How To Beat Loneliness As An Entrepreneur

Today at a glance:

• Question: Are You Feeling Lonely?

• Quote: Simon Sinek

• Framework: Weekly Coffee Hour

• Resource: Diary Of A CEO Podcast

Question: Do you struggle with the loneliness of running a business?

Another late night.

Computer on your lap. Sweat pants on, eating take out, just trying to get through the endless list of tasks. 

The 3rd or 4th coffee of the day. 

Putting out client fires. Managing your team…

Brainstorming social media ideas when you are exhausted. 

Skipping the gym because your energy is depleted.

Sound familiar?

Only business owners understand the social isolation that creeps in when you are neck deep in the growth or survival of your business.

So you decline that invitation to dinner.

You put off your friends who miss you...

This is all a result of feeling stuck, lonely, and isolated from pouring all of your time and energy into running your business.

It sucks.

An 85 year study at Harvard University found that the number 1 indicator of happiness is social connection.

“The surprising finding is that our relationships and how happy we are in our relationships has a powerful influence on our health,” said Robert Waldinger, director of the study, a psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital and a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. “Taking care of your body is important, but tending to your relationships is a form of self-care too. That, I think, is the revelation.”

We are social beings. We are not designed to spend all of our time alone.

If you are having these feelings of loneliness, know that you are not the only one and in the framework section below I have outlined 3 simple steps to improve this area of your life.

Quote: Simon Sinek

Framework: Here are 3 proven steps you can take to get out of entrepreneurial isolation. 

1. Accept your feelings of loneliness. The first step in making any real change is accepting that you are feeling this way. Accepting these feelings without judgement is vital to moving towards sustainable change.
   

2. Find 2-3 local business owners in your network who you would enjoy spending time with.
   

3. Book weekly 1 hr social coffee meetings, in person. Not on zoom. In person! We are human beings and we need social connection in order to thrive in life. 

I promise you that even 1 hr a week will leave you feeling inspired, connected, and energized to get back into your office and continue building your dream.

Resource: Diary Of A CEO: Simon Sinek

In Case You Missed It:

In Monday’s issue, I wrote about the power of daily non-negotiables.

When you think about taking better care of yourself, the biggest challenge is that it's really overwhelming to try and tackle everything at the same time. 

Here are some examples of daily non-negotiables.

• Minimum 7 hours of sleep 

• Morning sunlight

• 1 dose of caffeine a day

• 10 Minutes of Daily meditation/breathwork

• Protein rich diet

• 3-4 litres of water 

• 5-10 mins stretching

• Minimize scrolling on social media

• 30 minutes of exercise or in nature

If you are looking for more resources on how to better manage your mental and emotional health, we have a variety of available resources when you sign up for a Nurtr Wellness membership. Check it out here.