Your own health can find itself at the bottom of your to-do list, but for a successful business and a happy life, it has to work its way up to something you prioritize.
By Jennifer Paulson
It’s no secret that being an NRHA Professional can be a 24/7 job. High-level performance horses require constant attention. Customers of all budgets expect your expert care for their animals. Staying at the top of your competitive game doesn’t happen without extra effort. And let’s not forget the time required to maintain a property and market yourself to acquire new customers. All of these factors can lead you to feeling burnt out. But more than that, they can take a toll on your physical and mental health, which can test your personal relationships and your ability to perform at your chosen career.
Carving out time to care for yourself and meet your own needs might seem impossible in your current framework, but you’re not alone. Small business owners and operators from all sectors face the same challenges. We did some digging outside the horse industry to find insights and tips that you can apply in your own business to help you care for your health and help your relationships prosper, even under the stress of being a successful NRHA Professional.
Here we’ll arm you with strategies to create time to focus on your own well-being, even if just for five minutes at a time. As you start to create these short segments focusing on yourself, you’ll see results and learn that taking care of yourself is just as important as finding the next customer or winning a big event.
Part 1: Find Exercise…That Isn’t Horse-Related
Part 3: Ditch ‘Comparisonitis’ & Limit Social Media Exposure
Part 4: Common Signs of Mental Health Concerns
Ditch Comparisonitis & Limit Social Media
As a successful NRHA Professional, you’re competitive by nature. Your “achiever” mentality might lead you to endlessly compare your business, your success, and your lifestyle to your peers’. While learning from others in similar situations can be helpful on your path to success, constantly comparing your situation to another’s can cause unnecessary stress and anxiety.
Part of eliminating “comparisonitis” involves developing an attitude of gratitude. It sounds cheesy, but being grateful for every victory—no matter how big or small—and for all the things you love about your lifestyle can help minimize the tendency to try to measure up. One way to embrace this idea is to start a gratitude journal. Take time each night to write out five things you were grateful for that day. It can be a simple list or involve more writing, if you find it’s an exercise you enjoy doing.
Social media is likely a large portion of you marketing effort, whether you do it yourself or hire it out. However, endlessly scrolling Facebook, Instagram, and other social media can wear on your mental health. If you can’t resist taking a break or limiting your exposure, at least remember that social media is a highlight reel. Everyone has highs and lows, good times and hard times, victories and struggles. Behind every “highlight” lies at least one struggle that the person won’t share publicly, whether it’s on their personal or business page.
Most of all, think about the time you could be doing things to enhance your mental health instead of getting bogged down in likes, comments, and retweets. Your phone probably has a function that shows how much screen time you have each week. Be mindful when it increases. Consider what led to that uptick, and did it benefit you in any way?
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