With winter creeping onto our doorsteps, so too does the dreaded cold and flu season. I don’t think I’ve ever met a business owner who doesn’t feel that sense of panic when they think about getting sick and not being able to work.
So I thought it was probably time to look at how we can best keep ourselves as business owners on the path to staying as healthy as possible.
What does healthy mean for a business owner?
Before you roll your eyes and think I’m talking going to the gym – no – it doesn’t have to be that hard. Rather it’s all about looking after yourself so you’re enthusiastic about coming to work everyday – not dragging your sick, exhausted, rundown self into the office each day – counting the minutes until you can collapse in front of the TV again.
In essence staying on top of your health game as a business owner is about three things;
- sleeping at least 7 hours a night – yes, really;
- eating food that’s largely from the better for us category; and
- moving your body.
The best part about sleeping more, eating better and being that little bit more active is that helps you focus better on your daily tasks and can give you a bucket load more energy to help you through the day. Not only do you feel better, you’ll get more done too. Now that’s win-win.
Adequate sleep, eating well and daily activity can also improve your immune function – helping your body fight off the winter nasties.
As for activity – well that can be as simple as walking. If you get the train to work, why don’t you try walking to the station of a morning? Or if you’re a work-at-home business owner, think about taking your dog out for a walk during your working day. Or walk to your meetings if they’re nearby.
Because our offices are so close to Darling Harbour and King Street wharf, sometimes I’ll head down there to clear my head. There are days where it’s worked wonders and I return and power through what’s left of the day.
Every business owner has too much on their plate to ‘waste’ 20 mins, but don’t think of it as wasting time – think of it assharpening your saw.
So if you’re stuck on a task at work, or struggling with the 3pm snoozies, take a walk – even if it’s for 5-10 minutes and you’ll often see things from a new perspective.
It can be hard to get started – but once you do and build up some habits, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.
If we can help you get started with some new business habits by freeing up your time so you can power ahead in your business, we’d be delighted to help.
