Is Your Wellness Business Actually Bad for Your Health? (Probably!)
Hey there Wellness Entrepreneur… or Lifestyle Blogger, Health Practitioner, Gym Owner, Naturopathic Doctor, or any variation of a health & wellness business owner you may be!
Ok, I’m going to just blurt something out. Are you ready for it?
Running your own wellness business can sink your health – and your sanity!
I know what it’s like to work on your business every minute of every day, focusing on nothing else except cranking out the next blog post (or other must-publish-that-day piece of content), that new email list building strategy you just read about, or that painfully but perfectly worded sales page…
While you may genuinely feel that all of this effort is what’s gotten you ahead in your business, all of that “busyness” does come at a price — and unfortunately, there’s much truth in what I’ve just said, and it’s likely not even isn’t news to you!
For example, have you been experiencing any of the following symptoms lately?
- Chronic fatigue & lack of energy, except to type
- Poor quality sleep, otherwise known as hamster-on-the-wheel
- Lack of focus and in a constant state of overwhelm
- Gaining weight and developing a flat arse – from sitting on it all day
- No motivation to socialize outside of your “bloggers & business babes” Facebook groups
Well, as many of my past nutrition clients have heard me say, “it could be your hormones, and it’s likely poorly functioning adrenals“… it could also be Running-Your-Own-Business Syndrome.
I mean, what do we expect when we’re not sleeping, over-worked, not eating healthfully, or exercising (like, ever) AND we’re constantly missing out on family activities or other soul-nourishing personal connections?!
This is not the ‘balanced living’ we’re trying to promote and guide our own clients in, and it’s going to negatively affect your business – one that you’ve likely worked so hard to build in the first place.
So, let’s make a few adjustments in this ill-balanced business-building process, shall we?
6 TIPS TO ACHIEVE BETTER HEALTH WHILE RUNNING YOUR WELLNESS BUSINESS
Think of it this way: if you’re not feeling on your game health-wise, whether physically or mentally, then your professional life will feel the effects, eventually.
YOU are your business’s most powerful asset. Don’t ever forget that!
Did you know that studies have shown that depression is the #1 health ailment in entrepreneurs? I personally know that to be true all too well.
Here’s how NOT to lose your mind (or your physical health) while building your wellness entrepreneurial empire…
Tip 1 | Set limits and boundaries… because NO is the new YES!
It is imperative that you set limits of what you are willing to do, and perhaps more importantly, NOT willing to do to move forward and achieve success in your business.
For example:
- You don’t want to work past 6 pm because the evenings are for family time.
Don’t do it.
- Do you want to ensure you take a lunch break each and every day?
Do it.
- You have to get away with the family for 2 weeks every year.
Do it! (Here’s how to make it go more smoothly)
- Don’t want to work for less than [X] dollars per client, per session, per program, or per month?
Don’t do it – stay firm in your rates, and get paid what you’re worthy of generating!
- Don’t want to get “sucked in” by the pressures of needing to be on, on, on – especially where social media is concerned?
Don’t do it. (No matter what that ‘influencer’ told you, or is doing themselves to appear like they’re killin’ it.)
Set a content creation + posting schedule and stick to it. Turn all those ‘ping’ notifications off!
“You think you are not valued until you say ‘yes’ to everybody.”
– OPRAH
Tip 2 | Make self-care THE top priority
In one of my fave guest posts, Self-Care for Health Professionals by Dr. Ajiri Baro, MD, self-care is not selfish or an indulgence, nor is it even an option in our daily lives as it’s paramount to our well-being as well as to our success in business.
BUT, WHAT IS SELF-CARE?
It’s the regular activities that balance out the effects of both emotional & physical stressors – things like daily exercise, fueling our bodies with health-optimizing foods, quality sleep, and even yoga & meditation or other similar practices.
Even deep breathing exercises can be rejuvenating and restorative.
Be sure to schedule these self-care practices into your own day and show yourself that you are just as worthy of time and space that is all yours. Seriously, make the damn time for it – and you.
Here’s a bit more on this topic in an article I wrote for my fave natural health products company CanPrev!
Tip 3 | Sleep now (not when you’re 80). You’ll live longer and be more productive.
While I’m not a fan of working at night, having suffered horribly from Adrenal Fatigue (partly due to working long irregular hours), I understand that an entrepreneur’s day is rarely 9-5, so I get the need to work into the evening hours – probably when your kids have gone to bed.
