Self-Care is Necessary for the Growth of Your Company

Long nights, stressful days, not enough sleep and eating more than your share of junk food rather than nutritious meals sounds like a recipe for compromised physical and mental well-being, yet, if you ask business owners if this sounds like their lifestyle, you are apt to be met with a resounding “yes”.

Most business people blame their lack of healthy habits on their busy work schedule but really it’s a bit illogical. We all know that building and running a sustainable business takes stamina and energy, both of which need to be fed by a healthful existence and active self-care.

Here are three things you should (must!) do for your mind, body, and yes, your company too:

Eat good meals

Good nutrition plays a critical part is maintaining a healthy life and while your time to cook and prepare meals might be limited, there are many different options that can provide you with healthful choices without impacting your work. These include meal prep services, personal chefs, and of course, with a little ingenuity and excellent time management, you might even be able to come up with a few hours in the evening or on the weekend to prepare some meals for the week ahead.

Get adequate sleep

Burning the candle at both ends and never getting more than three or four hours of sleep per night is something that should be avoided at all costs. It’s been proven that mental acuity decreases when you sleep less than seven or eight hours each night and while you might feel that you are perfectly fine, your brain scans will show something different. Your physical stamina also starts to be eroded with less than optimal sleep.

Engage in Exercise

Many of us spend inordinate amounts of time sitting at a desk or conference room table and at the end of the day, return home to once again sit down to do some work, watch television or read. This type of schedule, devoid of regular physical exercise, is extremely detrimental to your health and well-being and will ultimately, undermine the endurance that is required to build and run a successful business. Set time to engage in exercise. Make it a mandate and create a schedule that enables you to exercise before or after work or at lunch, but only if you can also take the time to eat a healthy lunch. Even 30 minutes a day is beneficial and may get you started on a more rigorous exercise routine.

Remember that you’re the “boss” of your own life. You owe it to yourself to take the action steps required to be healthy and be productive. The best time to start is right NOW.