Healthy You, Healthy Business – Part 1
As a business owner, you know that running a business can be stressful. Everyday is an adventure – and that’s why you love it; but sometimes that adventure can take a toll on you. For many, the weight of the business sits heavy on your shoulders, with questions regarding cash flow, employee contentment, taxes, retirement, and feeding our families keeping you up at night.
No one said this was going to be easy.
When faced with the task of building and sustaining a successful business, it can be tempting to succumb to what I call, “the Myth of the American Entrepreneur”.
The Myth of the American Entrepreneur says that you have to hustle harder, work longer, and sacrifice more than anyone else if you are to be successful. All-nighters at the office. Missed family dinners. Forgotten meals. 80 hour work weeks. Periodic burn out. We’ve all been there. With our full attention on building a successful business, we forget the reasons we started the business in the first place.
There’s no doubt that running a business takes an incredible amount of time, effort, and energy, but some of us have begun to create unhealthy habits and lead unhealthy lifestyles because of it – buying into the illusion that if we aren’t burning ourselves out, we aren’t doing it right.
But the best thing you can do for your business is take care of yourself. A healthy you = a healthy business.
You must remember that your business is just one thread woven into the tapestry of your life. It’s just one part of your whole being. In order to live a truly full life, you must take care of your whole being, not just part of you.
Self-care is an incredibly important part of living fully and cultivating productivity at work. Science has busted the myth of the American entrepreneur by showing us that you actually INCREASE productivity when you make intentional decisions to combat burnout by pursuing a healthier you.
Dr. Jerome D Lubbe, a functional neurologist practicing in Atlanta, Georgia, has been conducting groundbreaking research around the positive effects self-care has on your brain – and your productivity.
In Part 3 of this article, we’ll take a look at some of his simple, practical strategies you can put in place to pursue a healthier version of yourself – and your business. But in Part 2, I’ll share my own story of learning to be the healthiest me for my business.
Cheers,
AC Brian
