Are you a small business owners that is struggling to find balance between work and health?

If you answered yes, you're not alone.

Juggling the demands of a business can be tricky. It might feel like you traded a 9-5 for the 24/7, or that you’ll never get a real day off.

But your health needs to remain a priority as you work hard to grow your business! Even making the smallest of changes in your daily routine can have a big impact on your overall well-being and excitement you feel towards your work.

Before I began my consulting career as a Business & Marketing Coach, I spent many years working in the Health and Fitness Industry.

I was a marketing managers for Health Brands, I taught Spin Classes, and I even had my own Nutrition Coaching Business for many years.

Health has always been a passion of mine, so it felt natural to continue to prioritize my health as I started my business. But it isn’t always easy!

In this blog, I have compiled 10 life-changing health habits (all of which I have implemented!) for entrepreneurs.

Pick 1 or 2 that resonate, and see how you can start incorporating them into your own routine.

**p.s. I am not a Doctor or Certified Medical Professional, and this advice is just my personal experience. Please consult your Primary Physician before taking action on ANY of this advice.

1. Use a Standing Desk for 50% of your work week

I remember when an old colleague told me that “Sitting was the new Smoking”.

I will never forget that phrase, and whether it’s true (or not!) I do believe that most of us are sitting more than our bodies desire.

A typical day for a North American often looks like Sleeping, Sitting in their car to commute, Sitting at a Desk Chair for 8 hours, and then Sitting on the couch to watch Netflix (or some variation of this routine!). When you compare to our ancestors who were on the move hunting and gathering, you can see that our routine is totally opposite.

That’s where a Standing Desk comes in handy.

If possible, find yourself a standing workstation so that you can break up your week by sitting for mind-intensive tasks and then standing anytime you’re taking calls or doing simple tasks.

I don’t have a formal standing desk, and instead use my Kitchen Island as my standing workspace! I have also experimented with adding boxes on top of my desk and have figured out ways to prop up my laptop to eye level.

Standing energizes me, it boosts my confidence and keeps me active through the day, so I make sure to stand more than I sit during my week.

2. Go Rucking!

Have you heard about Rucking, yet?

According to the Healthline Website, Rucking is a form of exercise and the concept is simple: it's walking or hiking a set distance while carrying a weight on your back. Rucking (also known as ruck marching) has military origins, and the name comes from the word rucksack — a durable backpack meant for carrying heavy loads.

I have been rucking for almost 30 days and I can confidently say that it’s a game changer if you love to be active and to incorporate weight training sessions into your week, but don’t always have time for a gym session.

That’s where Rucking comes in!

Since we have a dog, I am often going out for a 30 minute walk in the morning before I start my workday. With my rucksack, I just put it on my back for that morning walk and suddenly it has become my workout.

To get started I invested in a Ruck Plate Carrier (it’s pretty stylish) from Go Ruck. This is the exact Ruck Sack that I bought.

I then had to purchase an appropriate weight and was able to find that on Amazon (I got the 45 lb plate and will likely invest in a 30 lb and 60lb one at some point, too).

I’m all about efficiencies in life, and walking my dog with my rucksack and a podcast in my ears feels efficient, effective and awesome.

Are you ready to Ruck?

3. Drink 1 liter of water with lemon before 9:00am

As the universal solvent, I think we can all agree that water is extremely important. It is the primary component of all our bodily fluids and it has an incredible healing ability. Water also helps to push toxic substances out of our body, and when our body is dehydrated we begin to deal with chronic health problems.

At the most basic level, I’m sure many of you have experienced headaches after a night of drinking (dehydrating your body). This is an obvious sign that you need more water.

But there are SO many other symptoms of dehydration that we need to be in tune with.

As a side note: I often ask people who tend to age well, and have glowing skin into their 40’s, 50’s and 60’s what their ‘secrets’ are – and often times they will tell me that it is simply drinking tons of water and herbal tea. Is it REALLY that simple? Perhaps...

Here’s a simple questionnaire to assess whether you’re drinking enough water (or not!)

