When people think of entrepreneurs in their start up phase they think of the hustle and grind which may include: no sleep, or exhaustion, bad eating habits, binge working, and procrastination. While this may happen it doesn’t have to. The entrepreneurial lifestyle is one that can be created to have good daily habits to create a healthy lifestyle. Entrepreneurship and taking care of your health is synonymous. The same way you take care of your business may be the same way you take care of your body. A book called The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg shows you patterns of highly successful people. “The key to exercising regularly, losing weight, raising exceptional children, becoming more productive, building revolutionary companies and social movements, and achieving success is understanding how habits work,” says Duhigg in his blog. In short, healthy behaviors have an impact on your business.
Mental health is just as important as physical health. How do you cope during stressful times? Research shows that many start ups and entrepreneurs can suffer from chronic stress and depression. Entrepreneurs are more at risk for mental health issues. Post pandemic stress is 80% worse than pre-pandemic for business owners having to find funding, experiencing massive lay offs, etc which can affect the emotional and mental health of entrepreneurs. This leads to the vulnerability of business owners who must consider how this affects their performance and well-being. During this recovery stage it is important to pay attention to the entrepreneurs who appear strong on the outside. Resilience is a good trait to possess, however, it is important to relieve the impact of stress and have good coping strategies.
One key way to deviate from the struggle of chronic stress is deepening your identity outside of your business. Use family time, take a vacation with friends, or just physical activity away from the computer can relieve burdens from the business. Deep uninterrupted sleep is another way to recharge and begin again. Eating healthy food and staying away from junk food can strengthen your gut which is your second brain. Physical exercise is a hormone booster. Ask for help when your thoughts spiral into a negative drift of no return. When you take care of yourself you take care of your business. Take time to become a healthy entrepreneur and put away bad habits. Your success, your clients, and your life depends on it.