out and I've had that pause. So I think whatever it might be, it doesn't matter like, for me, it's swimming, but for you, it could be walking or it could be going to the gym or it could be going shopping or it could just be spending time with family. It doesn't really matter. I think everybody has something that they enjoy doing that let helps them to switch off. And I think it's about finding the thing that makes a difference for you. If meditation is your thing, then go meditate.

Karen Davies [00:13:08]:
If taking the dogs out for a walk is your thing, then go and take the dogs out. But I think, essentially, what is important is that we're taking time out, and we're actually doing something that allows us to switch off so we can regenerate ourselves. Because that's what we're doing. By taking a break, we get to give ourselves space that we can then use essentially to our advantage. Now I think one of the things that, of course, happens by giving ourselves space is that it improves our focus and productivity. So if we don't take breaks, then our brains become fatigued. And I think pausing, taking that time out will allow for your mind to reset, and that's gonna help you work more efficiently in your business. The second thing, that taking a break leads to enhanced creativity.

Karen Davies [00:14:06]:
I mean, the one thing that I know to be true is one one once I've gone swimming and afterwards, I'm highly creative. I can't wait to sort of work on tasks that have creativity in them. I find that I have I'm clearer about my podcast episodes. I'm clearer about my blogs. I'm clearer about freebies that I'm creating or, you know, I'm if I'm running a if I'm building a funnel or whatever I'm doing, I have clarity around that, but I also have the creativity that I need to be able to get it done. And then the other thing it gives as well is resilience. Because I think running a business is so full of ups and downs, I think taking care of yourself equips you to handle the stress and the setbacks with greater ease as well so that when things go sideways, you are in the best mental space to be able to deal with them. Because I think when you're rested and you're grounded, you are able to navigate challenges far better, and you're able to manage the overwhelm.

Karen Davies [00:15:21]:
And then it's also about mental and emotional well-being as well. This is so essential when running a business because burnout is real, and it is so damaging, not just for your business, but obviously for you as well. Back in 2020 when we went into lockdown, at the time, I was running a lot of projects. I I think I counted, like I think I had about 12 or 13 projects on the go, And they were all design and marketing projects, and I was managing them. And at the time, I didn't realize it. But because we were forced to take a break and pause in lockdown, that's when I realized that I was burnt out. I was tired. I was fatigued.

Karen Davies [00:16:05]:
And I was also losing passion for my business because I was so exhausted. So I think that we have to be really on this because if we're not, we could end up running our businesses down and then ending up closing our businesses because we don't have enough mental and physical capacity to deal with it. And that's the last thing anybody needs. So what can we do that can help us practice self care? Well, 1st and foremost, like I say, I think we need to be taking breaks. I think we need to find time in the day to go and do the thing that helps us. I know for me I've relooked to my schedule. If it's not in my calendar, it doesn't happen. So I've actually blocked out time to go swimming.

Karen Davies [00:16:58]:
So I'm going swimming. I'm gonna force myself into the gym, and I'm actually going to try and do some classes as well. So I'm going to aim to to take better care of myself as well by taking breaks. Now it doesn't have to be that you have to take out an hour at a time or anything like that. It could just be daily micro pauses where you just set a timer for 10 minutes. And when the time goes off, then you take a small break. What that'll do, it'll just remind you. It will just get you thinking about when you can take a break.

Karen Davies [00:17:36]:
Even if you just get up 5 minutes, go and make a cup of coffee, and then come back, at least you are having a break. Because it is so easy to just sit at our computer and laptop and just work away. Because we think if we do that we'll get more done. And actually it's that break that will help us to be more efficient. The second thing is about time blocking. If you are somebody that loves structure, then you might find time blocking really useful. So schedule your self care breaks into your day. So like I do, get your calendar and block out time in the day where you can actually go and take some time for yourself.

Karen Davies [00:18:22]:
I find that really helpful because it reminds me. I also set notifications. It might work for you and I'm somebody that loves structure so for me it works really well. But maybe give that a go. The other thing that you could do is take a digital detox. We spend way too much time plugged in. We are constantly getting notifications from every corner, whether it's email, social media, WhatsApp. You know, like, it comes from everywhere and it's just noise.

Karen Davies [00:18:59]:
So I know there are apps where you can actually shut down your phone and quieten quiet notifications. So maybe think about doing that and actually take in a bit of a detox. And one of the things that I also try and do is after a day at work, I put my phone in my bedroom away, and I put it on each charger and I leave it. So I can't I can't sit in the lounge or wherever I am constantly looking at my phone. So put your phone in another room and give yourself some time off because we just need to set ourselves boundaries. Otherwise, we are just going to be a nation of people that are just constantly on our phones all of the time. And I don't know about you, but I that's for me, that's not healthy, and it doesn't serve us. So we do need to take a break.

Karen Davies [00:19:53]:
The other thing we can do is allow for creative breaks. So you could work on a thing for a period of time and then schedule in time to do something creative. Because I think when we're working on something creative, then that really helps to fuel our minds as well. And having that creative outlet, whether it's journaling, drawing, even cooking, whatever you love to do can help you to relax and recharge as well. So find some time to take some creative breaks. And then the other thing, and I think this is probably most important, is setting boundaries. Learn to say no when needed and set boundaries around your time because not everything is urgent and not everything needs to be done. And you don't need to say yes to everything.

Karen Davies [00:20:46]:
Prioritize your well-being, your health, and, ultimately, that's gonna allow you to protect your energy as well. So it's it's it's the same thing. It's going to help you not end up feeling burnt out at the end of the day. Now I know this idea of self care seems obvious, but I think it's one of those things that is easier said than done. And so we need to make time to give ourselves space to look after ourselves and embrace the power of taking a pause. Because, actually, by doing so, that's what's gonna fuel long term success in your business. So my challenge to you is simple. Find one thing that you can do this week that's gonna help you in taking a break.

Karen Davies [00:21:41]:
So it might be the fact that you wanna go for a 10 minute walk in the middle of your day, or maybe you need to set boundaries around your workday so you start and finish on time. Now start small, but keep it consistent, and allow yourself time and space to look after you as well. Because not only will your business thank you for it, but you're gonna thank yourself for it as well. Thank you so much for tuning in to today's episode. I hope you found this episode of value. And, of course, please feel free to share it with others who you may think will also benefit from listening to today's episode. 

If today's topic has sparked some inspiration and maybe you are ready to dive into getting your business up online so that you can create a business that ultimately works for you, then go and visit my website www.karynhyphendavies.com. Because there, you will find a treasure trove of free resources that's going to help you to kick start your digital journey.

Karen Davies [00:22:57]:
And if you're ready to take the next step and you want to learn more about joining my all inclusive membership, sell your brilliance online, which is designed to guide you through the process of creating your very first online course, then head over to my website www.karen-davies.com/membership. 

I will be back next week with another episode, but until then, have a great week. I hope you enjoyed this episode of the digitally she does it show. Don't forget to check out the show notes for all the links and resources mentioned in today's episode. New episodes drop every week on a Wednesday. So, why not rate and subscribe so you never miss an episode? Thank you for tuning in today, and I will see you next time.