Karen Brown Tyson

Tag: #creativeentrepreneur

Why Self-Care is Important in Protecting Your Mental Wellbeing

Have you ever found yourself so caught up in pursuing success that you neglect your well-being? I only focused on work when I started my career 30 years ago. Work assignments consumed nights, weekends, and holidays. Looking back, I often saw self-care as a luxury rather than a necessity.

No more.

What if I told you that prioritizing self-care could improve your mental wellness and overall quality of life? In this post, we’ll explore the dangers of neglecting self-care, the benefits of prioritizing it, and provide actionable steps to make it a daily habit. Let’s dive in and learn how to prioritize your mental well-being.

Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you purchase using the links.

The dangers of neglecting yourself

Neglecting self-care can have severe consequences on your mental and physical health. When you prioritize work or other responsibilities over your well-being, you can experience burnout, increased stress, and even physical illness.

In extreme cases, neglecting mental well-being can lead to anxiety disorders and depression. It didn’t take me long to recognize the dangers of my behavior and take action to prioritize self-care in my daily routine.

Doing so can improve your overall quality of life and prevent these adverse outcomes. Let’s explore the benefits of prioritizing self-care and how to make it a habit in your daily life.

The benefits of prioritizing self-care

Prioritizing self-care may seem like a luxury, but it’s a necessary investment in your overall well-being. By prioritizing mental well-being, I experienced various benefits that positively impacted my mental, emotional, and physical health.

For starters, I felt less stressed and more energized, allowing me to tackle challenges with a clear mind and stronger resilience. Additionally, prioritizing self-care helped me get a better night’s sleep, improved my immune function, and increased my productivity, all contributing to a happier and more fulfilling life.

According to the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, self-care has several benefits. Some of these include enhanced self-confidence (64%), increased productivity (67%), and happiness (71%).

Finally, I learned that by taking care of myself first, I was better equipped to handle the demands of daily life and enjoy the moments that matter most.

Bottom line: Creating a self-care plan helped me make self-care a habit.

Need help keeping it all together? Add a Wellness Journal to your life.

Creating a plan that works for you

To truly make self-care a priority, it’s important to create a plan that works for you. This personal plan should consider the specific activities and practices that promote your mental, emotional, and physical well-being. The key is to make it a habit, not just a once-in-a-while indulgence.

Start by identifying activities that make you feel good. For me, this includes working out, journaling, reading, and spending time with loved ones. Once I identified my go-to practices, I scheduled them into my calendar with any other appointments. I treat them as non-negotiable time slots that I don’t cancel or reschedule.

In addition to your go-to self-care practices, having a list of minor activities you can squeeze into your day can be helpful. These include taking a quick walk, listening to your favorite music, or indulging in a favorite snack. By having various options, you can incorporate self-care into your daily routine in a way that works for you.

Creating a plan that works for you takes some trial and error. Be patient with yourself, and remember that it’s okay to adjust your plan as needed. The key is to make it a habit that feels natural and essential to your overall well-being.

Incorporating self-care into your daily routine doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. In the next section, we’ll explore simple ways to make self-care a part of your everyday life.

Incorporating self-care into your daily routine

Creating a self-care plan is a great start, but it’s important to incorporate it into your daily routine to see and feel the benefits. By making self-care a habit, you’ll be able to provide yourself with the care and attention you need to thrive.

A straightforward way to incorporate self-care into your daily routine is to start your day with a few moments of silence and solitude. I like starting my day by reading, journaling, or taking deep breaths. Also, I like to pray and connect with God to set intentions for the day, which makes a big difference in how I approach the rest of my day.

Another way to prioritize it throughout the day is to schedule breaks and time for yourself. Getting caught up in work or other obligations can be easy, but taking regular breaks to stretch, walk, or even take a few minutes to breathe can help you recharge and refocus.

Incorporating self-care into your daily routine can also mean setting boundaries and saying no when necessary. It’s important to remember that focusing on your mental well-being isn’t selfish and that taking care of yourself is essential to show up fully for others. By setting boundaries and prioritizing your needs, you’ll be better equipped to handle the demands of daily life.

Remember, incorporating self-care into your daily routine doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. By starting small and finding what works for you, you can make self-care a natural and essential part of your life.

