Running your own business can be demanding and time-consuming, so it’s easy for your health to take a back seat. You may feel that your clients, making money and getting it all done, exactly right, is more important than taking the time to eat right or recharge.
Those things are important, but if your health suffers, all those things suffer too. Powering through your days pushing aside exhaustion and stress can lead to feelings of burnout (where nothing gets done) and unhappiness. Who wants that?
Taking the time to care for your mind and body doesn’t have to take away from your business. Done right it actually helps you be more productive, positive, have more energy, and yes happier. Consider that investing in your health and wellbeing is an investment in your business.
Here are 4 sure-fire ways to get started today:
1. Schedule time for yourself
When you’re running your own business, it’s important to schedule what you want to accomplish so that your business moves forward. Without a roadmap, it’s easy to get sidetracked and off course. This is equally true for your health.
How to do it:
As a lady boss, you have control over how you schedule your days, so don’t forget to pencil in you and your wellbeing:
- Start your day with a meditation or mindset exercise to give you focus throughout the day.
- Be sure to schedule time for meals, even 30 minutes away from your desk to eat a good meal can have you feeling refreshed and more focused.
- On the weekend prep some food for the week so you have healthy meals ready to go.
- Don’t overload your schedule with so many things that you’re stressed and overwhelmed before the week starts.
Be reasonable with your time and expectations so you can feel the joy of checking off tasks and have the feeling of accomplishment.
2. Kick the sugar
Relating sugar to how productive you are in your business may seem like a stretch, but let me tell you, it’s not. Not only do high amounts of sugar contribute to premature ageing, bone loss and depression, it can lower your immune system for as long as four to six hours.
Sugar also causes brain fog, that pesky feeling of trying to get things done but you feel like your head is full of cotton. It zaps your energy, stresses you out, contributes to burn out and certainly doesn’t help with the extra weight you may be carrying around.
How to do it:
Make sure to start your day with a good breakfast and eat regularly throughout the day. That way you’re keeping your blood sugar levels even, which gives you consistent energy and helps with the sugar cravings.
3. Move your body
If you’re not moving your body regularly, you should be. Believe me; I’m not one to spend a ton of time exercising. Like you, I’ve got clients to see and a business to run. But I know that regular exercise makes me feel better, helps with stress, anxiety, mood and sleep.
How to do it:
I opt for HIIT (high-intensity interval training) because it’s quick (30 minutes) and effective. I add resistance training into the mix because other than it being one of the best ways to prevent osteoporosis; it’s the best way to lose and maintain weight while at rest. Meaning while I’m sitting at my desk I’m losing weight. Bonus!
Do what feels best for you and be sure to move your body at least 20 minutes a day. Don’t forget to check with your doctor first if you have any health conditions.
4. Reframe your beliefs
Women tend to be the main caregivers; it seems to be ingrained in us. We run the household and take care of all the little details, add running your own business to that and somewhere along the way we’re last on the to-do list. Your belief that everything else is more important than you and your health is sabotaging you. And, keep in mind, beliefs impact us whether we are aware of them or not.
If you’ve ever been on a plane, they tell you that in the event of an emergency to put on your mask before helping anyone with theirs. Because if you’re incapacitated you can’t help anyone else. Reframe your beliefs to think of it this way, by caring for yourself first, you’re in a better place to care for others, help your clients and be more productive.
How to do it:
Affirmations can be a great way to help you reframe your beliefs. Below are a few you can start with.
- Taking the time to care for myself makes my business better
- I am worthy of taking time for my health
- I accept that I don’t have to be perfect
- I don’t have to do everything myself, I can ask for help
- I love and accept myself, just as I am
There’s no reason you need to sacrifice your health for your business. You can support your mind and body and still be an amazing wife, mother, daughter, chief of the household and amazing business women.
