As a small business owner, you have no choice but to be considerate of your health and take care of your body. If you are not feeling well, your entire business will suffer. You are the one holding your business together, whether you are a solopreneur or have one or two employees.
While it may seem daunting to stay healthy, it’s actually less stressful than being chronically ill or being in the hospital. Here are a few tips for you to begin taking care of yourself and thus, taking care of your business.
- Learn to say no.
Saying “No,” may be difficult for you, yet if you do not, you will not have much time for your business. You will need to consider every opportunity which is presented to you to see if it would make sense for you to attend or to volunteer.
You may also need to say “no” to someone who needs you to volunteer from 11 am – 2 pm daily for the next year at a non-profit if that is during your normal work hours.
Saying “no” will help you to focus on doing what you do best and will reduce the stress of running around to more places than you already are.
- Take time to rest.
When you work without stopping, your creativity and productivity both suffer. Taking time to properly rest will help your body heal and also give you healthy breaks from your work. You will come back the next day more excited about that project.
If you have not taken a vacation in years, consider a weekend trip without any business work involved in the next 3-5 months. It will be healthy for you, your relationships, and your business. Next vacation, take an extra day or two, and go from there.
You may be surprised at how rested and creative you return after your vacation! Vacations are a necessary re-set for me.
- Hire professionals to do what they do best.
In order for you to be able to do your best, you should hire those professionals who excel in what they do, such as, taxes, accounting, graphic design, financial planning, business consulting, health consulting, videography, photography, and the list goes on. Your stress levels will decrease dramatically by hiring professionals, trust me. One certain way to stress yourself out as a small business owner is to attempt to do it all yourself. Doing everything yourself is also a way to burn yourself out by working too much.
- Always have healthy food with you.
Take a day of the week to go grocery shopping. Make sure you fill your refrigerator with foods that you like and are good for you.
You will want a healthy and filling breakfast with plenty of protein. I love eating chicken for breakfast, along with a salad.
Consider prepping a week’s worth of salads at a time and storing them in the refrigerator in Mason jars. You will always have a lunch to eat, and you won’t be tempted to run to a fast-food place for an over-priced meal that will more likely than not leave you bloated and tired.
If you are out and about, choose the co-op salad bar or hot bar for the best on-the-go food.
- Avoid processed sugar as much as possible.
Sugar can be a great source of temptation for you, the small business owner, since you sometimes just need a quick burst of energy. For a quick burst of energy, eat a teaspoon of high quality honey, drink eight ounces of water, and go on a brisk walk around the block. #health #smallbusiness Share on X
Processed sugar will give you an energy high, yet later on, it will backfire on you in the form of a crash. It also kills your gut and therefore your immunity. The inflammation it causes can create a huge number of health issues for you.
- Drink plenty of pure water.
Do not drink tap water. It contains chlorine, which kills bacteria, but is not good for you at all. Instead, purchase reverse osmosis water or invest in a high quality water filter.
Drinking water is important for many reasons. Your craving for food is actually many times a sign of dehydration. Therefore, staying hydrated can, in a way, help you not to overeat.
If you have frequent headaches, drink more water to see if it helps.
- Take care of your gut.
To take care of your gut is to take care of most of your health. For the basics, you will want to drink pure water and eat whole foods instead of processed foods.
You will want to avoid sugar, dairy, processed food, and fast food because they harm the digestion process inside your body.
Which of these tips will you implement first?
Luba Rokpelnis loves to help small business owners invest in their businesses by investing in their health. She helps them feel better with natural remedies that have no side effects and have transformed her own health. Feel free to visit her website, Facebook page, and Pinterest account.