I drink at least half my body weight in ounces of water per day (go on, calculate it!) Y / N

Feeling dehydrated is rare for me Y / N

My skin is moist, soft, and plump Y / N

I carry a water bottle with me everywhere I go Y / N

When I sit at my desk there’s a glass of water beside me Y / N

I choose water or herbal tea as my drink of choice throughout most of the day Y / N

Your goal is to answer YES to ALL of the above questions

TIPS FOR DRINKING MORE WATER!

• Keep a large drinking glass, mason jar or water bottle on your work desk / office

• 250mL (1 cup) down the hatch before you get out of bed – prepare this in the evening before you go to sleep

• Set an alarm / reminders on your phone to drink x amount of water by certain times of the day

• Incorporate a smoothie into your day that contains water as the base, and water filled veggies and fruits like cucumber and romaine

• When you’re working out, you get extra thirsty! Try to use this time to chug back at least 2 bottles of water

• Be sure you own a water bottle that makes you excited to drink more! I love my Swell bottle
  
  
  
  

p.s. if you’re a coffee drinker, add an extra 250mL of water for every cup of coffee you drink!

The average human needs about 3L of water per day. Are you drinking enough to get through your workday with clarity and energy? (hint– most of us are NOT)

4. Experiment with Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is any of various meal timing schedules that cycle between voluntary fasting and non-fasting over a given period. Methods of intermittent fasting include alternate-day fasting, periodic fasting, and daily time-restricted feeding. [SOURCE]

I’ve been Intermittent Fasting with a 16-8 or 14-10 schedule for 5 years and I find that I experience increased mental clarity, better focus, and tons of physical benefits as well.

If you’re not familiar that means I would fast (avoid all food) for 16 hours each day, and then feed within an 8 hours window.

That might look like…

• 10:00am Smoothie

• 2:00pm Lunch + Snack

• 6:00pm Dinner

• 6:00pm - 10:00am the following day = no food (only water!)

When you first start fasting it might feel difficult to shrink your feeding window, but it does get easier as your body becomes more fat adapted.

5. Affirmation Hill

Do you use affirmations to build your self-confidence?

If you’re not familiar with the concept of Affirmations, they are short sentence that motivate, inspire and encourage you to take action and to realize your goals. This sentence or phrase is usually repeated daily or something that you would journal or mediate on.

According to Positive Psychology, affirmations are designed to encourage an optimistic mindset. And optimism in itself is a powerful thing. In terms of reducing negative thoughts, affirmations have been shown to help with the tendency to linger on negative experiences (Wiesenfeld et al., 2001).

I have a set of affirmations that I repeat to myself that support the growth of my business, and after a conversation with my Acupuncturist I found a way to guarantee that I do my affirmations on a daily basis.

She asked me if there was something I do daily, and I said that I take my dog on a walk.

She then said, Is there a hill on your walk?

Always, I responded!

That’s when the concept of Affirmations Hill was born.

Today, each time I climb the hill behind my house I repeat my affirmations in the Health, Wealth and Relationships Category.

6. Cold Shower Before Your Workday

I live in Canada and our Winters get pretty cold and gloomy (-20 degrees Celsius is not unusual!) so I never in a million years thought about adding Cold Plunges in the River or Cold Showers into the mix to boost my health.

I mean, why would anyone want to expose themselves to such frigid temperatures on purpose?

However, I decided to give it a try, and I have to say that I was surprised by the results.

Not only did I find that my energy levels increased and my mood was elevated, but I also slept better and felt more alert during the day. In addition, the cold weather no longer seemed quite so daunting.

Taking a cold shower may not sound appealing, but the benefits are amazing, especially for entrepreneurs who want to increase their clarity and focus, as well as their resilience.

Cold water constricts blood vessels and increases blood flow to the brain, which helps to improve mental alertness.

In addition, cold showers help to boost the immune system and increase energy levels.

Perhaps most importantly, cold showers can help to clear the mind and increase focus.

For entrepreneurs who are constantly juggling a variety of tasks, this can be an invaluable tool.

So next time you're feeling sluggish or struggling to focus, try taking a cold shower. You may be surprised at how invigorating it can be.

