Side gigs. Side hustles. Whatever you want to call them, taking on extra work on the side is a smart move towards achieving your financial goals. It’s why the gig economy is flourishing and so many people are looking to step into it. But if you’re working a side gig and a full-time job, you may not be leaving enough time for self-care and self-care is essential.

You can find plenty of positive and practical self-care and wellness tips on Positive Subliminal, but here are the ones you definitely need to know if you are hustling to earn extra income.

Reducing Stress Is Central to Self-Care

If you’re not quite sure what self-care really is, you’re not the only one. Take a look around social media and you may begin to think that self-care equates to posh vacations, expensive spa treatments, and other items that can feel out of reach when you’re an average person.

Really though, self-care is much more basic than all of this. One of the main reasons to practice self-care is to relieve stress and you can take small and cost-effective steps to achieve this. For example, if you haven’t already you could research LLC fees by state and then establish an LLC for your side business online. You’ll be saving time, money, and stress in the process.

Along with using a formation service to set up an LLC, you can find other ways to reduce the stress around working a side gig. Like downloading task management and other types of productivity apps so that you can make the most of your busy daily work schedule.

But So Is Taking Control of Your Finances

So one of the most central themes of self-care is stress relief. With this in mind, do you know what the top source of stress is for most Americans? If you guessedmoney or finances you guessed right. Financial stress can make it difficult to truly enjoy your life, and this is just one more good reason for you to take on a side hustle in the first place.

Aside from a boost for your bank account, you’re also likely to experience some positive benefits for your mental health. This is especially the case when you start a side business and take the bold step of becoming your own boss. You’ll gain some confidence for sure, but you’ll also gain freedom and flexibility that can help soothe feelings of anxiety and worry.

Staying in control of your finances is another way to enhance financial stability and reduce chronic feelings of stress. You can use a checklist to get things in order and then check in periodically to make sure everything’s still on track with your side income and overall goals.

It’s Also Important to Take Time for, Well, You

Getting your side hustle in order and organizing your finances are both effective ways to curb stress and take care of yourself. However, you also need to make time for habits that really focus on you! In between your day job and side gig, try to fit in some basic self-care, like regular exercise, healthy meals, and a little bit of mindfulness.

Since you’re busy hustling, finding ways to make self-care more convenient can be helpful. If getting a workout in is a challenge, for instance, try getting up a little earlier so you can get in a short fitness session and get it out of the way. Bonus: you’ll walk away with an energy boost!

By the way, while you’re hacking self-care don’t forget the importance of getting quality sleep. When you’re working multiple jobs, missing out on sleep can be all too easy. If you want to thrive with your side hustle though, you need to make sleep and rest a high priority.

Self-care can be basic and it can be simple. But the bottom line is that self-care is a necessity, not just a luxury. If you’re working a side gig and not making time for self-care you could be setting yourself up for burnout. So make time for stress relief, basic health, and yourself.

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