This week I decided to take a break from doing the Thursday Spa Business Break. Instead of doing a Facebook Live at noon, I went for lunch with my husband.

This is a grand departure from my normal consistent visibility on social media - I’ve been doing spa business FB Live education every week for over two years! It was a commitment I made to myself, my business and my tribe.

But I woke up this morning feeling like I needed a break. I knew it would not be genuine to keep pushing myself when I knew I needed some down time, especially since the importance of self-care is something I am always talking about to the women I work with.

The Entrepreneur + Life = Exhaustion

I’ve become a Master at self care over the past 12 years. Not only am I a high-achiever, but after one divorce, a stint in single-parenthood, the journey of a blended family, and a husband who took his Masters Degree in the throes of our kids teen years, I had to prioritize self care and boundaries or I’d have nothing left of me.

And I’ve also learned to temper my expectations of my expectations.

It’s so common for women to feel like we need to do it all and…to do it perfectly.

And ironically, for most female led businesses, self-care is the first thing that goes out of the window when the to-do list teeters on the ever-growing pile of “shoulds”.

But I want to remind you that it’s okay not to feel okay. In fact, it's totally normal.

Running a business is hard and on top of that, many of you manage a family with children or aging parents and a home to keep organized and tidy. This phenomenon is called Emotional Labor and it’s real.

So, let yourself have a break when your intuition is telling you to make self care a priority.