3 Tips for Entrepreneurs to Stay Healthy

It's hard to stay healthy as an entrepreneur. With so much pressure and responsibility, it is hard for entrepreneurs to maintain a healthy mind, body and soul. Entrepreneurs provide 3 tips for being healthy:

Ask for Help, Farm Don't Hunt, Get Out  of your Head

Tip 1 – Don't get into the “I Have to Do It All Myself” syndrome. Healthy entrepreneurs know when it's time to reach out and find strategic business alliances or a virtual team to help grow and leverage their business. Tip 2 – Farm, don't Hunt. Healthy entrepreneurs learn and practice the skills of intentional networking to go beyond superficial chit chat at Chamber mixers to discover what others need and how they might be complimentary. Tip 3 – Get out of your head. Healthy entrepreneurs continue to weed out the negative self talk and chatter going on in our brains that tell us “others can't be trusted” or “I'm not good enough” or “Maybe this business just won't work”.

Thanks to Paula Vigneault, Collaboration Soup!

Avoid Processed Foods, Exercise Everyday & Fill Your Cup

An entrepreneur can only be continuously successful if he is healthy. Health is easy to lose. So pay attention. The biggest threats are lifestyle behaviors including overeating non nutritious foods, being sedentary, being chronically stressed and smoking. So pay attention to these by 1) Avoid processed foods. Fill your plate with at least one half veggies and then add some fruit and some protein like good quality meat. Read labels; if more than 5 ingredients or if you don't know one or more, skip it. Eat an apple with tea instead of cookie with the cream and sugared coffee. 2) Get some exercise every day. Walking is excellent. Do it for 25 minutes. Try to add in some weight bearing exercises a few times per week. 3) Since being an entrepreneur is inherently stressful to many, you need to “fill your cup” to resist stress. Using a gratitude ritual daily will be a big help. Before falling asleep, think about what was good today – a bright flower you saw, the smile on your daughter's face, the loving words form your spouse. Be sure it is today's gratitude, not a rote repetition. It really works. These three will make a world of difference. You will feel better, be healthier and be able to do much more of what you love to do.

Thanks to Stephen Schimpff, Medical Megatrends!

Take A Break, Peer Suppor & Regular Exercise

1. Take a break from time to time. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that our career is a marathon not a sprint. No matter how much we want to, or think we need to, we can’t be around for every meeting and oversee every action. You wouldn’t run a machine 24/7 without some preventive maintenance. Taking time off, or at least the occasional long weekend, can be done if you’re organised and often makes you more effective and efficient. 2. Peer support is a great way to share your challenges with like‐minded colleagues. The feeling of being “lonely at the top” may sound clichéd but it affects us all from time to time. Organisations like TEC can help overcome these feelings as well as helping you continue to grow and prosper. 3. Regular exercise is a must. Even if it is just a walk at lunch time it will help both your mind and your body. Sitting behind a desk all day is dedicated but you likely to feel better and be more creative if you are active

Thanks to Jerry Kleeman, TEC!

Leave The Cell Phone & Water, Stand for Webinars & Keep Snacks Away

1. I leave the cell phone and the glass of water in a different office or common area so that I have to get up and go to it. This forces me to uproot my butt from where it's growing roots from sitting too long. 2. I stand for Webinars and some of my information gathering. Basically, if I have to watch or talk instead of typing and scrolling a lot, then I'm better off standing for circulation reasons. 3. I keep snacks out of my office so I don't constantly keep “grazing!”

Thanks to Steve Chard, Programming Department!

Take Powernaps, Do Pushups & Drink Rooibos Tea

1. Take a powernap! 10-20 minutes are usually more than enough. Studies show that our energy drops most after lunch. A short nap will help you recover. You're not losing time, but gaining it (especially important to remember for busy entrepreneurs and CEOs). 2. Do 10 push-ups! Yes, doing even a few will increase your energy instantly. It only takes a minute or two. 3. Drink rooibos tea instead of green tea! Green tea is good, rooibos is better. 50% more antioxidants. No caffeine.

Thanks to Ben Ratje, Edge Innovation!

Declutter, Set Boundaries & Plan A Business Retreat

1. Completely declutter and organise your workspace. It is amazing how many people work in offices that are filled with dust, old documents and even mould. These are blocks in your business, and not building blocks! This will give you breathing space in more ways than one. 2. Set boundaries with your clients, your technology, your communication, your workspace. You need to stop and recharge every day. 3. Plan a business retreat for yourself, go away for a weekend to a lovely spot. Take walks. Eat well. Sleep well. Do business planning. Set goals. This is extremely important for you and your business.

