When it comes to success, many entrepreneurs and visionaries agree that working hard and staying on top of trends is not enough. Taking care of your body and developing healthy day to day habits are essential to looking, feeling, and thinking your absolute best.
In their study on sustainable health habits, the American Council on Exercise stated: “Actively incorporating a variety of healthy habits—in addition to exercising—promotes greater success and improvement in our clients’ overall physical fitness and performance levels”. To perform at your highest capacity, in your office and out, giving your body the consideration it needs can yield higher results to an overall more successful life.
Have a set sleeping schedule
Going to bed too late can leave you waking up disoriented and hitting snooze a dozen times. If possible, set a schedule that guarantees you seven to eight hours of sleep. A key to making this habit work is unplugging 45 minutes to an hour before bedtime. Staring can make it harder to fall asleep, and fill your head with the worries and stresses of the day.
Try silent meditation or reading before bed, instead of checking Email or watching TV. The second key is actually getting up when your alarm goes off. No matter how groggy you may feel, forcing those next thirty minutes of alarm interrupted sleep will cut into your preparation time and leave you less time to really wake up.
In an interview with Inc.com, CEO of PEX card stated “I’ve learned that I can be much more productive if I wake up early, between 4:45 and 5:30 a.m. and get one to two hours of solid work done before my family starts their day. It also makes me happy that I’m reserving time for my wife and girls at the end of the day. All in all, this is a well-balanced work-life system”. Adjust your daily routine to fit with a calm productive morning, and the rest of your day will feel far less stressful.
Cool it with the caffeine
For many of us, the day doesn’t happen without that morning cup of coffee. The smell alone can be worth getting out of bed for. But various university studies have found that too much caffeine can interfere with daily functions, and leave you feeling jittery, anxious, and fearing a crash. Furthermore, indulging in two or three cups of coffee a day can result in more difficulty falling asleep later at night. A good middle ground would be stopping with that single morning cup, or trying caffeinated teas instead.
If you can’t seem to get through the day without a second cup, try decaf coffee after lunch for the same feeling with less lasting jitters. As for energy drinks and shot, it’s best to avoid those altogether. Apart from an insane amount of sugar, energy drinks tend to have twice the amount of jittery discomfort as ordinary caffeinated drinks. As an added pitfall, they also have twice the crash- and no one wants to deal with that in the middle of their work day.
Get Regular Exercise
It’s no secret that exercise is important. We see it in magazines, on Instagram, and hear about it at every doctor’s appointment. Fortunately, regular exercise doesn’t mean learning to lift at a gym or running a 5k. Something as simple as taking a walk during your lunch break or trying yoga in the morning can leave you feeling more refreshed throughout the day.
Exercise is attributed to extra endorphins (a better attitude), and self-confidence (a better self-image), both of which can help you shine during meetings and make you far more open to connecting with coworkers and clients. A study by the Montreal Heart institute also suggests that physical activity can make you more creative and improve cognitive function, all of which can be beneficial to a business owner.
“In a new study, previously sedentary adults were put through four months of high-intensity interval training. At the end, their cognitive functions – the ability to think, recall and make quick decisions – had improved significantly,” says Dr. Martin Juneau, director of prevention at the Montreal Heart Institute. “If you talk to people who exercise, they say they feel sharper. Now we’ve found a way to measure that”. Find the exercise schedule that works best for you, and be sure to stick to it.
Have Downtime
Lots of people attribute success to drive, drive, drive- the constant push towards the next big project and the next big idea. While ambition is important, it is equally important to know the value of downtime. Giving yourself an hour of “me” time a day can help calm stress, stimulate creativity, and give you an overall more positive attitude.
Take solo lunches and read a favorite book, or wake up an hour early and enjoy your favorite guilty pleasure TV show. You can also try meditation, yoga, or taking long strolls. All of these activities promote mental clarity and keep stress at bay. No one advocates laziness, but treating yourself to a private hour during the day can make the rest of the day feel less overwhelming.
Another idea is taking a vacation once a month. This isn’t to say pack up and book a hotel room for yourself, but giving yourself a Saturday a month for favorite activities can keep you in high spirits. Go out with friends, do some shopping, or spend all day in your PJ’s drinking wine- whatever it takes to get you feeling relaxed and ready to face that next big thing head on.
When cultivating your business, it is important to not let your personal upkeep fall by the wayside. Adding these healthy habits into your life can keep the energy high, the stress low, and the ideas flowing. Everyone loves a boss with a good attitude and high spirits, and developing healthy habits of your own can make you that coveted CEO with seemingly unending energy and ideas.
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