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“When you are kind to yourself, your whole world opens up." - Mel Robins"
Here in my garden the second law of thermodynamics is repealed. Here there is more every year, not less. Here it is ever early, never late.” — Michael Pollan
Oh, February, the month of Valentines!
We can market the pants off of love, amiright?!
But what about love for YOU, dear entrepreneur? When you’re running a business, it can feel like you’re giving all your energy to clients, customers, or your team. And when you’re thinking about your business constantly – even when you’re Out of Office – it’s hard to be lovingly present to romantic partners, friends, and family.
As an entrepreneur, loving yourself first seems like a luxury at the bottom of your to-do list. But in reality, it’s the foundation of your business’s growth, creativity, and resilience.
Think of your business like a garden. You can’t grow vibrant flowers and tomatoes unless you’ve tended to the soil – nourishing it, caring for it, and ensuring it’s ready to support the growth of something meaningful.
In the same way, loving yourself and regulating your nervous system provides the fertile ground from which your entrepreneurial dreams can flourish.
So, how do we nurture our garden? Let’s start by understanding a key player in this process – your nervous system.
Your nervous system is like the soil for your garden – providing a base for strong and resilient growth that can withstand drought and pests just as much as it can thrive in perfectly sunny skies with the right amount of rain.
Your nervous system asks two fundamental questions: “Am I safe?” and “Am I loved?” (In this case, “love” equals care or community, which is essential for survival.)
Bringing it back to business, how do these questions apply? Very simply, if you are nervous about a sales call, worried about money or a deadline, stressed about a client relationship, unsure about how to apologize to an employee, or feel lonely in your entrepreneurial ups and downs, you are not telling your nervous system that you are “safe” or “loved”.
Let’s be clear – these feelings are essential, so don’t positivity-wash them away! The key here is to recognize and acknowledge when you’re in a stressful spot, and then to soothe yourself so that you can return to sending your nervous system messages that you’re back to balance, calm and clarity.
Ready to DIG in? Here are FIVE ways nervous system regulation – the soil for your garden’s essential nourishment – can transform your entrepreneurial garden this month and beyond.
1. Give Yourself Daily Warm-Fuzzies
Entrepreneurs are notorious for running on fumes, believing they need to hustle 24/7 to succeed, and alternately beating themselves up for not getting enough done. Valentine’s is a great reminder to give yourself permission to take time for rest and recharging. It isn't lazy, it’s strategic! Think of this as tending to the soil—if you overwork it, it will become really compacted and barren. Even just taking small “sensory snacks”, pausing for 3 deep breaths after a stressful meeting, or going on a meditative walk around the block after lunch, will positively impact how you feel about your day. These are just a few of the tactics we teach you in this $7 mini-course – all guaranteed to bring you back to the warm fuzzies!
How does nervous system regulation fit into this?
Practices like breathwork, meditation, and gentle physical activity activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which calms the body and mind. Literally, this “switch” allows you to operate from the “rest, digest and heal mode”, and helps you build the fertile ground necessary for your creativity and decisions to take root and flourish.
2. Set Boundaries With Love
You love your clients and team, but sometimes, the best way to show love is by setting clear boundaries. If you haven’t been great with boundaries lately, this month is a great time to (re)start the practice of saying “no” – whether it’s to a project that drains you or to work that infringes on your personal time. Boundaries aren’t selfish; they’re an act of self-respect. When you respect your time and energy, others will too, and your business will thrive.
How does nervous system regulation fit into this?
Your nervous system is constantly picking up signals of overstimulation or overwhelm—like weeds growing unchecked in your garden. By practicing boundary-setting, you’re protecting your nervous system from becoming dysregulated. This acts as a form of pruning—removing the excess so that you can focus on what truly nourishes your growth.
3. Celebrate Your Wins (Big & Small)
We’re so quick to focus on what’s next that we often forget to celebrate what we’ve already accomplished. As a business owner, acknowledging your own achievements, no matter how small, is a powerful act of self-love. Celebrate your progress—whether it’s a weekly reflection or a special monthly treat. (My personal fave is to book off one Fun Friday afternoon a month to do something celebratory.) Recognizing your wins enables you to be your very own expander! It's like admiring the flowers that have bloomed in your garden—you took the time to plant the seeds, now celebrate their growth!
How does nervous system regulation fit into this?
Celebrating your wins is not just a fun exercise; it’s a powerful tool for calming your nervous system. Positive reinforcement is like fertilizing your garden—it strengthens the roots and encourages more growth. When you take time to acknowledge and appreciate your progress, your nervous system releases dopamine, helping you feel secure and capable. A regulated nervous system makes it easier to bask in your successes without the pressure to rush to the next task.
4. Give Yourself Compassion When "Ish" Happens
Entrepreneurship isn’t always a smooth ride, and when things fall apart (which they will), it’s easy to beat yourself up. But remember: self-love includes being compassionate with yourself when things hit the fan, or you make a blunder. You are human! So learn from it and let it go! (Make amends graciously if you need to.) Mistakes are part of the journey, not a reflection of your worth.
How does nervous system regulation fit into this?
When things go wrong, stress and anxiety often trigger your Fight, Flight, Freeze or Fawn response, like a garden that’s been hit by a storm. Nervous system regulation, through techniques like breathing exercises or grounding practices, helps you regain balance. Just as a gardener would clean up, re-stake or replant after a storm, you can reset your nervous system, creating space for self-compassion. (Want a resource that helps you understand these four kinds of nervous-system dysregulation? Get that here with our $7 mini-course.)
5. Fuel Your Passion & Creativity
Valentine’s Day reminds us to fall in love with life, and as an entrepreneur, it’s vital to reconnect with the passion that sparked your business. When was the last time you took a moment to reignite your excitement for what you do? Passion fuels creativity, and creativity drives innovation. Every garden has seasons, and your entrepreneurial life needs them, too! Can you block out time during slower parts of the year to explore new ideas, experiment, or simply enjoy the process without the pressure to “make it perfect”?
How does nervous system regulation fit into this?
Regulating your nervous system is key to staying in a creative flow state. When your body is calm and your mind is clear, your creativity can percolate. There is nothing like the spaciousness of a garden that is put to bed for the winter to get you dreaming, scheming and creating a vision for what’s next! By regularly practicing techniques to stay regulated you cultivate an environment that is fertile and open to ideas. Keep returning to them daily and it’ll be easier to access inspiration, which leads to innovation for your business.
So, Will You Be Your Valentine?
How did all of this land for you? I hope you’re re-inspired to love on yo’self! When you honour your worth and regulate your nervous system, your business can thrive without burnout. After all, the most important relationship in your entrepreneurial journey is the garden of you! Make good “soil” with these techniques so that you can bloom year after year!
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