Prioritize mental well-being. Be sure to start taking care of yourself before you’re burnt out. Neglecting our mental well-being can have dangerous consequences for us and those around us. By making self-care a daily habit, we can benefit from improved mental wellness and overall quality of life. Take action today by creating a personalized self-care plan and incorporating it into your daily routine.

March 30, 2023
How Highly Effective Creatives Stand Out with Content Creation

There’s no denying that the digital age has made content creation a necessary skill for anyone looking to make an impression online. However, content creation is more than just a necessity for creative entrepreneurs – it’s the key to standing out from the pack.

Content is a massive part of our everyday lives. It keeps us informed, answers our questions about our most challenging problems, and even makes us laugh. As a result, content is an excellent way for creative entrepreneurs to reach target audiences.

This post will explore some of the best ways to create content that will help you stand out and be highly effective. So read on if you’re ready to up your content game.

Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost, if you purchase using the links.

What is content creation?

Content creation or content marketing generates topic ideas that appeal to your buyer persona and develops written or visual content around those topics in an accessible format for your audiences, such as a video, blog, infographic, or social media post.

Examples of content creation

Blog posts

One of my favorite forms of content creation is blog posts. Everyone starts a blog for different reasons. I started a blog because I wanted to educate and inspire people looking for information about writing, productivity, and faith. While experts believe each blog post must be at least one thousand words, a blog post can be any length you want or need to get your point across.

If you want to learn more about blogging, I recommend the Blog by Number course by Suzi Whitford. The course is great, and so is Suzi. She offers valuable information on blogging, including a FREE course that offers a FREE blog plan.

Graphics

I like to post graphics in my blog and social media posts. Sometimes I use infographics, Pinterest pins, or original graphics that help me make a point within the post. To create this type of content, you can hire a graphic designer or use visual design tools like Pic Monkey or Canva.

Video

Creating videos for social media or YouTube is a great way to share your content. Whether you’re looking at short-form videos such as Instagram Stories, long-form Facebook Live streams where viewers can ask questions while they watch in real-time (ordinary people love watching interesting content), or a LinkedIn video.

Podcasts

Podcasts are a great way to share information about a variety of topics. For example, you can share actionable tips or step-by-step instructions to help your target audience solve problems. In addition, you can interview exciting guests if you don’t want to go solo. For example, my friend, Cara McLauchlan, started a podcast where she shares chapters from her book, Nourish – Encouragement for Parents Homeschooling Through High School.

Content offers

Content offers are a great way to give your audience something valuable in exchange for their email address. Your content offers should aim to help your audience solve problems. For example, you can offer a checklist on making a virtual event, habit-tracking printables, or templates to help them achieve specific goals.

To create my content, I use my favorite graphic design tool, Canva. I offer a FREE media kit I created in Canva. If you want to make changes to the FREE media kit, you will need to have Canva.

Content creation planning

Before you start creating content, you should create a plan. To create a content strategy, you need to consider your brand and tone and the type of information that best suits your audience. You should also think about how you plan to promote your content.

But, most importantly, start small by creating a plan you can manage easily with everything else you have going on in your business. And don’t forget to have fun.

Add efficiency to your creative life

As a content creator, I always look to add efficiency to my work. Below are a few of the tools I use to stay organized.

Zapier is a platform that connects your work apps and does repetitive tasks for you automatically. With Zapier, all the information in one app can be moved seamlessly to another based on rules set by its user with just one click.

Do you ever wonder where your time goes? RescueTime is here to rescue you from wasting time. This app records the exact time you spent on each activity. Then you can identify the things that take up too much of your time. This app can also help you set achievable writing goals.

MeisterTask is an intuitive project management tool that helps you organize your work to get things done. The tool allows you to manage your projects, to-do lists, and checklists in one place. I like that it helps me create electronic and flexible Kanban boards. I also like that it allows me to share information with my students or other writers.

March 24, 2022
How to Prepare for the Week Ahead in 5 Easy Steps

If your life is anything like mine, you have a lot going on. Every week is full of work assignments, family commitments, goals, and dreams. I remember ending some weeks on top of the world, and other weeks, I felt like I didn’t accomplish much.

