Much like my rant about meditation, focusing on healthy habits was not a priority for me as an entrepreneur. It was so much easier to just pop something frozen in the microwave so I could go on working that I never took the time to see what damage I was doing to not only myself, but my business.
Look, this isn’t a fitness blog, so I’m not trying to come to you like that. What I do want you to recognize, though, is that your health and your business are deeply intertwined, and the worse you are at self-care, the worse you are at running your business.
Do you need a 6 pack to be a billionaire? I mean…it probably wouldn’t hurt. Should that discourage you? Absolutely not!
Healthy Habits Every Entrepreneur Should Have
Just a quick run over, let’s talk about what a healthy lifestyle does for an entrepreneur:
- Helps keep your body strong and able to fight illness
- Gives you the fuel to have the energy to create
- Gives you a healthy dose of self-esteem and confidence. Which translates into how you run your business and how you sell
- Gives you coping skills and a centered mindset that helps you overcome downturns or bad days.
So let’s talk about some easy ways to get started doing this:
1. A little bit at a time
Just like creating a product line, you’ve got to start with a V1/MVP and build from there, otherwise you’ll burn out. Start with a small healthy habit, like remembering to stretch every morning, and build as you go. You’re not on anyone else’s timeline but your own, so don’t feel pressured to go vegan, do CrossFit, and live in sports bras and yoga pants your first week. Little habits make the biggest changes (the book Atomic Habits is a fantastic source for more info on this)
2. Move your body
Stretch, yoga, walk, workout, lift weights, frisbee golf, focus on your posture…whatever you can do to combat the hours you sit at your computer will help your body keep the fluids moving and stop the build-up of visceral fat around your organs.
3. Leave your work
Actually get away from your business during lunch. If you work from home, go into another room and eat lunch. Give yourself moments in the day to decompress and get out of the mountain of things you need to do. It will help you gain SO much perspective!
4. Self-care, self-care, SELF-CARE
You are an amazing being and deserving of kindness, so give yourself permission to have niceties! That doesn’t mean going into mountains of debt to buy designer clothes, but rather it means investing in your happiness, whether that’s material gains, hobbies, or experiences. It’s okay to treat yourself the way you’d want your best friend to be treated after a rough day, so BE that best friend to yourself!
5. Be nice to your brain
Mental health is so important, especially in a world full of social media filters and #blessed posts. Go to a therapist, even if you aren’t sure what you’d want to talk about, just to talk. Having a professional, unbiased person to help you gain perspective and work out deep-seated beliefs that have steered you into a negative path can help your productivity SO much.
6. Prep your meals every week
A simple habit to get started, even if it’s only making sure you know what you’re eating for lunch every workday. Prepping your meals ahead of time (I like to do it once a week) will free up a little bit of your mental load and let you focus on more important things.
7. Shut off the shit
Delete your business apps from your phone, don’t check email after your workday, give yourself the space to enjoy your life away from your business. Isn’t that why you became an entrepreneur in the first place?
Want even more guidance? You need to join my 30 Day Better Biz Challenge (it’s free!) to help set yourself up for success. Click here to get started
