Entrepreneurs suffer from fewer health problems than other types of workers, according to a Gallup poll. What this means is that people who work for themselves often live healthier lifestyles. However, that’s not always the case – and working for yourself adds a different type of stress to your life. Plus, entrepreneurs bare the full burden of their health – both from a cost (you pay your own medical bills and insurance – no company assistance) and time perspective (missing work equals lost income). As a result, it is incredibly important that entrepreneurs, especially, place a high emphasis on their health.
To stay healthy while you conquer your empire, implement these healthy lifestyle tips.
Table of Contents
Sleep
Many business owners are sleep deprived because they believe they need to work all day and most of the night. The problem with the extra work hours is that they often end up losing that work time because they start feeling ill and end up behind because of it.
Getting enough sleep is important. It will keep you healthy, energized, and more productive during the day, so you don’t have to burn the midnight oil.
Eat Well
Being busy is no reason to eat unhealthy foods or skipping meals. Both of these consequences to believing you don’t have enough time to eat can end up making you feel sick, fatigued, and unproductive. Taking the few minutes to eat something healthy will keep you running all day, and you’ll be much more happy with yourself because of your food choices.
Drink Water
Dehydration can lead to headaches and a lack of concentration. Most people need at least 8 cups of water a day, so carry your water bottle with you everywhere you go. By sipping on it throughout the day, you’ll end up getting all of the water you need.
Manage Stress
Running a business is stressful, so take time to manage it. Exercise is a great way to lower stress levels. Speaking to friends and family members about your stress can do it too. People are different in how they manage their stress, so find out what works for you, and do it regularly.
Visit the Doctor
You may not feel sick, but getting a physical from a doctor can keep you feeling that way. You never know when a medical problem could present itself, and if you catch it early, you may be able to stabilize it quickly, so it doesn’t start to affect your work.
Stay Active
Sitting down all day isn’t good for you. It’s important to get up every hour to stretch your muscles. Taking a walk, going for a run, or jumping on the treadmill for a few minutes will wake you up and keep your energy up, so you can do what you have to do throughout the day.
Avoid Caffeine
Before you reach for another cup of Joe, consider it could be working against you. While you may feel an instant jolt from it, that feeling may not last long, and then you’ll crash. That crash will make you want to crawl into bed to hibernate. By staying away from caffeinated beverages, you keep your energy at a constant level, so it doesn’t get wasted. This will help you work longer.
Habits Take Time and Effort
If you’re already living a healthy lifestyle, implementing one or two of these tips may not be a big deal for you. However, if you’re accustomed to sitting around all day, eating donuts and soda, these tips may seem like their impossible. Just take one healthy lifestyle habit at a time. Start getting the sleep you should get at night. Once you’ve achieved that goal, move on to eating healthier foods. Once you can do that comfortably, move on to managing your stress, visiting the doctor, and so on. Before you know it, you’ll be living the healthy lifestyle that entrepreneurs everywhere have found to be what makes them happy and successful.
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About Carson Derrow
As much as entreprenuership is a worthy, challenging and at times fun journey, its also tiring. There are just so many things to do and most times entreprenuers do push themselves to the very edge. You raise very practical points, maybe the only thing I can is for entreprenuers to take some time off once in a while away from business, go somewhere, just relax and let the stress buildup dissipate, not to mention focus on better ideas! Awesome post Marcelina
Thank you so much Simon. You are so right. Entrepreneurship is exhausting. Getting away is sometimes the only way to succeed because the break refreshes you, so you can continue building and growing. Thanks for your comment!
Solid post. I think entrepreneurs might live healthier lifestyles because they believe improvement is within. Following the basic steps you outlined should result in a healthier life.
Thanks Kevin! I agree with you. It takes a certain type of person to be an entrepreneur, and a lot of it has to do with looking into oneself and knowing what one needs to do to make life better. Great comment!