Photo from Shutterstock

And sometimes, I ended my week feeling overwhelmed. Does any of this sound familiar to you?

Planning your week is a great way to stay on top of everything and avoid last-minute disasters. This post outlines what works for me in five easy steps to prepare for the week ahead. As you read through, I encourage you to apply the steps that work for you and eliminate anything that doesn’t.

Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you purchase using the links.

Step #1 — List

One of the best ways to prepare for a busy week is by setting aside time on the weekend — either Saturday or Sunday — to list all of your meetings, appointments, tasks, and commitments for the upcoming week. Also, include any goals or projects that need your attention. Don’t worry about how many items you list, as some of the things you want to work on may flow into the following week. By getting everything out of your head, you can see what’s ahead of you. With a plan in place for the whole week, I wake up on Monday feeling more organized and ready to take on the week.

Click here to read the blog post on how to add calm and focus to your life.

Step #2 — Categorize

Once I list all my thoughts and tasks, I group everything into different categories. I encourage you to create categories that work for you. The categories I use for my system are:

Business, faith, medical, self-care, home-life, connections, and fun.

As you categorize your tasks, you can use one or more of the following tools:

A whiteboard or flip-chart paper posted on a wall

A journal or PowerSheets planner

An electronic document

Use the display that works best for you and keep it where you can see it every day. Then, as you go through your week, mark off everything you complete. If you cannot complete a task, move it to the next day or the following week.

Step #3 — Organize

To help organize your tasks, you can use lots of systems. I like the Eisenhower Matrix, which allows you to decide which tasks are most important by categorizing them into four boxes. It’s a simple decision-making tool that can help clear up your schedule so it will be more organized and efficient.

Stephen Covey popularized the Urgent-Important Matrix in his best-selling book The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People. This habit is named after Dwight D Eisenhower, who organized his obligations so that only matters of importance and urgency came across his desk.

But there is a clear distinction between important and urgent tasks.

Urgent tasks are the ones that demand your attention. A good example is an email from someone who needs a report by the end of the day.

Important tasks are the backbone of all other work. With important tasks, you have more time than you do with urgent tasks. For important tasks, apply a deadline and work on them until they are complete. Then, monitor your progress to ensure that the tasks don’t become urgent due to procrastination or missed deadlines.

Step #4 — Schedule

When planning your schedule, make sure to balance your week by choosing the important and urgent tasks from each category. If some tasks seem more pressing than others, use those as priorities for planning out what needs to be done first so they don’t fall through the cracks.

Step #5 — Reflect

Well done! You’ve made it to the end of another week. Take some time for yourself and do a weekly reflection. What are your thoughts on how things went this time around? Do any tasks need moving to next week? Make a note of anything that didn’t go well to make changes.

Photo from Adobe Stock

February 8, 2022
Five Things to Give Up to Become a Fearless Writer
Updated January 19, 2022

Since launching my writing business in 2018, I have learned a lot. I have attended writing conferences, dialed into countless webinars, taken courses, and listened to many speakers and authors. But the most important thing I’ve learned over the last four years is how to be a fearless writer.

Starting, I didn’t immediately see myself as a writer. Yes, I was writing my first book. But I didn’t stop to tell anyone I was a writer. I didn’t immediately change my LinkedIn profile. I just focused on writing my book.

But once I published my book, reality set in, and I had to admit: I am an author. I am a writer.

From there, I started showing up where writers and authors hang out – conferences, Facebook groups, webinars, NaNoWriMo, book fairs, and writing groups. Listening to other writers talk about their experiences and ask questions was exciting. But no matter where I went, there was a constant vibe in all these places – self-doubt and fear.

Lots of writers were talking about whether their writing was:
- good enough,
- clear enough,
- making a difference,
- worthy of recognition or
- connecting with readers.
While I had no reason to question the other writers’ feelings, I had to come clean about how I felt moving forward with my newfound identity. On my journey to becoming a fearless writer, I had to identify the things I would give up to succeed as a writer. Below is a list of things I decided to give up. If you’re a writer or creative entrepreneur, let me know what you choose to give up to be fearless.

Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost, if you purchase using the links.

