5 Ways to Maintain a Healthy Work-Life Balance as a Yoga Studio Owner
As a yoga studio owner, maintaining a healthy work-life balance may seem like a no brainer. But running a business is a lot of work. And maybe despite your best intentions, sometimes work creeps into your personal time.
Sadly, that’s not a rare occurrence.
It’s important to be aware that stress in the workplace has a direct correlation with mental health. Workplace stress leads to approximately 120,000 deaths and roughly $190 billion in healthcare costs each year in the United States alone. Shockingly, extreme stress can damage important brain structures and weaken your immune system. Additionally, it can also lead to an increase in anxiety and chronic depression, the onset of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), reduced immune system function, and an increase in body inflammation.
And all of that is not surprising when you consider how many people try to do it all, pushing themselves to the limit to make it.
If you’re overworked, stressed-out, and looking to find the right balance, this post is for you.
Five Ways to Maintain a Healthy Work-Life Balance
1. Draw a clear line between you and work
We know that you want to be the kind of manager that can perform miracles and juggle it all with a smile on their face. But the reality is that’s just not possible. So it’s important to draw a clear line between your home life and your work life.
Making the distinction between work and your personal life plays a key part in managing your stress levels.
Here are some concrete steps you can take:
- Set a dedicated time, every day, to check-in and check-out of work
This is necessary! You cannot, and should not, be available at all hours of the day. Sure, there may be some days where you have to start early or end later, but most days should be kept to a consistent schedule. Doing this will give you tangible time to spend with your loved ones and yourself.
Setting your hours is a way to tell yourself and your family that there is more to life than work. It says that your personal life is valuable to you and that you appreciate the people you share your life with.
Having a schedule is also good for business. When you know you have to be at work during certain hours of the day, it makes you more productive. A hard and fast deadline is the best way to get stuff done. You might have busier hours on those work days, but at least you’ll know that the end of the day means the end of your workday (most of the time!).
- Communicate boundaries to your management and staff
A plan in place to streamline your schedule is useless if you don’t tell people about it! So set up a staff meeting and ensure everyone is clear on your boundaries. If members of your staff have any questions, then be open to answering them. You could even have one meeting for regular staff and one for your executive team. This will allow you to address any concerns or resistance to change. Remember, as much as you live and breathe your business, you should have set hours to rest.
- Communicate boundaries to your loved ones
Of course, you should also tell your loved ones about the changes that will take place in your schedule.
The American Society of Training and Development did a study on accountability. Their study found that most people are 65% more likely to do the things they said they would if they tell someone else about it. And if you set up check-in’s to monitor your progress, you’ll increase your odds of success by 95%.
2. Let go and delegate
You’re likely stressed and out of balance because you have too much on your plate. This is your reminder that you hired your staff for a reason.
Trust the staff you hired. When you give responsibility to your team, they feel a sense of ownership and they will likely work hard to accomplish any tasks delegated to them. Let go of the need to micromanage, because sooner or later it will drive you over the edge.
Delegating will also help you and your company grow. Why? Because delegating makes you a driving force in the success of your team, and it gives team members the space to come up with new ideas. You might be stuck in your ways, and it takes new perspectives to give way to positive outcomes.
3. Have a strong support system at home and at work
You can hardly do anything without the support of others. Whether it’s taking your business to new heights or achieving personal goals in life, you need support to make it happen.
So how do you build a strong support system at home and work?
- Connect with people
Building a connection is not as easy as saying ‘hello’ or asking them how their day went, but at the same time, it’s not as complicated as you might think. It’s about reaching out and making the effort.
- Share interests and experiences
Find out what you have in common with the people you’re trying to connect with and do that thing you have in common together. Make the effort!
- Confide in each other
Once you’ve spent time building a relationship by reaching out, remember the importance of being able to go to someone (in your office and in your personal life) with your own questions, opinions, or concerns. In the workplace, having that person means issues get addressed; and at home, it means your feelings and needs are met too.
4. Leave room for play
As you plan your week, make time for family, friends, and activities that you enjoy. When you fit fun into your schedule, it gives you something to look forward to.
Try making fun part of your routine. Take a good look at your weekly calendar. Do you have a day or two when you can take a break? Your yoga studio is a getaway for your clients, but remember you need a getaway too! Perhaps schedule in a bi-weekly massage or a weekly hiking trip with your family. Make your work-life balance work for you and your interests!
You could build fun into your workplace too. Team building is great for connecting with your staff and creating loyalty. So, if you can, shut down the office and enjoy lunch together once a month. If it’s difficult to get the whole team together off-site, then cater a lunch or plan a potluck, and spend time on-site chatting about anything but work. Any little thing you can do to ease the tension and stress of a busy work week will make all the difference to your staff.
5. Streamline your workflow
There are a handful of reasons why you ought to ensure that your yoga studio software is updated and ready for all that you might throw at it.
- Modern software allows you to join forces with all members of your team, no matter where they are
Your team members might not all be in the studio together all the time. Ensuring that your yoga teachers know where they need to be and have access to their schedules in real time will prevent a lot of headaches.
- Modern software provides stronger security
Using outdated software puts yours, your staff, and your students’ information at risk. It’s important to seek out new data protection technology that can withstand security breaches and protect your privacy. Using reliable software will ensure the safety of your company and your livelihood.
- Having good software is good for business
Today, customers expect modern conveniences. Finding a tech solution that streamlines your workflow and makes everyone’s lives easier is paramount!
You need a yoga studio management software that works for you. One that:
- Offers reporting and marketing tools
- Provides staff scheduling and payroll management
- Allows for client engagement and communications
- Has built-in online retail store capabilities
- Takes the guesswork out of running your business
WellnessLiving offers all of the above, and more!
Peace of Mind
Here at WellnessLiving, we’ve made it our mission to see businesses grow and soar. Our all-in-one yoga studio management software is designed by business owners, for business owners. We know how much hard work goes into running a business, so we’ve put together an user-friendly software system to take the stress out of the day to day processes!
Book a free, no-commitment demo today to see how WellnessLiving can help you on your journey towards a better work-life balance!
