Or, is your business suffering because of your poor health?
One of the biggest mistakes we entrepreneurs make when it comes to our business is we think we are 'supposed' to work 24/7. And we feel guilty when we are not! Many of us female entrepreneurs work for months on end without a single day off. What's more, many of us average 16 to 18 hours a day. Sound familiar?!
However, eventually, for most, this takes a massive toll on our health. Many of us opting for nutrient poor food - never home to eat, and eating for stress. We become burned out and constantly in energy debt.
We sacrifice health for success.
If this sounds like you, I am here to help. Your success is not worth your health. Don't end up sacrificing your own health on your path to success.
In recent study conducted it was found out that 40 percent of Fortune 500 executives are obese and 73 percent have a sedentary lifestyle, placing them at risk for diabetes, coronary disease and other life-threatening conditions. Many also have elevated cholesterol and high blood pressure. One-in-five employees worry about their boss's health.
There's no business case needed for looking after your health. Healthy people perform better and cost less. As your business's most expensive asset, you should be in peak condition.
When you neglect your health, you are actually vastly increasing the odds that you can't perform at your best--or at all--at a critical time. That puts YOUR business at risk. The most successful entrepreneurs & business women view taking care of themselves as a business priority.
Maintaining your health is essential for your business and your sanity! If you don't get enough sleep or you try to fuel yourself on only nutrient poor foods, you'll lack energy & become fatigued more easily.
This in turn has a knock-on effect on your business: you are likely to be less focused, unable to make decisions, lack enthusiasm and rigour.
When you commit to keeping physically fit and eating healthy, nutrient rich foods, being kinder to yourself and prioritising your physical and mental health, it brings energy, clarity & focus to everything you do.
I love to walk and I really make the most of the incredible moors and coastline that I am so lucky to have on my door step in beautiful Devon, UK. This keeps me in good shape and keeps the joints working! But it also gives me time to get away from it all. It cleanses my mind and gives me time to take a total break from my business. I believe it makes me a sharper business woman.
For long-term business and personal success, it is essential that you develop habits that prepare you to run at your peak.
This can only happen when you bridge the gap between your health and your business priorities.
Here are some keys to staying healthy, whilst continuing to run an ever-increasingly successful business:
Ditch the Bitch - quit your harmful self talk. Be kind to yourself, love yourself and appreciate the wonder of your body and what you put it through every day.
Hydration - water is the giver of life. Drinking enough water is not only essential for effective organ function, but can also help manage weight, energise & keep skin looking young.
Rest - Insufficient or irregular sleep compromises mood, performance, and alertness. Commit to giving your body the rest it needs. Poor sleep is also a key contributor to weight gain.
Nutrition - eat 80% nutrient-dense whole foods. These are the foods that grow from the earth or have a mother. I also call them single-ingredient foods. Fruit and vegetables should make up a large proportion, with meats, nuts, seeds and wholegrains also being great sources of nutrients.
Exercise. Make maintaining your physical health as much a priority as fulfilling quotas and meeting deadlines. If you sacrifice your health, no one wins. Try for 30 minutes a day doing something you LOVE. If you hate the gym, don't do it! My thing is walking. Yours might be rowing, tennis, jogging in the park, playing footie with the kids. It doesn't matter what it is but if you can do it outside you also benefit from the massive mental boost of being amongst nature.
Invest in Your Future
The best reason for caring for your health is that your life and your body are an irreplaceable gift.
It is neither necessary nor wise to sacrifice your health in order to pursue your business. It's your duty as a fabulous fellow female entrepreneur to proactively safeguard your mental and physical well being.
Watch for these danger signals: Out-of-control diet (binge eating), constantly feeling tired & energy slumps, trouble getting to sleep or waking in the night, sudden weight gain or loss, inflexibility or immobility, prolonged lethargy, frequent heartburn, chronic pain.
Ask yourself: What signals is my body sending me? What consequences might I suffer if my health fails? Do I conscientiously safeguard my business against losing me to poor health?