1. I gave up self-doubt

We all have an inner voice that tells us what we want to do with our lives. Unfortunately, this little voice is often pushed aside by self-doubt. Like many writers, my initial thoughts were, “How am I going to make money as a writer?” “What will people think of my writing?” and “What if I fail?” To deal with these thoughts, I had to trust in God. I had to trust that I would end up where I needed to be, even if I didn’t know how I would get there.

2. I gave up fear

I am a firm believer in making lemonade when life gives you lemons. So when my unexpected layoff stormed into my life and shook up my carefully constructed plans, I wasn’t about to cower in fear. Instead, I decided to rise and face life’s challenges head-on, including starting my new writing career.

3. I gave up the urge to compare myself to other writers

I know how easy it is to look at the success of other writers and wonder if you’re on the right track. So, I decided early on to celebrate other writers’ accomplishments but never waste time comparing myself to other writers. While I think it’s OK to listen to other writers and share stories, I try to stay focused on the race I’m running.

When I published my second book, Time to Reset, I attended the 2019 EBC Women’s Conference, where I met Stephanie Helms Pickett, author of This Book Right Here: A 40-week Devotional to Manifesting Your Purpose.

4. I gave up being a perfectionist

I love to proofread my material to ensure everything is perfect and in place. However, I had to resist the urge to apply endless edits so that I could hold on to my work longer. Eventually, I learned to determine how many revisions my writing would go through. Once I reach my magic number, I hit publish. To become a fearless writer, I learned when to let go.

5. I gave up my comfort zone

We all have a comfort zone. My comfort zone was back in corporate America. However I realized that my comfort zone might not be where I will have the most significant impact. So I decided to do something I hadn’t done before in my writing life like publish a book. Once I reached my goal, I knew I would have to go outside my comfort zone again. So, every opportunity I get, I look for ways to take my writing to the next level.

What are you willing to give up?

Now, it’s your turn. The next time you think:
- What if my writing isn’t good enough? Say to yourself, what if it is?
- What if no one wants to read anything I write? Say to yourself, what if they do?
- What if my book proposal gets rejected? Say to yourself, what if it doesn’t?
Writing is a journey filled with trials. Be kind to yourself. Say goodbye to doubt and fear. Don’t be afraid to embrace your role as a writer in this world. Instead, let this be the year you start looking at your writing life differently.

Be fearless.
January 19, 2022
How to Boost Your Creativity with a Little Bit of Structure

Creativity is an amazing talent to possess, but it can be easy to get lost in the chaos of ideas swirling around in your head. That’s where I use structure to help me keep everything together. Instead of trying to brainstorm and execute in a haphazard way, try setting up some organization for your creativity to flourish. With a little bit of structure, you’ll be amazed at how your creativity flows.

Photo from Adobe Stock

When talking to some creative entrepreneurs, there is a sense that structure limits flow. There is concern that structure may stop us from creating our best work. For this reason, it can be easy to throw structure out the window. It sometimes feels hard to apply processes like outlines, deadlines, or other creative limitations when we’re trying our absolute hardest to get through one day without feeling restricted by some outside force.

But with uncertainty comes confusion. I find it difficult to concentrate without direction. In the past, I ended up working harder, not smarter, by being less productive.

It can be hard to reach the perfect flow without any direction if you’re anything like me. But, even if it’s a simple outline on a napkin or sticky note, I find that some type of direction is better than nothing at all. So here are five tips on applying a little bit of structure to the creative process.

Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you purchase using the links.

#1 Use regular brainstorming sessions to maintain creativity

Every creative project deserves at least one brainstorming session. Brainstorming is a great way to explore various ideas and options before starting any creative project.

Whether you decide to conduct research, talk to friends, use photos, or pull out the whiteboard, brainstorming may be the boost your project needs to get started.

#2 Allow scheduling to help you stay on track

Creativity is messy. Some creative entrepreneurs hear the sound of a schedule and cringe. However, scheduling time for your creative work offers the organization you need to help you focus. When do you have the most energy during the day? At what time of day do you get your best ideas? During these times, schedule time to capture your ideas. Then, write your thoughts down in a journal or notebook.

