5 Simple Steps for Becoming a Healthier Entrepreneur

Following your dreams, branching out and starting your own business is one of the most rewarding experiences a person can experience. That being said, the busy and stressful lifestyle of modern-day entrepreneurs doesn’t leave much room for cultivating healthy lifestyle habits.

Here is how you can improve your lifestyle and start fostering healthier habits in five simple steps:

Stay Active

According to the CDS 80% of American adults don’t get the recommended amount of exercise. Avoid being a part of this statistic by taking some simple steps:

• Spend 10 minutes a day partaking in a monthly exercise challenge;
• Walk around when you’re on the phone;
• Take breaks every few hours, walk around and stretch;
• Do a few squats during your work day, just to get your blood flowing.

Even if you’re extremely busy and are unable to stick to a regular work-out routine, let alone find the time to fit going to the gym in your daily schedule, you’ll be able to find a few odd minutes here and there and dedicate them to moving around.

Those minutes add up and the released endorphins will make you feel more positive and motivated, giving you that extra spring in your step.

When I started my business, I neglected my health for about 3 years. Then one day I had an epiphany—something was better than nothing! So I took some basic steps…

…I switched to a co-working space with standing desks…

…I started conducting my daily team check-in calls while taking a walk…

…And I began doing light exercise and stretches while in between pomodoros.

I have never felt better than I do today!

Eliminate Fast Food and Energy Drinks

It’s extremely tempting to eat processed food every day—it’s cheaper, easier and accessible. It’s also very bad for you in the long term. Treat your body like a temple and know that everything you put in it is fuel: the higher the quality, the higher your performance. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it.

Energy drinks are there to help out at times of extreme stress and impending deadlines, but can be dangerous to your health in the long term. One drink contains your daily recommended dose of caffeine, and it’s pretty hard to stick to only one.

Avoid these and experience:

• A more balanced mood;
• An easier time falling asleep;
• Improved energy endurance.

I also recommend looking into Nootropics (“smart drugs”) to see how you can optimize your health in a smarter way. For example, I still use caffeine on a daily basis, but I now combine it with L-Theanine to smooth out the peaks and valleys that are otherwise part of the caffeine experience.

Limit Your Caffeine Intake

OK, let’s talk about caffeine a little more.

Research on the effect of caffeine on our bodies has been promising—finding that coffee is good for the heart, the liver and the nervous system. This is great news if you’re one of the millions of Americans starting your day with a cup, brewed at home using one of the best espresso machines on the market or bought at your local store.

That being said, the suggested daily dose of caffeine is 400g, which amount to no more than four cups of coffee per day. Limit your intake and avoid:

• Insomnia;
• Irritability;
• Headaches, etc.

Leave the “All or Nothing” Mindset Behind

No one can deny that determination takes you places in life, but often times this determinations leads to developing an “all or nothing” mindset. Simply put: you get used to performing at 110% and accept nothing less.

This can be a deterrent to trying to develop healthier habits, as successful individuals tend to set high standers and big goals.

Start small and let things run their course; not everything needs to happen here and now. Try:

• Taking a short walk (start walking your dog every morning);
• Spending 5 minutes meditating;
• Adding more greens to your meals a few times a week.

However small, these things soon become ingrained in your culture and will help you build a better and healthier life.

Work Smarter, Not Harder

It’s modern to be busy. If you’re living in the 21^st century and you’re not busy, you must be doing something wrong. Or at least what you grew up believing.

However, it is extremely important to learn to prioritize sooner rather than later, so that your personal life, relationships and business relations don’t suffer later.

Set your goals, lay out your plans and work towards them, but avoid spending time doing menial and time-consuming tasks that lead you nowhere in the long run. Give yourself a break and:

• Make a To-do list and stick to it;
• Learn how to delegate;
• Focus on tasks that bring real value for your business to the table;
• Leave time for your social life and relaxation.

No matter how simple and straightforward, or difficult and hard to implement these tips seem – there is no denying the positive effect they can have on your life. Not only will these steps keep you healthy, they will help you become a happier person.

Just imagine: your balanced diet and habit of exercising is keeping your body at optimal shape, giving you more energy and making you happier, you’ve managed to build strong habits with small steps and you have enough time for friends and family – and all without compromising your business.

Now, that’s the real dream.