Thanks to Karen Koedding, A Little Elf!

Slow Down, Practice Self Care & Make Health A Top Priority

1. Slow down to speed up: In order to be successful and operate at your highest level you need to schedule ;slow down to speed up' days where you take the time to just simply ‘Be'. Breathe, centre yourself, get a massage or other body therapies and then recharge your energy. 2. Practice Conscious Self Care: Taking 5 minutes to put your feet up and flick through a gossip mag doesn't cut it any more. Successful entrepreneurs practice conscious self care, meaning they make deliberate tim e for intentionalised self care. It is thought out and planned and committed to.  3. Put their health as their top priority: If health is not your top priority it will be one day. Unfortunately it will be because you have pain, disease or illness that is forcing you to pay attention. Purpose based entrepreneurs know that a healthy lifestyle is essential to long term prosperity and success.

Thanks to Karina Stephens, Enrichment Retreat!

Recharge, Don't Eat at your Desk & Stay Active

My tips are targeted at entrepreneurs who have a home office, but the tips are also great for those who do have an office to go to: 1. Make sure you recharge in the weekends. Step away from your desk (and your home if you work from home!) and spend some time in nature. I try to leave the house on Friday evening and not come back to it until Sunday evening. This way I can really ‘forget' about work for 2 days as I am not in the office (my office is at home). I feel ready for another week on Monday morning! 2. Don't have breakfast, morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea at your desk! Take a break, it only needs to be 10 minutes, but make sure you step away from the computer, the phone and everything else for a little mini-break to have a cuppa or eat your lunch. You'll feel so much better if you do. 3. Stay active, or (if you weren't very active before you became an entrepreneur) get active. Go running, go for a walk, grab your bike and go for a spin, sign up for some yoga classes or find a boot camp near you. There are many options to get active and that fit within your budget. If you get into a routine of being active during the week, it will help clear your mind, you will be able to focus better and you will feel a lot better for it!

Thanks to Jude Mulhuijsen, pix2print!

Hydrate, Prep & Declutter

1. Hydrate – This is SO important. If you are only drinking water when you feel thirst, you are most likely dehydrated. Drink at least half your body weight in pounds, in ounces. (E.g if you are 140lbs, drink at least 70 ounces of water daily) And no – coffee, bottled juices, soft drinks and alcohol do not count (they do more harm than good and if you are drinking those you need to up your daily water intake). 2. Prep time – Set aside a block of time every week to prep food for the week ahead. I like to set aside Saturday mornings to visit the farmers market, get home, wash, drain and store fruit and vegetables in containers and in the fridge. This way, during the busy week, I can save prep time by grabbing a handful of different vegetable and making a quick, healthy, wholesome meal. 3. Declutter – Declutter your kitchen, fridge, pantry. Throw out any expired food that you may have forgotten about, as well as food s that are highly processed, refined and full of artificial colours/preservatives/additives. Stock your kitchen and pantry with foods that will nourish you – grains, seeds, nuts, fruits etc. Your body will thank you for it, and it will provide you with more energy to be the entrepreneur that you are.

Thanks to Jia Ni, Happy Healthy Abundant!

Go to the Doctor, Don't Hold Resentment & Take A Day Off

1. Get to the doctor for your routine assessments, such as mammograms and colonoscopies. 2. Hold no resentment against others who do not return phone calls, fail to keep their word, etc. Remember that other people's behavior is never about you; it's always about themselves. 3. Take at least one day a week off, like non-entrepreneurs do.

Thanks to Joanne Deck!

Protein, Minerals & No

1. Eat protein for breakfast 2. Take a mineral supplement 3. Say No

Thanks to Cammi Balleck, Making Happy Happen!

Eating Matters, Breathing Capacity & Calm Down Quickly

1. What you eat matters: Think green and not sprinkles or green M&M's. This will make your thinking more clear and help your nervous system to boot. 2. Your capacity to breath matters. Not just long deep breathing but break breath. A Super simple way to break up overwhelm and so much more is to inhale in 4 sniffing part and exhale in 4 parts. Do this quite fast, and it will give you energy and take away the bad juju. 3. All successful people know how to get to calm and quite very quickly.

Thanks to Gurutej Khalsa!