7. Eat Whole Foods During The Workday

I’ve always been a firm believer in the saying, “You are what you eat.”

The foods we consume have a direct impact on our physical and mental health, and once you experience how incredible you can feel when you nourish yourself you can never go back!

After years of trial and error, I’ve found that certain foods actually take away my focus and brain power, whereas other foods contribute to better focus and enhanced thinking abilities.

For example, sugary snacks (like candy, baked goods, poor quality chocolate) give me a quick boost of energy, but that energy is quickly followed by a crash that leaves me feeling groggy and unfocused.

On the other hand, foods like eggs, cashews, peanut butter, smoothies, salmon and avocados actually have been shown to improve cognitive function.

These healthy fats help to protect the brain from age-related declines in memory and thinking abilities.

So, next time you’re feeling sluggish or struggling to concentrate, take a look at your diet—it could be the root of the problem.

8. Use Supplements (Nootropics) for Focus and Flow State

Nootropics or smart drugs are well-known compounds or supplements that enhance the cognitive performance. They work by increasing the mental function such as memory, creativity, motivation, and attention
[ SOURCE ]

Speaking of the phrase “you are what you eat” I also like to remind myself that “you are what you eat, digest and absorb” and not all foods are absorbed equally.

Which is why I supplement my diet with a few key nutrients as well as a few cognitive enhancing Nootropics.

On a daily basis I take a Multivitamin, Fish Oil and a Probiotic. These just support my baseline nutrient needs and help me avoid any potential deficiency.

In addition to my daily supplements, I also supplements with Mushrooms (like Lion’s Mane) as well as L-Theanine.

According to Four Sigmatic, Lion's mane extract not only supports memory and concentration but also supports cognitive function and the nervous system.

Paired with caffeine, L-theanine may help increase focus and attention. In fact, a small study found that a combination of L-theanine (97 milligrams, or mg) and caffeine (40 mg) helped a group of young adults focus better during demanding tasks. A typical cup of coffee contains 95 mg of caffeine (4Trusted Source, 5). The study’s participants also felt more alert and less tired in general. [SOURCE]

9. Schedule in a Self-Care Day

If you run your own business, you might feel like ‘you can never take a day off’ or that ‘you don’t deserve a mid-day appointment’.

After all, there's always more work to be done!

However, burnout is a real danger for entrepreneurs, and it's important to take some time for yourself on a regular basis to make sure you don’t reach the point of complete exhaustion.

To support your overall health, schedule some "me time" into your week, even if it's just an hour or two.

Use that time to do something that makes you happy, whether it's getting acupuncture, going for a hike with a friend, or taking a yoga class.

You'll come back to work feeling refreshed and ready to take on whatever challenges come your way.

These days, I make sure to…

• schedule in 60 minute workouts 5x per week

• book a 60 minute self care appointment each week (acupuncture, massage, facial, naturopathic doctor, holistic therapist, or sometimes a medical appointment)

• Take a 30 minute nature walk every day

• Sit by the river for a few minutes

My business is no good if I am unwell physically and mentally, so I really try to prioritize my health and self-care.

10. Be Adventurous

When I think about what brings me a lot of joy in my life, even when I’m going through a challenging business growth phase, it always comes down to adventure!

Whether I have time for just a short adventure in my backyard (a quick paddle down the river, a night hike, or doing a cold plunge for 2 minutes) or a longer adventure (a mountain bike ride, a trail run, a kayak down the river, or a trip to a new place) I know that it is while adventuring that I am most clear, most alive and most energized to create for the Visionary Community.

That’s why I always prioritize an adventure, regardless of the weather.

For you, it might look like booking a vacation or doing something else spontaneous like driving somewhere you’ve never been and going out for dinner. Anything that gets you out of your regular routine is the goal.

Becoming a successful entrepreneur takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and time.

But it’s also important to make sure you take care of yourself along the way.

These 10 health habits for entrepreneurs have changed my life in innumerous ways and I can’t praise them enough.

What are some of your favorite health habits? I’d love to know.