This morning, I attended Cathy’s Laughter Club. 30 minutes of laughter yoga that filled the room with joy and movement. We laughed until our faces hurt, moved our bodies with lightness, and started the day in alignment.

As I left, I felt something I hadn’t felt in a while: spacious energy. The kind that isn’t rushed or reactive, but calm, open, and alive. Even Jores noticed it when he commented, “You look happy.”

It reminded me of the importance of self-care and that it’s actually a leadership skill. Especially now, as we head into the holiday season, when business owners feel the pressure of deadlines, financial targets, and the emotional load that often comes with trying to finish the year strong.

Most entrepreneurs I know are deeply passionate about what they do. They care about their clients, their team, their families, and their communities. But somewhere in that care, they forget to include themselves.

And that’s precisely what Level 4 energy (the energy of care, compassion, and service) calls us to remember. It’s about helping others while also nurturing the person who does the helping.

So, today, I want to share 12 self-care habits that have helped me (and many of the founders we work with) stay centered, energized, and grounded while building a business that grows sustainably.

12 Self-Care Habits for Business Owners

1. Start the Day with Intention

If you’ve read The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod, you’ll know the SAVERS acronym: Silence, Affirmations, Visualization, Exercise, Reading, and Scribing.

It aligns beautifully with Robin Sharma’s “20/20/20 Formula” from The 5 AM Club (20 minutes of exercise to energize your body, 20 minutes of journaling or meditation to center your mind, and 20 minutes of reading to learn and feed your soul).

Hal recommends doing all, but many people do one or a few of these. And if you are wondering what silence and scribing mean, these are simply meditation and journaling.

When it comes to exercising, even a few minutes of yoga helps. This is what we actually do. 5-10 minutes of stretching and slow movement.

The idea isn’t to wake up at a specific hour or do all six things, but to start your day on purpose.

Even ten minutes of quiet reflection or journaling before diving into emails can shift your energy from reactive to intentional. It’s a simple way to remind yourself: I’m leading my day, not chasing it.

2. Move Early, Lead Strong

Speaking of movement, my calendar includes workouts, and they’re non-negotiable. They happen before lunch, just like any other important meeting. And, to be honest, Jores is even better than I am at doing his workouts regularly.

Movement is life. We don’t have to exercise. We get to do it. And in the process, we gain clarity. Because when your body moves, your mind clears. And when your energy flows, decisions come faster and confidence rises.

Exercise takes time and it might feel like you are away from business. Yet, it’s how you show up better for your business. More energized and sharper.

3. Protect Your Sleep Like a Board Meeting

We tend to glorify late nights and early mornings, as if exhaustion proves dedication. But tired leaders make tired teams.

Sleep is a performance strategy. It sharpens judgment, strengthens resilience, and stabilizes emotions. Every hour you lose to poor rest, you pay back in slower thinking and shorter patience.

Treat your sleep like a board meeting you can’t afford to skip.

And while there’s a lot of advice out there on duration of sleep, remember that quality matters more. Find a way to get good quality sleep, and don’t be afraid of taking naps. It seems some of the most successful people are or were nappers.

4. Refuel Your Tank (Mind, Body & Spirit)

In The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, Robin Sharma uses a powerful analogy: you can’t drive anywhere on an empty tank.

Refueling is physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. For me, that means long walks, laughter (thank you, Cathy’s Club!), quiet reflection, books (lots of them in all formats), and time with people who fill my soul rather than drain it.

Ask yourself often: What refuels me? Then, schedule it. You deserve to drive with a full tank.

By the way, this does include the food you eat. You’ve probably noticed how sluggish you feel in the afternoon after certain meals and how energized you are at other times.

5. Laugh More… Seriously

Laughter is one of the most underestimated leadership tools. It releases tension, lowers cortisol, and resets your nervous system. It reminds your team (and yourself) that joy has a place in the workplace.

After all, the most successful companies in the world are a fun place to work at. Where people say TGIM instead of TGIF.

And, sometimes, the most productive thing you can do is laugh. Not because everything is perfect, but because you’re choosing lightness over pressure. Because building a business is actually a joyful adventure we get to experience. Think about it!

6. Unplug to Reconnect

Entrepreneurs live online these days. Emails, meetings, notifications, metrics. These are all on our phones. Attached to us 24/7. This constant connection keeps us busy and rarely present.

