One crucial element of a successful business is that you can enjoy your success. If a healthy bottom line comes at too great a cost, true success is still eluding you. One of the key reasons people become franchise business owners with Home Franchise Concepts (HFC) is to have more control over their work-life, creating a work/life balance that lets them enjoy their success and the fruits of their labors. But if you’ve traded the stress of working for someone else for even more stress of working for yourself, maybe you need to be a better boss!

balance-scale-work-life-iStock-1126040452-800x533.jpgTake care of yourself and don’t lose sight of a healthy, balanced life when building a franchise business

Don’t be a severe taskmaster

Being your own boss does mean that you wear many hats and at times it may seem overwhelming. Part of being a good boss to yourself is taking care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally. It’s important to strike a balance between “healthy” stress that drives you to succeed and “unhealthy” stress that can have a negative impact. Beware of the following signs that you may be pushing too hard and living with an unhealthy stress level that robs your joy:

  • You can’t unplug from work and relax (emails, texts, and calls 24/7)
  • You never get enough sleep
  • Exhausted and “brain tired” is your new normal
  • Personal time, if you take any, is stressful and unrewarding
  • Family and friends get bumped when work beckons, even on holidays

If you need to start enjoying your success, here are five tips for how to be a happy, successful independent franchise business owner.

One: Practice productivity

Starting every day with a focused plan will maximize your time and energy. Planning your day’s activities will enable you to get more done and help to keep priorities in line. Focusing on time management and organization will improve efficiency and productivity and assist with meeting your goals. Take charge of every day by getting up early enough so you can greet the day on your terms whether that is a quiet cup of coffee, checking personal emails, walking the dog, or breakfast with the family. Highly productive people don’t have more hours in their day, they just know how to get the most out of the time. If you feel you need help with time management or organization, find a mentor or take a class to improve your skills and, ultimately, your life.

Two: Get enough sleep

Many people labor under the delusion that adults can function quite well on just a few hours of sleep a night. In fact, for optimum health, adults aged 18 to 60 require seven hours of sleep (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Getting enough quality sleep helps protect your mental health, physical health, quality of life, and safety. Sleep deficiency, on the other hand, will have the exact opposite effects:

  • Increases the risk of chronic health problems like heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke.
  • Affects how well you think, react, work, learn, and get along with others.
  • Impairs decision-making, problem-solving, controlling your emotions, and coping with change.
  • Daytime fatigue reduces productivity at work.

Three: Rest your brain with regular breaks

Powering non-stop through a busy day may seem like the best way to get the job done but pushing to the point of mental exhaustion can actually diminish your day’s accomplishments. Taking periodic breaks will give your mind a chance to relax and reset, getting energized to refocus on the tasks at hand. Studies have shown that breaks such as talking a walk or talking to coworkers can help with processing and retaining information, boosting comprehension, and sparking creativity. Findings based on data from DeskTime, a productivity app that tracks employees’ computer use, identified that the highest-performing 10 percent tended to work for 52 consecutive minutes followed by a 17-minute break (The Muse). While that particular formula may not be optimum in all circumstances, strategic breaks definitely enable you to work more effectively.

work-break-stretch-iStock-524148782-800x533.jpgPeriodic breaks can revitalize a tired mind and get you refocused on what’s important

Four: Let’s get physical

Physical exercise contributes greatly to overall good health, but sometimes it falls between the cracks in a busy life. Making time for regular exercise will improve both emotional and physical health which, in turn, will help you be more successful as a business owner. Even a 10-minute walk in the middle of the day can recharge your mental batteries, relieve stress, and reduce physical fatigue. For most healthy adults, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends these exercise guidelines:

  • Get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week, spread out over the course of the week.
  • Do strength training exercises for all major muscle groups at least two times a week, using a weight or resistance level heavy enough to tire your muscles after 12 to 15 repetitions.

Five: Keep fun in your life

As grownups with serious responsibilities, it’s easy to forget fun. But as the saying goes, “Laughter is the best medicine,” and having fun just for the sake of having fun is an excellent antidote to stress. Clips of giggling babies and crazy animal antics are obsessively popular because they make us feel good. Use those mental health breaks during the day for a chuckle or two. Find time in your week to schedule fun with friends and especially family members who will also benefit from your lighter moments. Check out 10 Simple Benefits of Having Fun and have a guilt-free laugh session right in the middle of the day.

happy-family-laughing-iStock-947854280-768x512.jpgTake time to enjoy the success you’ve worked so hard to achieve

Success is meant to be enjoyed

Building a successful franchise business is not only something to be proud of but also something to be enjoyed. As an independent franchise owner with any of the HFC franchise brands including, Budget Blinds®PremierGarage®Concrete Craft®and AdvantaClean®, and more, you’ll have all the tools you need to build a successful business with healthy work boundaries for yourself and your employees. You can realize your full potential for career satisfaction and personal fulfillment and enjoy the ride! Go online to Home Franchise Concepts or call 1-800-420-5374 today and speak with one of our franchise licensing advisors to learn more about the benefits of franchise business ownership within the HFC family of brands.

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