You run a handmade business.

It’s combining your passion with your dreams and you want to do everything you can to turn it profitable.

But now you’re going to bed late, struggling to be present during time with your family or friends because business is ALL you can think about.

It’s what drives you to keep moving forward, but you’re slowly starting to feel like you’re losing your mind.

If you’re not spending every waking moment working on your business, it won’t work, right?

Wrong.

As a creative business owner our business is our pride and joy.

It’s like a child that we nurture and care for day and night.

Everything has to be perfect and we are always looking for ways to improve it!

If you are running your business alone then you alone are in charge of production, sales, shipping, customer support, social media outlets, etc.

So many things to do in one day you often forget to take care of yourself.

You skip meals, stay up late (sometimes until the next day), neglect daily household chores, and rack your brain day and night until you find yourself so exhausted and burnt out that you can’t even function during the day properly.

This unhealthy habit can have a negative impact on your business, family life, and your overall health!

Here I will give you 3 simple tips to prevent burn out so that you can be more productive while still maintaining your health and sanity:

1. Create a weekly schedule

Plan out your week in advance with things you will like to accomplish.

Be realistic and prioritize your tasks accordingly.

Do not plan more than you can do within the week.

Less is more!

Think about how long it will take to do each task so that your weekly schedule is doable.

2. Set up a specific time for work

Set aside time each day to work on your creative business.

Treat it like an 8-9 hour job and be sure that you eat breakfast before even beginning work.

Also block out time for a 30 minute to 1 hour lunch break to allow yourself to eat and relax before going back to work.

Once you’ve reached the time you specified for the end of your work day stop working and enjoy the rest of your day!

Leave any unfinished tasks for the next work day.

3. Set aside some personal time

Pick a day during the week for your day off.

You can do whatever you like on your day off just like you would do had you taken a day off of work from an employer.

Sleep in, spend time with family and friends, watch Netflix, etc.

Whatever you do, don’t do anything that concerns your creative business.

This is your day off so enjoy it!

With these simple tips you will find yourself being more productive, well rested, and less stressed.

Running your creative business will become more enjoyable because you’ll have the energy to lovingly put into it and make it as successful as possible!

Samara Bonner is a wife and mom of 5 little ones with a passion for sewing feminine, but modest clothing for little girls.

You can visit her online shop at www.sonataelise.com where you will find pretty dresses and accessories designed for little girls in sizes newborn to size 6.