Charlie Kirk used to share how he takes a full 24-hour period offline every week. From Friday evening to Saturday evening. To be with his family.

I love that idea.

To be honest, I’m still a work in progress here. But I’m learning that real connection with yourself, your loved ones, your purpose requires real disconnection. Or in other words, unplugging from the matrix. Even if it’s only for a few hours a day or a week.

7. Honor Your Natural Rhythms

We’re not machines. Our energy ebbs and flows daily, seasonally, and, for women, monthly.

While men tend to follow a 24-hour circadian rhythm, women experience an additional 28-day cycle. Honoring these natural patterns helps us plan smarter, rest intentionally, and stop fighting our biology.

When we align our business rhythm with our body’s rhythm, we find flow instead of friction.

If you are a female entrepreneur like me, you have probably noticed it. There are times of the month when you feel like you can conquer the world. And two weeks later, you are cocooned in a warm blanket, drinking cacao, and watching Harry Potter.

Whether you are a man or a woman, the key is to understand your natural cycles and honor them. Because when you do, you start swimming with the flow, not against it.

8. Create Space to Breathe… Literally

I sometimes joke that entrepreneurs forget to breathe. We rush from one thing to the next, holding our breath through the day.

So, today, try this: between meetings, stop for 90 seconds. Breathe in for four counts, hold for four, out for six. Feel your shoulders drop.

This tiny reset can bring you back to the energy of Level 4 care, calm, and compassion in under two minutes.

9. Connect with Your Community

The longest-running Harvard study on happiness found that strong relationships, not money or achievements, are the biggest predictors of long-term well-being.

Entrepreneurship can be isolating. That’s why community is essential. It’s where we remember we’re not alone in this. Where we find people who get us, support us, and lift us up when we need it.

If you’ve been craving a space to share, learn, and grow with people who truly understand the journey, the Visionary Founders Club is that space. It’s where ambition meets care and where leaders refuel together. And we’d love to see you there.

10. Practice the Power of “No”

Every time you say yes to something misaligned, you’re saying no to your focus, your rest, or your growth.

And yes, we are talking boundaries here. They’re filters that protect your energy.

Level 4 care includes caring enough to say, “This isn’t right for me right now.”

11. Reclaim Time for Creativity

We often confuse busyness with productivity. But real breakthroughs, the kind that change your business, come when you step away long enough to think.

Schedule unstructured time. Take a walk without your phone. Sit with a notebook and a cup of coffee.

Stillness creates space for strategy. When you stop reacting, you start creating.

And, of course, don’t forget to schedule your most important work for the day, so you actually get to do it.

Put it in your calendar for the time of day when you are most energized and most likely to complete it. Then, go back to habit 10 and protect the time with a solid “No” for anything else.

12. End Each Day with Gratitude, Reflection & Celebration

Entrepreneurs are notorious for skipping the celebration part. We hit one goal and immediately move to the next.

But reflection and celebration complete the cycle of growth. They signal to your brain: I’m making progress. This matters.

Each night, write down one thing you’re grateful for, one thing you learned, and one thing you’re celebrating. Big and small.

Gratitude grounds you. Celebration motivates you.

The Leadership Ripple Effect

How you treat yourself teaches your team what’s normal. If you run on fumes, they’ll think they have to. But if you lead with balance, intention, and compassion, you give permission for everyone around you to do the same.

That’s what Level 4 energy really is: care in motion. The kind that starts within and expands outward to your team, your clients, your community.

Start Small with One Habit

I know I shared a lot. So, here’s the good news. You don’t need to start with all twelve. In fact, please don’t.

Choose just one habit. Yes, only ONE, my fellow high-achiever. The one that speaks to you most right now. Maybe it’s getting better sleep. Maybe it’s moving your body in the morning. Maybe it’s saying no more often or laughing more freely.

Start there. Build consistency. Add on top after you have the first habit dialed in.

Energy expands with practice, not perfection.

Leading with Care

As we head into the holidays, let’s remember to take care of ourselves first.

Self-care is leadership. It’s how we sustain our vision, protect our joy, and serve from a place of abundance instead of depletion.

And if you’re ready to lead with more clarity, energy, and connection, I invite you to join us in the Visionary Founders Club. It’s where we practice growth without burnout, and where we remind each other that care is leadership.

Because the best business strategy is a healthy, inspired leader. And it all starts with you.