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Burnout is the buzzword of the moment. It’s unfortunately a common phenomenon at the best of times, but the entrepreneurial community is even more affected. According to Business Insider, over 50% of entrepreneurs have experienced burnout, characterised by lack of interest in work, fatigue, and feelings of depression. The best way to cure burnout? Prevent it before it hits, through listening to your body and taking a break when you need it.

Here, seven entrepreneurs share their favourite self care rituals that help keep them grounded.

“As someone who has previously been a frazzled burnt out mess trying to do everything at once, self care is a must for me,” says Daisy Morris, founder of The Selfhood. “I have to say that for me it looks very different to the usual 5am wake up calls and green juice fuelled mornings we read about in the Entrepreneur books. My self care looks like baths so long I turn into a raisin, watching utterly ridiculous comedy and laughing with my friends, a long walk somewhere quiet with a lot of trees, reading for non educational purposes, a home made dinner and an excellent cocktail.”

Self care is so important for entrepreneurs because they quite literally are their business. If you’re sick, your business suffers too. “Self care is crucial as I can only be the best version of myself for my customers when I fill up my cup,” says Jessica de Block, founder of Antwerp Avenue and Alfavrouwen. “I’m in this for the long haul and I realised over the years that I can’t pretend it’s a never ending sprint. I just have to water my ‘seed’ every day so it becomes a beautiful, strong tree. I start my day with chakra healing music in the shower, and I have started daily walks with my dog while listening to an audiobook.” Ellie Kine, founder of The Enthusiast, agrees. “Running your own business is a never ending rollercoaster, treadmill, any number of metaphors which see you going fast and all over the shop with no control, but self care is one simple but super important way to ground yourself,” she says. “I make sure to have a bath (sometimes at 2pm, which feels highly indulgent - take that 9 to 5s!) and also read as much as I can to take my mind off work!”

Thanks to celebrities pushing ‘miracle’ cures, self care has a bit of a contentious reputation. But in reality, it’s up to you how you interpret the idea. “When I first started my consultancy I thought self care was a dirty word, far too ‘goop’ for my liking. But wow, was I wrong!” says Jade Coles, founder of Studio Coles. “Self care is now woven into the very tapestry of my working day no matter what. I’ve come to realise that it’s about respecting yourself, your boundaries and your energy. I’m now hella protective of that. Nowadays self care looks to me like respecting the ceremonial moments that have become the pillars to my day. Going out for a walk first thing, slow brewing a coffee, every morning I pull three tarot cards via an app I love. I take some time to think about where my head is based on what comes up. I voice note my closest pals. Stretch, and then I’m ready to work.”

With so much work taking place online, particularly this year, digital detoxing is more important than ever. “With my business so focused on supporting others, looking after myself is fundamental to ensure I’m bringing my best and growing sustainably,” says Alice Benham, business and marketing strategist. “For me this looks like starting each day phone free, taking a full hour out for a nutritious lunch and regularly engaging in either coaching, mentoring or therapy.” Entrepreneurs are known for making their own rules, so it’s worth ensuring your self care rituals are based on what works for you. “I don’t set an alarm (gasp!). Instead, I let my body naturally wake me up between 8-10am,” says Jessica Bruno, Social Media Marketing Consultant. “At 7pm I turn off all electronics and have fun with offline activities. Right now I’m knitting!” Yvie Hormsby, Creative Director at Yoco Studio, agrees that taking it slow in the evenings is the way to go. “I have an immovable self care ritual for Sunday evenings to both unwind from the week and reset for the next. Bubble bath, anime, journal. Every Sunday.”

Create your own self care routine by testing out a number of different options to find the perfect combination for you. It’s a good idea to implement some small self care activities on a daily basis, and take time at the weekend for some more extended me-time.

Written by Phoebe Dodds Founder of BURO155

First, I watch a lot of Dutch TV to learn the language. I find it a really entertaining way to learn colloquial Dutch. If you haven’t had the chance to watch some of the programs, I list some of them here, as I want to share my favorite Dutch people with you. Also, if you like a Dutch celebrity you see on TV, then you’re in for a treat because celebrities show up everywhere! On talk shows, game shows, specials, hosting events – the same people pop up everywhere. So indulge me for a few minutes while I share some of my favorite Dutch people …

Winston Gerschtanowitz

One of the best shows to watch, especially if you’re a trivial fan, is 50/50, where two contestants are asked 50 questions in 30 minutes. They can choose from two answers - one correct, one incorrect - giving them a 50/50 chance of answering correctly. The show is fast-paced and makes it easy to pick up Dutch. But it’s the host, Winston Gerschtanowitz, who really makes the show awesome to watch. Now that I can understand a bit of Dutch, I’m catching all the funny jokes. His mannerisms make it even funnier! game show and the National Postcode Lottery commercials. Winston got his start on a Dutch soap opera before moving on to a boy band in the 90s. He’s been a participant or presenter on a number of Dutch shows including Dancing on Ice, RTL Boulevard, The Voice of Holland and It Takes 2, together with another popular Dutch celebrity, Gordon. You can catch 50/50 on SBS6.

Fred van Leer

When RuPaul’s Drag Race brought its franchise to the Netherlands, the queen herself RuPaul Charles picked Fred van Leer to host the popular reality competition show. Starting September 2020, Videoland streaming viewers were treated to Van Leer hosting the wild and crazy show. Having been a former drag queen in his earlier years, this Rotterdammer was living out what he called his ‘dream’. I’m a huge Drag Race and RuPaul fan, so having someone else sit in that iconic seat was almost sacrilegious for me. But Fred was funny and caring as he mentored the participating drag queens and made the show his own.

Fred is also the host of the Alles uit de kast – a show where he transforms plain Janes into stylish divas. 2020 seemed to be Fred’s year, until in the fall a sex tape of him was leaked, followed by a violent break-in in his home, where he was threatened at gun point. He recently said that he has put all this behind him and thanked his friends and fans for their love and support.

Elise Schaap

You know a person is a true comedian when they make you laugh, even if you don’t understand what they are saying. This is Elise Schaap. I first saw Elise on Welkom in de 80-jarige oorlog (Welcome to the 80-Years War), a series on NPO3. I was watching old episodes of the history-madefun series to - you guessed it! - learn Dutch, when I saw the comedic genius who is Elise Schaap. When I first started watching I didn’t understand much, but she still made me laugh out loud!

I was so happy when I realized that most Dutch celebrities show up on other shows and saw her on the one and only hilarious TV Kantine! It parodies other Dutch shows in skits that can only be described as the Dutch Saturday Night Live. Elise steals every single scene! In recent episodes she’s impersonated Karen Carpenter singing Flop of the World, Margaret Thatcher in the show’s hilarious lampoon of The Crown and even the 80s’ Taylor Dayne. But it’s her impression of Queen Máxima, in a hilarious skit making fun of a recent scandal surrouning the royal family, that is the best of all! You can watch TV Kantine on RTL4, though not until next season.

Indulge me for a moment …