3 am wake-up calls - a lesson on self-care

Why Self-Care Isn’t Selfish (Especially for Entrepreneurs with ADHD)

Last night I had one of those nights—you know the kind. You wake up at 3 a.m. and can’t get back to sleep. (Why is it always 3 a.m.?)

It’s been a while since that’s happened to me, but as I lay there staring at the ceiling, I started analyzing what might be going on.

The truth hit me: I’ve been so busy with work, family, and volunteering that I haven’t been doing the basics for myself.

No gym time.

No healthy meals (hello, cereal-for-dinner).

No real pauses to breathe.

And here’s the kicker—I coach my clients on the importance of self-care… how did I let myself get to this point?

But the word self-care has picked up some baggage lately. Some people think it means spa days and vacations.

Others hear it and assume it’s about putting your own needs above everyone else’s.

Here’s what I believe:

Self-care isn’t selfish. It’s not about neglecting your customers, family, or responsibilities. And it’s also not something you “save up” for when you finally get time off.

Self-care is about recognizing that as a human being, you have real needs—food, rest, water, exercise, social interaction, emotional space—and when those needs aren’t met, everything else suffers.

This is especially true for entrepreneurs with ADHD. Our brains already tend to spin with ideas, tasks, and “what ifs.” Add the pressure of running a business, and it’s easy to push ourselves past the breaking point.

ADHD brains whisper things like:

• “You can’t stop now, you’ll lose momentum.”

• “You don’t deserve a break until you’ve done more.”

• “If you rest, you’ll fall behind.”

That scarcity mindset keeps you pushing harder… while feeling like you’re never doing enough.

But what if you challenged that voice?

What if you believed that taking care of yourself is just as important as taking care of your business?

Because here’s the truth: when you pause to eat a real meal, take a walk, or even just breathe deeply for a few minutes, you come back sharper, calmer, and more effective.

When you ignore those needs, you end up tired, stressed, and distracted—hardly your best self, even if you’re “powering through.”

Try This Experiment

This week, pick one area of self-care you’ve been neglecting:

• Cooking a healthy dinner

• Reading quietly before bed

• Getting back to the gym

• Taking a midday walk

Now schedule it in—at least once, and if you’re daring, three times this week.

Then notice: do you feel more at ease? More confident in your ability to handle your business and your life?

I’d love to hear what happens when you give yourself that space. Because sometimes the smallest acts of self-care are the ones that unlock the biggest progress.