Owning a business is an actual 24/7 game. You never really shut down as you work to be successful. The strain that it places on your mind and body is perhaps unparalleled. The most unfortunate part about the strain is the subtle warning signs, but we are too busy and miss them. We do not respect the signals until they become really loud. The loudness shows up in serious ways such as stroke, cancer, high blood pressure, chronic anxiety, mental issues and many other potential life changing ailments. Most people with an entrepreneurial mind are always waiting for an inspiration or some type of guidance to make their products or services better. It may come while we are sleeping in a dream or simply walking down the street. Any way it goes, one must be ready for the download of ideas. Keeping yourself ready can be a challenge. We tend to overindulge in things that will keep us moving for the short run when we know that we should be making healthier moves to keep us going for the long run.
Here are some strategies to help you keep going for the long run:
Good Sleep- I stated that we are dreaming about ideas at night and sometimes wake up to write down great ideas throughout the night; consequently, we fail to get the proper rest we need to keep up with the demands of our day. After reading an article in Inc. about how my IQ is may be affected, I decided to shut my mind down to get more rest. Benjamin Franklin, writer, inventor and political philosopher, stated, “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.”
Eat Healthy- Working hard also takes a real toll on your eating habits. You tend to look for quick energy foods such as a soft drink or coffee with caffeine to help push you through the day. You also seek out foods that give you a quick pick-me-up or burst of energy like candy. We all know that the energy comes quick and leaves quick, leaving you almost worst off than you were before you had a drop in your energy level. You have to purpose in your mind, to think about foods that will work to fuel your body from breakfast to lunch to dinner. In other words, you must have a balanced routine of not only what you eat but when you eat. Certainly we have heard about the pounds gained during the year of COVID-19, but we cannot blame it entirely on the virus because many of us were making pre-COVID-19 bad choices.
Exercise Often- We know that some form of exercise is needed to help our body and your mind. Exercising releases hormones such as endorphins that helps to keep you happy. It tends to help you sleep better and generally helps you to have a better outlook on life. Remember your exercise choice is your exercise. It can be anything you choose to burn calories but the key to your exercise routine is consistency. As Nike says, “Just do it “ and I suggest that you keep doing it.
Refresh Mentally - Successful people take the time to refresh by having periods when they shut down in order to be more productive and creative. Take a little time and begin your refreshing by reading the article in Inc. magazine that really shares the practices that legends such as Steve Jobs and Albert Einstein exercised to refresh themselves.