Create A Leisure Plan, Be Intentional & Take Time

1. Create a leisure plan (a what?) Yes, you can create a plan to incorporate leisure time into your schedule. For some entrepreneurs it is essential to remember HOW to play and HOW to fit it into their schedule. 2. Be intentional in creating a business that fits your lifestyle. Many business owners create businesses that turn into monsters and totally take over their time, resources and life. Entrepreneurship should be done intentionally — with the end in mind. What do you want your business to look like? How do you want it to fit into your life? And how do you design it to do so. 3. Healthy leaders also take time for themselves, for exercise and physical fitness. Physically fit leaders are in the long run going to be more successful.

Thanks to Donna Price, Compass Rose Consulting!

Go Outside, Set A Timer & Bring Healthy Food to Office Meetings

1. Get outside and walk for 10 minutes. To justify this excursion, think of it (or explain it to your boss) as a “cigarette break”. Since smokers are allowed to get outside to get their fix, you should be able to leave your work area to get your fix of oxygen to your brain mixed with muscle stimulation. Breathing hard, moving your body, and getting away from the work environment for a few minutes allows you to wake up and gives you a new perspective and solutions to your daily tasks. You’ll be surprised from what a few minutes of walking can do to help rejuvenate you for the rest of your day while burning calories! 2. Set a timer to go off every hour and move. Our bodies are meant to move. Getting up from your desk each hour allows your joints and muscles to stretch while helping you to clear your head and come back more productive. Each hour take a small walk: deliver a message by foot instead of email, use a restroom on another floor, or go get a drink of water. 3. Do your office meetings always have donuts and other unhealthy foods in attendance? Most people eat these foods and don’t even realize that they ate it. We are too busy listening, speaking, or trying to stay awake to even know that we just ate a 300 Calorie apple fritter. Make a pact with yourself that you will bring your own water and piece of fruit to the meeting. Then, on your way home, pick up your favorite treat. When you get home, make yourself a cup of tea, place your treat on a fancy plate, and sit down and really enjoy and savor your treat.

Thanks to Carol Frazey, Fit School, Inc.!

Eat Live Foods, Sleep & Increase Positivity

1. Eat live foods and you'll feel more alive (fruit, veggies, nuts, seeds, whole grains–avoid processed foods. 2. Sleep. Inadequate sleep leads to added strain on the heart and an increase in appetite…who needs either one! 3. Spend time with positive people. Negative people drain your energy!

Thanks to Sydelle (“Syd”) Hoffman!

Use A Treadmill, Set An Alarm & Power Naps

1. Use a treadmill desk. At 1 mph for 8+ hours a day, you will burn hundreds of extra calories per day and never sweat. It's easier than you think to get used to. 2. Set an alarm to stretch briefly once an hour. Stretching gets blood flowing, which gets oxygen moving through your body, which helps you think more clearly and feel great! 3. Take a 15-minute power nap instead of grabbing a coffee, which is liking drinking stress because it strains your adrenal glands, making you even more tired later.

Thanks to Amy Logan, The Seven Perfumes of Sacrifice!

Carry A Cooler, Stand Up & Juggle

1) Carry a cooler to work  – To maximize energy when working longing hours, fuel your body with the good stuff without having to put too much thought into it. Fill a cooler with ice packs and your favorite healthy snacks, leftovers, and small-portion treats. They key is to never be hungry and to never be full – just give your body what it needs and you'll be feeling great all day. 2) Stand during phone calls and/or webinars –  It may seem uncomfortable at first, but after a few days of standing during phone calls, you'll likely notice increased energy during and after the workday. And if you're feeling extra motivated, it's easy to do squats and lunges while standing during a call. 3) Keep juggling balls (or oranges!) on your desk – Juggling is a great light cardio activity for the office. Practicing for five minutes several times throughout the workday will burn calories, relieve stress and help keep your mind sharp and focused.

Thanks to Heather Wolf, JuggleFit LLC!

Snack Right, Don't Skip Meals & Convenience

1. Snack Right – Ensuring your body is fueled with the appropriate nutrients throughout the day is key in keeping energy levels up and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. 2. Don't Skip Meals – Skipping meals is often the go-to decision for a busy entrepreneurs. Stop! Hunger not only affects your body, it affects your mood, too. 3. Convenience is Key – Always keep easy, convenient snack options in your purse and/or briefcase. This way if you must skip lunch, you can still find time to fuel your body.

Thanks to Kristin Serio!