Entrepreneurs, maintain your best asset: You!
There are a few things that are associated with being an entrepreneur: coffee, late nights, sleep deprivation, prolonged sitting, and unhealthy food.
This isn’t because entrepreneurs possess a characteristic of being unhealthy; rather it is due to the fact that entrepreneurs are wired with so much excitement and passion for their business that they often sacrifice their health for their business.
Does this sound like you? Let’s have a better look.
As a new business, you probably have a limited amount of resources, so you end up doing a lot of work yourself. Most of the time you are working 14-hour days, which usually includes late nights. Coffee is your best friend, which is probably the only way you can manage to stay up late and think straight to get work done.
This lifestyle can also be taxing on your body and let’s face it, if you are not healthy, who will drive your business forward?
Next thing you know, you are in bed at 3 a.m., still tossing and turning; the caffeine in your blood stream is keeping you awake even though you are exhausted. Your alarm goes off at 7 a.m. and you have to be alert and functional for an 8 a.m. meeting.
You are often rushed so you skip breakfast, lunch is typically a quick sandwich, and dinner is usually eaten at your desk, in front of your computer.
How is it possible that as an entrepreneur, you can keep going like this for long periods of time? It is simple: Your love and passion fuel your business. This is completely understood and justified.
However this lifestyle can also be taxing on your body and let’s face it, if you are not healthy, who will drive your business forward?
With that being said, it is important to stay in good health so that you have a healthy business.
Here are 5 health tips for the busy entrepreneur’s lifestyle:
- Green Tea: While coffee is commonly known as an energy booster, in excess, it can be damaging to your body. Go ahead and have your morning coffee, but substitute your second or third coffee for a green tea, which contains antioxidants and other health benefits.
- Go to Bed Early: It is better if you can sleep from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. rather than from 3 a.m. to 9 a.m., simply because your body follows the circadian rhythm, which means you function optimally with the movement of the sun. If you miss this window of opportunity, you will also miss out on this recovery period for your body to repair.
- Stairs: No time to do a full workout? That is okay; pick a set of stairs and climb them several times a day. Perhaps you can allocate three 10-minute intervals where you climb the stairs to get some blood moving, which meets the daily minimum criteria of being active for 30 minutes a day.
- Blend: No time for breakfast or a healthy lunch? Throw some fruits and veggies in a blender along with a scoop of protein powder and drink your breakfast. It is a quick way to take in some vitamins without sacrificing time.
- Posture: Prolonged sitting will cause you to slouch, simply because your back muscles are entirely relaxed. Here is a quick exercise that you can do at your desk. Sit up straight and pull your shoulder blades together and hold for 30 seconds. Repeat this 5 times a day. This will activate your back muscles and make them stronger.
Having a love for business is an incredible feeling and it is important that as an entrepreneur, you do everything in your power to push it forward. That includes maintaining your best asset in the best health – and that asset is you.
