Being your own boss is one of the most desired things out there. Of course, running a creative business has a long list of benefits. You're passionate about your work, you are creative by choice, your work is flexible, you don't have to report to anyone.... The list goes on and on.

But, being a creative entrepreneur also comes with an emotional toll. You may experience stress, overwhelm, anxiety, burnout... once again the list goes on and on.

In order to successfully do your job over a long period of time, it's important to learn how to balance work & life better. How to manage the emotional rollercoaster that is running a business.

Sharing a few helpful tips in this blog post to manage the ups and downs of running your own business. Let's get started!

As a creative business owner do not forget the fact that you are human. Yes we have to wear many hats, however we can only excel at so many things & can only work so many hours in the day. That makes it important to reflect and embrace your limitations.

Find someone good to do the work that brings the most emotional stress. Plan and manage your workload wisely. A simple document like a workload planner helps give clarity and ease out the stress caused by overwhelming work. Take the time for the things you enjoy. This will limit burnouts, help you enjoy your work, and focus on the tasks you excel at.

Related: Workload planner.

Setting boundaries is an important aspect of any business, especially small businesses. It's important to set boundaries with clients, your work hours and employees.

If you work full-time, or part-time, on your business create a schedule that works for you and stick to it. This will help you stay motivated to get tasks done within that timeframe and prioritize your to-do list.

It will also help you spend more time with friends and family which will keep your spirits high. Constant work doesn't mean success, freedom to do things the way we desire whenever desired is the ultimate success for me personally.

Related: How to schedule your work day as a creative business owner.

There are a few things I learned the hard way and paid a price for. Those who know me know that I am horrible at taking breaks. I tend to get occupied with projects and work obsessively. My colleagues had to drag me for lunch most of the time. Thank god for amazing colleagues and friends who always cared a bit more for me. So to be honest I literally worked through lunch, and all year long for around many years.

When you love what you do, this doesn't seem like a big deal. However let me tell you this takes a huge toll on your health, peace of mind and leads to burnouts & affects your creative output. Eventually, you lose your creative spark. You lose the joy you find in doing your job.

Trust me, take timely lunch breaks, take a walk around your house between calls if possible, even take a month or two off. Pretty ambitions however, I myself am trying to embrace slow living and I value these breaks immensely.

Prioritize your mental health and happiness in order to best serve your clients & audience. Your friends, family and clients will all thank you for it.

A lot of the time, we obsess over some minute details which only we care for, we work endlessly over the day to day tasks that we forget about the big picture. We lose sight of why we started, where we're heading and what we want the outcome to be.

When you are feeling dragged down by the endless to-do list or hopeless that you may ever gain momentum, remember why you started. Remember the outcome and the goal. This will help you push forward.

When you work from home alone, who you surround yourself with is very important. This means, the people you follow, those that follow you and the family and friends who weigh in on your business.

First, the people you follow. If you find yourself getting stuck in a comparison game or feeling like an imposter or generally just feeling less than because of someone you follow. Change the way you think !

“Never compare your first chapter to someone else’s epilogue.”

Work with the time, skills and budget you have, taking a few minutes to unplug every now and then and be proud of what you are creating – outside of what anyone else is doing.

Don't fret, or take shortcuts and wish for quick success. Keep your head down, work honestly and enjoy what you do. You will make it soon.

Secondly the people around you, your colleagues, friends & family. It's rightly said that ‘you are the sum total of 5 people you spend the most time with’. Choose whom you surround yourself with. Do they inspire you to grow, force you to level up or drain you!

Choose accordingly.

We are so afraid of failure that we forget it is inevitable. No matter how much research you do, no matter how perfect your presentations are, no matter how convincing your pitch is... there is a strong possibility that you may fail.

In the field of Interior design and design in general there are a lot of parameters for a project to come to fruition. Client budgets have to be in sync with his/her requirements, project timeline has to work, design language has to be agreed upon and the list is endless. Frame a proper process and do your part, let the client take an informed decision on the same and come back.

Whatever the outcome, celebrate! Either bagging a new project or just filtering out a project which did not fulfill your criterias.

Do not get too attached to your failures, don't hold on to them, learn from them and move ahead. There is no better learning opportunity than failures.

Take the risk you feel will work, back it up with better research the next time & level up. Then look back and laugh at your failure.

How do you manage the emotional toll of running a business? I'd love to hear your tips. Let me know in the comments on my instagram.