If you’re reading this blog post, you’re likely ambitious. Ambition is an attractive trait and one that entrepreneurs must have to innovate. But ambition can come with a cost to your mental health and ultimately your physical health if you’re not careful.
I’ve been pushing and pushing for close to four years on my business. I’ve worked through deaths in the family and tragic events without taking much of a break to decompress. A few weeks ago, I started to notice that the stress was impacting my physical health.
If you’re not physically able to work, there’s no point at all in being ambitious. You need to take care of yourself. Here are a few things I’ve started doing to prioritize self-care at all times because it’s not something that should only be thought of when you’re overwhelmed:
Take a Detox and Watch What You Eat Afterward
I’m no health expert, but detoxes are something I’ve done in the past and am presently doing to recenter myself. Detoxing always puts me in a reflective space where I’m focused on my mind and body. It’s also symbolic. You’re getting rid of the toxins and harmful food you’ve been eating along with any other personal or business-related baggage.
My favorite detox is the 10-day Smooth Cleanse. You cut out things like alcohol and caffeine and drink vegetable and fruit smoothies. You can do the full detox with just healthy smoothies and snacks throughout the day. The other option is adding your choice of a high protein meal or salad to supplement the smoothies and snacks.
Speak with your doctor before giving any detox a try. This is only a short-term cleanse and is meant to help jumpstart a healthy eating routine.
Keep Up With Preventative Care
Don’t put aside your health while hustling away at your business. Set an appointment for your annual checkup and go to the doctor whenever you’re feeling ill. Take time off to address your ailments.
When you need someone to talk to book a session with a therapist. Insurance may not cover therapy, but the out-of-pocket expense could be just $90 to $150. Some offices also work out deals for patients that pay out-of-pocket. It may be worth it for a chance to gain perspective from a professional.
Declutter Everything
Another area that’s helped me is cleaning up my email accounts. I took almost 10,000 emails on multiple accounts down to just around 1,000. There’s still some work to be done but that accomplishment is amazing!
What’s great about cleaning up old emails is truly seeing how far you’ve come in your business. Deleting the emails feels like making a fresh start and putting the past in the past where it belongs.
The clutter in your home and office spaces are important to consider as well. The energy in your surroundings impacts your mood. If it’s messy, dark, and dreary where you work and live, you’ll feel less chipper and motivated to work. Invest in some lighting or inspiring decor.
Start Healthy Habits
Do more of whatever physical activity you like to do. I like working out and I’ve gotten back into the swing of working out consistently. Yoga and meditation are other things I’m experimenting with to improve stress levels. What can you add into your own routine that will keep you in shape and positively impact your mood?
Final Word
I simply cannot stress enough how important it is to take care of yourself before you hit a burnout crisis. A burnout crisis is hard to bounce back from. It easier to maintain a routine of self-care at all times instead.
The other thing to think about is that if it keeps feeling like you need to escape from your work, there could be a problem in what you’re doing. Think about what you like and dislike about your business. Maybe you can outsource more of what you don’t like doing to avoid feeling burnout often.