#3 Declutter your work environment

To say creativity can be messy is an understatement. Caught up in the passion of using your imagination to connect unseen dots does not always result in a clean environment. However, when the clutter builds up, it is no longer a representation of the method to your madness but rather a blockage. So keep your creative workspace clear of unnecessary clutter.

#4 Find tools that help you stay creative

After brainstorming, scheduling, and cleaning, you might wonder how to add structure to your creative process. Since inspiration can strike at any time, always have something handy to capture ideas, whether a recorder, camera, or notebook.

I also like to use tools that help me stay creative. I’ve used PowerPoint, Adobe, and Microsoft Word to create graphics, presentations, and templates in the past. Today, I use Canva, the perfect online graphic design tool that anyone can use. With its intuitive and straightforward interface, you can create beautiful designs.

#5 Use deadlines to reach your goals

The first step in managing a project is setting yourself a reasonable deadline because then you can work backward from that point and make sure it gets done. Next, you can use a simple planner to organize your project. I always start with a deadline and end goal in mind. Then, I set aside specific blocks of time to get each component done. Using deadlines allows me to utilize my time effectively while leaving room for new perspectives, changes, or mishaps. Most importantly, it limits procrastination. The earlier I complete one project, the quicker I can move on to the next.

January 13, 2022
Work Smarter, Not Harder: 5 Ways to Be More Efficient

How many times have you heard the phrase, “work smarter, not harder?” I’m guessing you’ve heard this slogan dozens of times. But sometimes, working smarter seems easier said than done.

As a creative entrepreneur, I’m sure you have a lot you need to get done. So it’s easy to think you have to get it all done at once. When I first started my business, I was so excited to see my dream come to life. I found myself seeing every task as urgent. It wasn’t long before I had to return to a few of the efficiency strategies I used in my corporate life.

Fast forward to today, I have more client assignments, more tasks, and less time. Working smarter, not harder, is more critical now than ever if you’re anything like me. If you need a few tips on working smarter, not harder, here are five ways to be more efficient.

Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you purchase using the links.

Don’t start before you plan

First things first – if I don’t make time to plan, I waste loads of time. I know a lot of people who see planning as unnecessary, especially to the creative mind who wants to flow freely. But the secret to getting things done involves planning. So if you want to get more done, try planning.

Of course, it might seem impossible to plan when creativity will strike. Don’t wait for creativity to strike. Schedule time on your calendar for writing, researching, filming, and all the other components of the content creation process. Planning will keep you on track and ensure that you meet your goal.

Work in smaller bits

The idea of tackling a big project can be overwhelming. When I talk to people about writing a book, some of them admit that the idea of writing a book from beginning to end seems complicated. The best way to get to the end of big projects is by breaking them up into smaller bits.

By breaking up my larger project into smaller bits, I can focus on one part at a time. In addition, this approach keeps me motivated to get each step done. As I check off each smaller task, I gain momentum and feel inspired to get the entire project done.

Master the art of delegation

Let’s not argue on this one. You have a lot of work to do. However, some people have the skills you need to tackle some of the tasks on your desk. For example, if you are a writer, you could consider hiring someone on Fiverr to tackle the research phase of your project. You could also hire a virtual assistant to vet clients for you before you accept projects. By leveraging the time and talent of others, you could significantly increase your productivity.

Fight the itch to multitask

Too many creatives work like circus jugglers. We create videos, write content, have a full-time job, and tackle multiple client projects simultaneously. Rather than working on one thing at a time, we try to multitask. An article by NPR exposes the myth of multitasking. We often think we are getting a lot done because we are so busy doing many things. Unfortunately, this affects efficiency. Instead, focus on one task at a time.

Using a timer to complete tasks

It’s easy to get carried away with the tasks we enjoy. But, ironically, it is also easy to spend lots of time on tasks that we don’t want. An effective way to maintain efficiency is to set a timer for tasks. For example, suppose you have scheduled one hour in the morning to respond to your community or four hours for blog writing. Set a timer on your phone that will alert you when the time is up. This approach will help to ensure that you do not spend too much time or too little time on tasks.

Becoming more efficient doesn’t happen overnight. Therefore, make sure you extend grace to yourself when you have not as productive days as you’d like. Keep working, keep creating, and keep inspiring those who are watching your story unfold.

November 18, 2021