Season two of The Biz Podcast has focused on beliefs that hold business owners back in their businesses. This episode focuses on the belief that entrepreneurs have to work, work, work - even if it means sacrificing sleep. Joining me on this episode is Jennifer Schurer. Jenn is a CPA with a lust for learning, exploring and challenging the status quo. She built upSpace to help people. As an online marketplace for space rental, upSpace enables business owners to make a second source of income by renting out their space. As a directory and booking system, it helps individuals and businesses book space for meetings and events. Jenn sees huge opportunity for disruption in commercial real estate in Canada. In this podcast episode, she and I discuss the importance of sleep, especially for entrepreneurs and business owners.
Do you burn the candle on both ends?
The idea that we have to burn the candle at both ends in order to be successful is a pretty big fallacy. As is the idea that we can’t have it all. When you look at our society in general, we're very sleep-deprived, and that does not help us. It doesn't help us physically, mentally or emotionally.
Jennifer believes it is important to remember that life is a marathon. It's not a sprint. And so, it's extremely important to prioritize our sleep. Sleep allows our minds and bodies to heal and rejuvenate. Sleep is for superwomen!
Are you sacrificing sleep?
We hear a lot of stories online from business owners and entrepreneurs, where the advice is to work really, really hard. And that if you put in enough hours, then you can create all this good stuff, but the danger is that you're going to burn out and not do any of it. Because business owners are working so hard, sleep is one of those things that we've almost been taught that we have to give up. We’ve been taught that the only way to be successful in business is to figure out what we're going to sacrifice, but there is a better way.
Do you say ‘no’ enough?
As Canadians, we tend to be very polite and we like to collaborate, but the downside is that we have a tendency to say ‘yes’ even if it's not in our best interests. We need to learn to say ‘no’ more often. It’s not about becoming selfish, however, it is about focusing on our self-interests. If you were able to exercise the ability to say no to certain things more often, you might find that you have more free time and that free time could be spent on catching up on sleep because instead of juggling 12 balls now you’re juggling 11.
Before taking on more work, you need to ask yourself: What is it that you're actually spending your time doing? What is it that you think is taking up all your time? Why don’t you have time to sleep or do the other things you want to be doing? What are you spending time on that you don’t need to be doing?
Setting healthy habits
Making more time for things that matter, such as sleep, is about setting habits and starting small with these habits. We can begin by saying, I'm going to go to bed 10 minutes earlier because 10 minutes is not very intimidating. And then over time it's about modifying the behaviour to help you reach your goal.
Having more sleep and making sure that you're getting a good amount of sleep can improve your business. Sleep is about the long game. For Jenn, she knows that if she has a good amount of sleep, she is in a better position to face her day. She has clarity and focus. It gives her the energy she needs to get through the day because even if she does get a good night's sleep, her days are still very long.
You need to make sure that you're fuelling yourself properly, whether it's sleep, whether it's nutrition or whether it's meditation so that you can get all those things done that you want to get done.
Are you enjoying the journey?
With everything you are doing in your business, it’s important that you are also enjoying the journey. If you're not enjoying the journey, if you just think you have to hustle harder and work all the time, then you won’t enjoy what you’re doing! There is a sense of ease that comes from enjoying the process, and part of the process is making sure you’re taking care of yourself along with your business.
Getting more sleep creates less stress on your body, which is going to make you sleep better, which is also going to make you feel more well-rested. It's a snowball effect that happens that triggers the moment you start those little habits.
We don't have to struggle to achieve our goals. And if we think we have to struggle, then we will struggle. And if we think it can work, then it usually will. So, make getting more sleep a goal!
Start small
Just remember to start small! 10 minutes a day – or even five minutes. So small, it almost seems ridiculous. But know that small, simple things can make a big difference. It's all about allowing yourself to have time for it. If you don't allow yourself to think you can take a nap in the afternoon, but then you're really sluggish and you're not getting very much done, a 15-minute power nap would have meant that you were really productive after. It's about allowing yourself to have the thing you need. And if you don't give it to yourself, you're going to continue to struggle.
Sleeping isn’t being lazy
What conversations do we need to have as a society to bust the mould and get rid of these notions that naps are lazy? Resting is not lazy, it's healthy for our society and it'll result in more productivity.
A part of this discussion is the need to stop thinking that it’s ideal to work harder and more hours. If you're really good at getting what you do, done in a shorter amount of time that’s great! But if your employer or somebody who’s hiring you thinks something is only good if it took you a long time, then you need to question: Why is it better? If it took me a long time, if I can get you really big results in an hour, that doesn't make it worthless.
We need to stop thinking that we need to work more hours to be thought of as valuable and doing really great work. If we can work fewer hours and be more productive and do that by getting a better night's sleep, then we're all winning.
Improving your quality of sleep
There are also things you can do to improve your quality of sleep. There’s a concept called sleep hygiene. So, whether it's going to bed at the same time every day, whether it's washing your face or reading a certain type of book before bed. They also say to not have a TV in the room and don't have a cell phone in the room. All these little habits and changes can contribute to a better night’s sleep. So, if you are not able to find extra time in the day to get eight or six hours of sleep then think about the things you can do to make the small amount of sleep that you're getting the best quality it can be.
Don't feel like you have to be a Superwoman or Superman. Don't feel like you need to say yes to everything and get everything done. It's okay to say no. It's okay to take time for you and your body will thank you for it.
To find out more about Jennifer and her business, visit her website or follow her on Facebook or Instagram.
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Podcast editing done by Eric Wellman