9 steps to a healthier you
I’ve been an IT consultant for 25 years. Travel is integral to my job and so I have a range of tips that I carry out on a daily basis to ensure that my health remains as good as it can.
Get enough sleep. When you're well-rested, you're better able to focus, make decisions, and handle stress. Most adults need around 6-8 hours of sleep per night. Travel plays havoc on your internal body clock, so I try to spend as much time sleeping on the plane as I can. With the advent of fast, reliable wifi on the flights, I now am able to take more day flights. A day flight to the USA means that I can work a full day and then go straight into the sleep pattern for the East Coast.
Eat a healthy diet. Eating healthy foods gives you the energy you need to power through your workday. I am not a vegetarian and love a juicy steak, however a few simple changes make that meal healthy as well as tasty. I don’t take fries or any potato products really, these are always replaced with leafy greens. I’m also a non alcohol drinker. Since making these changes, my physical and mental health have improved dramatically.
Exercise regularly. Exercise is essential for physical and mental health. After landing and dropping off my bags at the accomodation, I try to take a 30 minute walk around the local area. Not only does this get my blood moving again after sitting down for so long, it allows me to get a feel for where I am and stop a nice restaurant or two.
Every small business owner has stress. Some of this is bad stress - distress - this is what we can’t avoid but try to minimize. Distress can take a toll on your physical and mental health. I find that meditation for 15 minutes at 11am each morning clears my mind and rebuilds focus. Why 11am? This means that I have completed my first mission critical task for the day.
Take breaks throughout the day. They have this right in other cultures. Whilst we don’t want to spend all day around the water cooler, we need to break from our screens. Unfortunately most people take a break from the computer monitor by looking at their phones! Don’t do this! Walk over and make a coffee or fill your water bottle - which leads me into my next point.
Stay hydrated - whilst we don’t need to drink like a fish, the modern western world consumes a lot of products which have a negative affect on the body. Getting enough water during the day, unless you are a vegetarian eating only leafy greens and water based fruit, is a must. Dehydration is a big cause of brain fog and lack of clarity of thought. Ice cold water will serve to keep your mind sharp and can also help you lose weight.
Delegate tasks. Don't try to do everything yourself. Find yourself an out sourcing company to get those mundane time consuming tasks completed - flowers for mum, arranging dental appointments, etc. If you have employees, give them the autonomy to be able to complete tasks without your input. Remove yourself as a bottle neck and your business, let alone you, will become more healthy.
Set boundaries. It's important to set boundaries between your work life and personal life. I stopped checking my emails outside of work years ago, did the business crumble? No, with point 7 in place, my employees are able to make the small decisions they need to do their work. Does a customer have to wait longer for a response? Yes, but what mission critical tasks can I solve at 9pm? None, I enjoy the time with my family instead.
Take care of yourself. This point, whilst last, is by no means least. It took me many years to realize that if I was the product, then I need to ensure my product is in tip top shape. This point is the culmination of the other 8 steps. After you have followed the steps, you will be in a mental and physical place where you can now focus on some activities that you enjoy. That could be spending time with loved ones, or some thing I like to do every 6/8 weeks - get pampered. I take a day to spend at a spa.
These are the steps that I follow to keep myself healthy. Have I missed any or is there something that you could add?