However, this habit often leads to even more disrupted, poor quality sleep. So, if you do find yourself having to work at night, try to at least cut down on the blue light exposure that we invariably accrue from all of our screens and devices.
IDEAS TO DIGITALLY DETOX:
- use the screen dimming function or night screen masking apps for your phone & tablet
- blue light blocking (anti-glare) glasses to wear while using a computer or device
- a blue-light-blocking coating on your next pair of eyeglasses – I just had this put on my upgraded prescription and what a difference!
- set an absolute limit of no work (especially on a screen) at least ONE HOUR before bed to allow your eyes and your brain to decompress and “detox” the blue light pollution
Then, once you’ve finally got yourself into bed, there’s the actual sleeping part. Good quality, restorative sleep is vital to not only functioning and performing effectively in our jobs but to our very survival!
“We are in the midst of a sleep deprivation crisis, and this has profound consequences – on our health, our job performance, our relationships, and our happiness.
What is needed, is nothing short of a sleep revolution. Only by renewing our relationship with sleep can we take back control of our lives.”
– ARIANNA HUFFINGTON
Tip 4 | Upgrade your nutrition and stay hydrated!
Eating foods that nourish and fuel our bodies is equally, if not more important. I’m a true believer that a solidly balanced daily diet is 80% of the “optimized health” equation, and regular exercise (where you break a sweat!) is the other 20 percent.
Also, just because you’re a health & wellness expert doesn’t mean your own nutritional routine couldn’t use a boost! Just like the clients that you’re counseling… you’re human too 😉
“What your brain produces will only be as powerful as what you use to fuel it.”
– MEGHAN TELPNER
Tip 5 | Sitting is the new smoking, so go ahead and be a quitter!
There’s no doubt that you’ve started to feel the negative effects of sitting in front of your computer for long periods of time. Things like eye strain, headaches, low back pain, neck pain, and poor circulation. (Hi ya puffy ankles and calves!)
But did you know that sitting is considered the new smoking and that it’s associated with other more serious health concerns like obesity, high cholesterol, and metabolic syndrome?
I remember when I started my women’s health & nutrition blog a few years ago (that was actually called ‘Making Lemonade’), and recall thinking… WOW, I went from being an incredibly active Fitness Trainer, Bootcamp Company owner & Nutritionist to sitting behind a desk typing for nearly 8 hours a day… about health. Go figure.
The non-negotiable practices that I now do to significantly offset this job hazard are:
- To take frequent and regular breaks throughout the workday, including a proper ‘lunch 30’ – which usually involves a gigantic salad with all the fixins
- To invest in a stand-up desk – which I finally did! What a difference it makes!
- To do some squats or one-leg balancing movements at my desk every hour
- To exercise daily – and get outside every day, if possible
And just to hit that point home even more…
Tip 6 | Regular Exercise Leads to Better Productivity
I’m not going to bother to go into detail about WHY daily exercise is linked with maintaining good health because you already knew that! But, did you know that it leads to more productivity in the workplace?
In fact, people who exercised during their workday were 23% more productive on those days than they were when they didn’t exercise, says a recent study from the International Journal of Workplace Health Management.
According to Entrepreneur.com:
Sleep, exercise, and nutrition are pivotal if you’re serious about building a profitable, sustainable, scalable business. A lot of entrepreneurs overwork themselves and never get sleep, or they complain that they’re “too busy” for the gym. In the end, it always catches up to them.
Make your health a priority so you can make better decisions, keep a level head at all times, and scope out new ways to make money and expand your empire’s influence and impact.
Running a wellness business can be especially hard because you’re trying to be a good role model and key support person to so many others while trying to maintain your own health, all while carving out your own piece of the gluten-free internet entrepreneurial pie.
All of that said, I personally wouldn’t trade running my online business for the world, and I’m sure you’re not throwing in the towel anytime soon either. (At least I hope you’re not. But, if you are… let’s talk!)
It’s really empowering to take an idea and watch it flourish into something you can truly be proud of. After all, you’re building something that touches and changes so many other people’s lives and promotes their well-being. That’s really the most rewarding part too – that we’re helping others through our unwavering dedication to getting people the results they’re after.
Take a deep breath my wellpreneurial friend, and know that you’ve got people who truly understand what you’re going through – and I, for one, am your biggest fan!
What ‘symptoms’ of Running-Your-Own-Business Syndrome have you been dealing with?
All of ’em? Oh shit! Want to alleviate some of ’em?
(That’s the FREE resources library for busy, overworked & overwhelmed wellness entrepreneurs!)