Issue #53: Are You Suffering From "Boss Guilt"?

This week’s issue is brought to you by the ROOTED Community

🎧 Rather listen to this issue? Click here to play this issue in your favorite podcast streaming app!

Hey friend!

Picture this…

You’ve worked hard all week. Maybe you worked your full-time job during the day while sneaking in a little work for your business on your lunch break or downtime. For 8 hours a day, you’re constantly juggling meetings, keeping up with Slack requests, and going over multiple to-do lists in your head. And even when 5 p.m. hits, your day still isn’t over. You get home and you’re instantly thrown into “mom mode.” You must figure out what to feed your children, help out with overcomplicated homework, ensure everyone is bathed and in bed, and try to squeeze in some time with your spouse.

Or maybe, it’s just you. But that doesn’t mean that your evenings are free. You still have to feed yourself, straighten up the house, and catch up on all the phone calls and group chat messages you missed throughout the day.

But after the house has settled down, it’s time for part three of your day. Dedicating time to finally focus on your business. You spend the next few hours answering emails, checking in on clients, designing sales pages, or packaging up orders.

Throughout the chaos of your day, there is barely enough time for you to catch your breath, let alone dedicate an entire hour to YOU!

But there is always that one day. That one day when you tell your family to leave you alone or you silence that group chat so that you can FINALLY take some much-needed time out for yourself. You lay down on your couch cuddled under that warm blanket, queue up that Netflix series you’re behind on, and melt into what you think is about to be pure relaxation.

That is until the little voice in your head starts saying...

“You could be using this time to work.”

“You’re not going to be successful by just lying around.”

Or “You must not want it bad enough!”

No matter how much you try to drown out the thoughts by increasing the volume of your show, you’re still overcome by “Boss Guilt!” Next thing you know, you’re propped up at your desk with your laptop open and whittling away at a to-do list that we both know could have waited another day.

If this sounds really similar to how your “me time” starts and ends, then friend you have suffered from what I like to call, “Boss Guilt.” We’ve all been there before and it can be extremely hard to silence those voices that are trying to make you feel bad for prioritizing rest.

So what exactly is “Boss Guilt” and how do we prevent falling victim?

"Boss Guilt" is the emotional conflict experienced by women entrepreneurs who feel a sense of guilt or selfishness when prioritizing rest and self-care over the relentless demands of their business and personal responsibilities.

“Boss Guilt” stems from societal expectations, the pressure to constantly hustle, and the internalized belief that taking time for oneself is incompatible with being a successful entrepreneur.

In other words, you feel bad for taking much-needed time off, no matter how badly you need it. But you know here at Mind Body Brand, we believe that REST is your most profitable business strategy.

How do you begin to really ignore those guilty thoughts and feelings so that they no longer interrupt your self-care time?

KNOW YOU’RE NOT DOING ANYTHING WRONG

According to the dictionary, guilty means: the fact of having committed a specified or implied offense or crime.

Basically, guilt means that you’ve possibly done something wrong. So if you’re feeling guilty about taking time off, then you need to work on shifting your mindset from believing that taking time for yourself is wrong to believing that taking time out for yourself is a necessity. I’d also encourage you to dig a little deeper into figuring out why rest or self-care feels so wrong to you.

ENFORCE BOUNDARIES AROUND YOURSELF

In the same way that you enforce boundaries around your family, friends, or clients when you need time away, you have to set those same boundaries around yourself. What does this look like? Maybe putting your laptop in another room so that you’re not tempted to work during your downtime. Or maybe that looks like removing the email apps from your phone so that any emails you receive are not a distraction.

Think about the ways that you are most tempted to work and figure out how you can set better boundaries around yourself.

SHIFT YOUR PERCEPTION

From the outside looking in, it can seem like the most successful entrepreneurs never take any days off. First off, a lot of those people are only showing you what they want you to see. A lot of them have teams that are working behind them. Secondly, if they really are working that hard with no breaks, then I’m sure they are miserable.

So shift your perspective. Instead recognize that being a well-rested entrepreneur means that you’re likely to be more focused, creative, and have a lot more clarity.

PRACTICE SELF-COMPASSION

You are more than just an entrepreneur. You are more than any title that you hold. Understand that in order to thrive in every aspect of your life you have to put YOU first. Know that taking breaks and prioritizing self-care is not selfish but a necessary part of sustaining a successful and fulfilling life. So be easy on yourself and keep in mind that you deserve rest too.

Here at Mind Body Brand, I’m on a mission to help all of us push past “Boss Guilt” for good and make rest a normal part of our day. So the next time you begin to feel guilty about taking time out for yourself, forget about it!

Do you ever struggle with “Boss Guilt”? If so, join in on the conversation inside of the ROOTED community!

Cheers to a great week!

– Alisha

Become the entrepreneur who intentionally prioritizes rest over hustle!

ROOTED is a private community that encourages women entrepreneurs to prioritize rest so that they can break the cycle of stress and burnout. It's your hub for resources that fuel your well-being and elevate your business. Think curated wellness and business resources, genuine connections, and actionable strategies for making rest a priority!

Sign up for ROOTED today and get access to our community and growing resource library!

Interested in advertising with Mind Body Brand? Learn more here!

ICYMI

GOOD FINDS

☕️ Want to become a morning person? These tried and tested steps may help!

🤷🏽‍♀️ Could “pursed lips” be the quickest way to calm stress and anxiety? I don’t know but it’s worth a try.

🤖 This could either be really good or really bad. But ChatGPT can now analyze any PDF you send it.

💅🏾 I recently took matters into my own hands (literally) and decided to start doing my own nails. This gel manicure set did not disappoint!

🥴 Is it too late to apologize? Or are you just waiting for the right time?

DON’T FORGET TO BREATHE