Today marks one month from being back from my 19 Day Solo Road Trip! Boy am I feeling the weight of some post-vacation blues. The transition from leisurely explorations back to the demanding life of daily business operations can be jarring. I am a highly motivated person but since being back I have been struggling to find my groove again. It’s not often I get to take time for myself and since starting my own Edmonton Boudoir Photography Studio back in September, the first 8 months of this new journey of mine have been filled with countless hours and not a lot of ME time. This solo road trip of mine couldn’t have come soon enough.

I think it’s so important to take breaks and to prioritize self-care, especially as an entrepreneur. Being able to find some solace and rejuvenation by stepping away from my professional responsibilities is so important and it helps me to feel recharged and reconnected with myself. My mind tends to run on overdrive and I tend to overwork myself, so embracing periods of rest and relaxation doesn’t come easy to me. My boyfriend frequently tells me “to slow down and enjoy life,” and I need that little reminder more than you’d think. It’s so beneficial for one’s personal well-being but also essential for being able to sustain long-term productivity and creativity .

As a boudoir photographer I constantly preach about the importance of self love and self care, so my road trip was a little testament to myself to practice what I preach. But as I mentioned before, since being back, life has definitely got ahead of me. Feeling overwhelmed with the amount of work I “needed” to be doing and constantly tearing myself down for not getting things done as quickly as I am used to having them done. Even though my trip was a nod in the right direction of self love and self care, it seems my old habits of not being so nice to myself have creeped back in.

This past month has been more than a struggle, but it wasn’t till a few days ago that I started to feel back to my normal self again. So what changed? My new motto this year was to be nicer to myself, so I had to remind myself that it’s okay to have these moments in life where I am less productive and maybe I don’t get as much accomplished, and that’s okay. Life is about being “perfect” all the time, that’s not realistic. Perhaps I truly needed all this down time to really settle in and get my groove back. Maybe this was the Universes way of telling me to slow down and relax, something my boyfriend frequently tells me to do too.

Is there importance of making time for yourself? Especially as an Entrepreneur? YES!

Being an entrepreneur is a demanding and challenging journey. The constant pressure to grow the business, meet deadlines, and ensure customer satisfaction can easily consume all aspects of life. Add in being a boudoir photographer, this now includes all hours I put into editing, social media updates and planning, maintaining and updating my website, marketing, advertising, finding new clients, in the midst of all the hustle, it is crucial for all of us to prioritize making time for ourselves. Neglecting self-care can lead to burnout, decreased productivity, and ultimately hinder the success of the business. Boy have I been feeling all of these things.

There are so many benefits to making time for yourself, improved mental well-being. Taking time for yourself allows for relaxation, reflection and help reduce stress and anxiety, all things I need help with, but by doing these things, this will lead to improved mental clarity and productivity.

Another benefit would be increased creativity. Taking that time to step away from your regular scheduled program allows your mind to completely rest and rejuvenate, two things that truly contribute to creativity. Engaging in activities that bring us joy, (for me these are things like travelling, hiking, spending time with my dog - all things that did on my road trip), can inspire fresh new ideas and solutions for our businesses!

And lastly, the biggest benefit of them all, MORE productivity. Self care, exercise, hobbies, and spending time with loved ones can help us to recharge our energy levels and increase our focus.

Any tips I can provide for my fellow entrepreneurs out there?

Make time for yourself! Schedule me time. Seriously, put it in your calendar, make these appointments non-negotiable. Whether it is a specific time of day each week or sporadically inserted into your schedule, I think it’s very important to make sure you make time for activities that bring you joy and/or relaxation.

Another big one that I am still working on too is to set boundaries. It can be very easy to get carried away with working all the time, by checking emails throughout the night, taking work calls when I am supposed to be relaxing, I often don’t fully immerse myself into my scheduled self care time. So what’s the point of having self care time if I am truly not utilizing it to its fullest? One must actually relax and be 100% present in these moments to actually reap any of the benefits.

Making time for oneself is not a luxury but a necessity for entrepreneurs. Prioritizing self-care leads to improved mental well-being, increased creativity, and enhanced productivity – all of which are crucial for the success and sustainability of a business. By incorporating self-care practices into daily routines, we can achieve a healthier work-life balance and ultimately thrive both personally and professionally.

Here’s a little recap of my Solo Road Trip for you to enjoy:

Day One : Fernie, British Columbia, Canada

Mentions - Fairy Creek Falls Hike

Fairy Creek Falls Hike in Fernie, BC, Canada

Day Two: Spokane, Washington, USA

Mentions: Riverside State Park & Manito Park

Day Three: Bend, Oregon, USA

Mentions: Smith Rock State Park

Day Four: Brookings, Oregon, USA

Mentions: Secret Beach

Day Five: Fort Bragg with Stops!

Mentions: Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park & Glass Beach

A woman and a golden retriever dog standing in front of a fallen tree in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

A golden retriever dog standing on a tree log at Glass Beach in Fort Bragg

Day Six: San Francisco, California, USA

Mentions: Palace of Fine Arts & Crissy Beach with the Golden Gate Bridge

A golden retriever standing in front of Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco

Day Seven: Solvang, California, USA

Mentions: Solvang Windmill & Little Mermaid Fountain

Day Eight: Joshua Tree, California, USA

Mentions: Keys View in Joshua Tree

Day Nine Ten Eleven Twelve: Visit my Parents in Mesa, Arizona, USA

Mentions: Goldfield Ghost Town & Grand Canyon

Day Thirteen: Sedona, Arizona, USA

Mentions: Boynton Canyon Trail & Subway Cave

A dog standing on rocks at the Boynton Canyon Trail in Sedona Arizona

Day Fourteen: Bryce Canyon, Utah, USA

Day Fifteen: Lower Calf Creek Falls, Utah, USA

Day Sixteen: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

Mentions: Memory Grove Park & The Living Room Hike

Day Seventeen: Salmon, Idaho, USA

Mentions: Goldbug Hot Springs

Day Eighteen & Nineteen: Head Home

Mentions: After waking up to a beautiful sunrise in Salmon, we drove to Whitefish in Montana stayed the night and then headed back home to Edmonton. Not much to show as I spent my last day relaxing.

Thanks for reading.

Much Love,

Calie Brianna Schwartz

Lover of Travelling