This is a plea for business owners to get some God damn sleep.

Because we need it. 

There's no glory in being blurry-eyed or in a bad mood.

We all seem to subscribe to the belief that there's no rest for the wicked. That we gotta keep pushing in order to succeed. Stop it. Give your brain and your body the rest it needs to kick ass and make good business decisions by getting some sleep. 

Look, I’m not one of those folks who happily jumps out of bed at 5 am ready to take on my day. I’m the person who grunts out “ I love you “ to my husband with one eye open at 7 am (trust me, I’ve perfected this look). 

Even though I’ve been at this thing for a few years now, I still battle the sleep-suckers I’m detailing below. The good news is I’ve also learned how to manage them, so I can get some solid shut-eye. 

THE FEAR OF MISSING OUT (sucky Mindset)

We’re constantly scrolling, checking social media, forums, and emails to make sure we don't miss something someone says about us or what we should buy. 

We need to stop this (it’s lame).

I sacrifice a lot of sleep due to this fear and I’m willing to bet you do too. We need to let go and realize the world will continue to turn and whatever so-and-so posted on Facebook will still be there tomorrow. And if they delete it - someone will be happy to tell you about it (that’s what Facebook friends are for). 

Ask yourself "What the hell am I really missing out on?” Is it a special deal? An update? What?
Then, ask yourself, "What would I do with that information or do-dad?”. Do you need to run to the presses (or tweet in real time?). Why is this so important? Will something bad happen if you don’t respond immediately? 

The bottom line: Is it your JOB to be up-to-the-minute on the latest? If not, seriously, check yourself. 

THINKING ABOUT WORK . . . ALL THE TIME (crappy boundaries)

Uh, business owners have no decent boundaries. I blame part Puritan work ethic and part working from home. We never have that bookend of clocking in and out to help us shut off work. 

We’ve been trained that always being on is a good thing. Which is totally, completely wrong. There’s no glory in getting beat up by an imaginary boss. I mean come on that’s why we started our businesses right? To make our own hours. So, damn it, let’s make some. 

• Create office hours
• Post office hours where you can see them
• Stick to office hours 
• Give yourself time during your day to download all your racing thoughts. This can be done at the end of the day or the beginning of the day. It doesn’t matter as long as you DO IT. You will feel better. 

WE’RE TOO EASY (bad habit)

Friends, clients, and other people can text us, message us or email us and our fear of missing out kicks in and fucks us up. Responding to each and every request plays into our desire to be liked by everyone. We want to be there for everyone in the world. We’ve got to stop that. 

Here’s how to cock block easy access:

• Stick to the office hours you set up 
• Let people (online friends, peers, and clients) know when you’re off the grid, offline or off your rocker. Make those days or times holy and sacred to your sanity. 
• Turn off notifications or - gasp - delete apps. True, this is drastic to some, but necessary if you want to REALLY cut down on the noise you get from outside sources.
• Have designated times to check your inbox or social media. Look, I’m not one to preach, but inboxes and social media are the worst time sucks. 

Following these simple steps and respecting your own boundaries makes it easy for others to respect them too. If you don’t want people to assume you’re available 24/7, then stop posting, retweeting and responding like you are.

By simplifying these processes and acknowledging their roots, you’re giving yourself more room to count those elusive sheep.