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#Own It — Your Side Gig and Your Self Care

Own It — Your Side Gig and Your Self Care

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Starting a new side hustle is an exciting venture, but adding that on top of your other responsibilities can leave you drained. It’s crucial to keep the momentum going in every aspect of your life, and that means plenty of self-care. Here are a few ideas from Burada Biliyorum on how to take care of yourself while adding a side gig to your schedule.

When you’re done, be done.

When your work is done for the day, close up shop. Since you’re likely starting up this side business at home on your off-hours, this means shutting your home office door and leaving it closed until the next day. If you don’t have a dedicated home office, try using room dividers to keep the space out of sight, out of mind.

The Robert Walters Group suggests creating a “shutdown ritual.” Shut down your work computer and turn off the alerts on your phone at closing time. Ideally, you won’t check your email after hours, but if you must, don’t answer non-vital emails. Flag them or mark them as unread so you don’t forget about them, but plan on dealing with them the next day.

Work smarter, not harder.

Instead of going full-on into the wide marketspace right away, start out by creating your own freelancing business. This way, you can take on only as much work as you can handle. Plus, you can give your customers more individual attention, and it’s a great way to maintain time for self-care.

You can create a limited liability corporation (LLC). LLCs are flexible enough that they require significantly less paperwork than, for instance, C-Corps or S-Corps. This makes them easier to form and keep in good legal standing. You’ll require a tax ID number called an Employer ID Number, or EIN, with the IRS. This is essentially your corporation’s Social Security Number and both identify your business as well as how the IRS tracks payroll taxes. Perhaps best of all, whether you pay quarterly taxes or annual, an EIN makes for a much easier time when you file.

Move around.

Don’t neglect your exercise. Working out your body isn’t just about physical wellness; it can affect your mental wellness, too. It can decrease stress hormones and increase serotonin and norepinephrine, both known to speed up information processing.

Make working out a priority in your daily routine, even if it’s just a walk around the block in the evenings. Low impact exercise can also be great to do while taking a work break. Yoga, biking, and even dancing are all healthy breaks that can improve your mood — and your work — dramatically.

Go out.

After working your regular job and your side gig, you’re going to need to blow off some steam. Try calling your best friend for that dinner you’ve been putting off or ask your sibling to coffee. Gather a group for happy hour and trade work stories, or simply take work talk off the table and discuss quite literally anything else.

You don’t need others in order to go out and benefit. Head to the local park with a book, or try that new cafe down the street. Be your own dinner date and grab some food downtown. The point is to get out of your home (and potential second workspace) and simply be out in the world. It can help ground you and get you back to center.

Go to sleep.

It’s obvious but vital. Your body needs rest, particularly when you’re essentially working two jobs. Sleep deprivation can lead to memory issues, compromise decision-making processes, cause impatience and/or mood swings, and just overall leave your brain feeling totally exhausted and overwhelmed.

You can even consider adding naps to your daily schedule, especially if you usually go straight from one working gig to another. Johns Hopkins suggests a 20-40 minute nap, ideally between 1 and 4 p.m. It’s also a good idea to make sure your home is a relaxing and calming space. You can start by decluttering, organizing, and adding some indoor plants.

Starting a side gig may be one of the best things you’ve ever done, but you have to take care of yourself, as well. Use these tips to balance self-care and hustle on your new endeavor.

by Poppy Williams

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