So let’s talk about your health.
I’ll start with a couple questions.
Are you as healthy as you should be? Are you focusing on making sure your body and mind are performing at the optimal levels?
If you’re like many of us, the answer is probably “not really.”
It makes sense. As entrepreneurs, we can get so caught up in building our businesses that we neglect ourselves.
I’ve been pretty guilty of this myself.
When you’re overwhelmed with the duties required to build a business, it’s easy to lose focus. You become distracted. As a result, you neglect yourself.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. There are several things we can do to make sure we are taking better care of ourselves.
In this post, you will learn…
- How to maintain a productive mental state
- Why watching your diet is important
- How sleep can make you more productive
- Why exercise doesn’t have to be difficult for entrepreneurs
- How taking breaks is better for your business
Let’s begin!
Don’t Neglect Your Mental Health
You may not believe this, but it’s true. Entrepreneurship can take a tremendous toll on your mental well being.
It’s not so surprising when you think about it, right? Entrepreneurs deal with stressors that most non-entrepreneurs don’t.
When you consider everything that it takes to be a successful business owner, it’s pretty easy to see why it could mess with your mind, right? According to Amy Morin, entrepreneurship can have a hidden dark side when it comes to mental health.
In her article in Forbes, she lists some of the issues entrepreneurs face:
- Depression
- Self-worth issues
- Anxiety
- Addiction
If you want to become successful without losing your mind, you need to take care of your mental state. What good is building a thriving business if you burn out as a result? Fortunately, there are things you can do make sure that you remain mentally healthy.
Gratitude
Gratitude is one of the most powerful mental tools you can use. It’s been shown to improve productivity, health, and happiness. Focusing your mind on the things you are grateful for is one of the most effective ways to maintain a productive mental state.
However, the issue isn’t just feeling grateful; the issue is expressing it. The great thing about this is that it’s easy. Pay attention to the things that people do for you on a daily basis, then express your gratitude for these things.
You might send a text message or email. Or maybe you can tell them verbally. It’s not about how you do it. It’s about making sure you do it.
Take my word for it. When you start expressing gratitude on a regular basis, you will see how much of an impact it has on your mental state and on your relationships.
Watch Your Self Talk
Let’s be honest. If you’re like most other people, you probably aren’t very nice to yourself, are you? Chances are, your self talk is making it harder for you to get where you want to be.
The way you manage your thought life will have a massive influence on whether or not you succeed. If you learn how to master your self talk, you will be able to ensure that you’re in the right mental state. This will put you in a better position to accomplish your goals.
What Are You Putting In Your Mouth?
You’ve probably heard this a million times. Well now you’re going to have heard it a million and one times! Your diet is crucial to your health, especially if you’re trying to launch a business.
What this means is that you have to be careful about what you’re putting into your body. Yes, I know it’s hard. I deal with this myself! Sometimes it’s just easier to eat unhealthy, isn’t it?
But we’re not doing ourselves any favors if we’re not careful with our diets. If we don’t watch what we eat, there’s plenty of issues that can come up.
Some of these include:
- Fatigue
- Hypertension
- Weight gain
Maintaining a healthy diet is key to making sure that you can continue to perform your everyday tasks as effectively as possible. There are several foods you can eat that are much better for you than the unhealthy foods we normally eat. In his article “6 Superfoods Entrepreneurs Should Try,” Richard Lorenzen lists some foods entrepreneurs can try to keep them healthier.
These foods include:
- Apples
- Almond butter
- Tigernuts
- Oranges
- Berries
- Chia seeds
Of course, there are other ways to manage your diet better. You can try several different diets and see which one works best for you.
Get Enough Sleep
Sleep. To some entrepreneurs, mentioning the word “sleep” is like using profanity, isn’t it? How many times have you patted yourself on the back because you believe that you don’t need as much sleep as others?
How often have you believed that getting everything done is more important than getting rest? I totally get it. We’ve all done it.
Here’s the problem with this type of thinking: it’s a complete load of crap.
As an entrepreneur, sleep is one of the most important things you can do. Believe it or not, sleep is a huge part of becoming successful. When you don’t get enough sleep, it can have some seriously horrible consequences.
Keep Moving
Along with diet, exercise is immensely important. But it’s not easy to do, right? We’re all so busy doing entrepreneur stuff, we feel like we don’t have time to work out.
But this is a faulty belief.
As a matter of fact, if you’re an entrepreneur, you can’t afford not to exercise. Now, I’m not saying that you have to have Dwayne Johnson’s workout regimen. I’m just saying that you need to make sure that you’re active.
There are a lot of easy exercises you can do daily to make sure you’re in decent shape and to prevent poor blood circulation. The key is to devote some time each day to being active. It’s a commitment that you must keep to make sure you avoid any potential health issues.
Take Breaks
I know what you’re thinking. First, I asked you to get more sleep. Then I asked you to take some time to exercise.
Now, I’m going to tell you to take breaks. Wait, just hear me out!
I understand where you’re coming from. You’re trying to build a business. Who has time for breaks, right?
I tend to fall into this trap as well. I’m always feeling like I need to keep going. I have to get as much done as I can each day.
But it shouldn’t be this way.
Being productive means knowing when to take some time to recharge. Now here’s the thing, I’m not saying you need to take hours out of your day. I’m not even saying you have to take a vacation, although there’s benefits to that as well.
What I’m saying is to take some time each day to do something that isn’t related to your business. As painful as this sounds, it’s the best way to maintain your mental and physical health. When you get into “machine mode” and you’re working all the time, it’s going to take a toll on your body and mind.
Take some time to do something fun that isn’t business related. Read a book. Watch a movie. Hang out with friends. You still have friends, don’t you?
Taking some time away from your business will help you avoid burnout.
Conclusion
Your business is important, which means you are important. You can’t build a successful business if you’re not taking care of yourself, can you?
Even though it may not be easy, you need to make sure that you’re focusing on your health. Being more healthy means you’re able to enjoy the success you have created.
Jeff Charles is the founder of Artisan Owl Media, an Austin-based content marketing agency that specializes in helping entrepreneurs earn more clients and multiply their sales by becoming better influencers. You can check out his blog for actionable advice on influence, persuasion, sales, and marketing.