5 Easy Ways that Optimal Health Improves Your Business
Health and business have not always mixed. It was only yesterday that the idea of being successful meant working around the clock, being sleep deprived to hit deadlines, eating takeout at your desk, and skipping workouts to jump into last-minute meetings. Even as I write this, I remember the feeling that my job controlled my lifestyle and was always working to achieve work-life balance. Now though, the goal is to achieve work-life blending, meaning that they are interwoven within each other instead of competing.
“At the end of the day, who do you want to work for or buy from: an irritable, under-slept executive or a productive but compassionate leader?”
One of the main reasons for this change is that creating a healthy lifestyle also helps you accelerate the success of your business. Optimal health is no longer just for the bodybuilders who are paid to look good, but is also for everyone who is paid to use their brains each and every day. The best way to showcase these benefits is simply to try them out for yourself and reap the benefits. Try each of the below and reflect on the difference you feel.
Here are five easy ways to inject health into your work day for business success.
Exercise to boost creativity
Forget the six packs abs style of exercise, and shift your mindset to see the instant results of a daily workout. Research has shown that anywhere from 5-20 minutes of exercise boosts your focus, creativity, and memory for hours after. This has come in handy for me, especially during that afternoon slump. After a morning full of productivity, I stare at my computer wanting that focus to continue throughout the afternoon, but my brain is not having it! By giving my brain a break and moving my body, I not only am getting my blood pumping, but I’m also pumping my brain with new stamina and ideas for the rest of the afternoon.
Meditate to build better relationships
Sometimes we are blessed with teams that get along or clients that always communicate and understand us well, but more often than not, stress and pressure can lead to misunderstandings and heated conversations over projects and business goals. By adding 10 minutes of meditation to your day, you can combat those feelings and enter into stressful business scenarios with more compassion and clarity. Studies show that people who meditate each day have a larger prefrontal cortex, which controls emotional regulation, attention span, and decision making, and a smaller amygdala, which is the area that controls your fight-or-flight response. It’s no wonder why meditation rooms are becoming more popular in office settings. Use apps like Headspace and Calm to devote 10 meditation minutes each day so you have better relationships with your clients and coworkers.
Eat for productivity and stamina
Food is fuel, but some fuel will not do you any favors when it comes to your to-do list for the day. Each meal throughout the working day can have immediate effects on your attention span and stamina, depending on which food you choose and the amount you ate. How many of us cannot stay on task after indulging in some afternoon cookies or just can’t seem to get motivated after eating a lunch meal that could’ve fed two people? It’s not only you - this happens to all of us when we overindulge in either too much sugar or food in general. It’s not easy to slow down our desire for our favorite foods, but you can use this research as a mindset shift. The idea being: “I’ll save these cookies for when I’m done with work so I can have more focus this afternoon, or “I’ll take the rest of this lunch to-go and have it for dinner so I am alert and motivated in my afternoon meetings.”
Sleep for a well-rounded approach
I am far from the poster child for getting your best sleep. If I think I can get done with a project, I will push myself to work way past my bedtime, but I’ve been trying to combat my night owl with all the benefits of prioritizing your sleep. For those who get the regular 7-9 hours of sleep consistently night to night, they reap the benefits of increased energy, a stronger immune system, heightened alertness and creativity, and an improved mood by reducing anxiety, irritability and mental exhaustion. For me to achieve these benefits, I have sever ties with my screens earlier and turn off work. My goal lately has been 9:30 PM where all screen time ends and analog mode begins. I never regret it as I feel more ready to take on my tasks the next morning.
Hydration to eliminate brain fog
The best part of waking up is the ritual of my bulletproof coffee, getting me perked up for the day ahead. But, hold the brakes, sleep is not the most hydrating activity and pouring coffee on an already dehydrated state doesn’t help the situation. Hydrating is good for your entire body, but even being mildly dehydrated affects the brain first, which can cloud your thinking and wreak havoc on your focus. Start your morning with a big glass of water to improve your alertness before you brew your coffee, and keep a water bottle next to your computer to ensure that dehydration doesn’t slow your productivity throughout the day.
These are a few ways prioritizing your health to help you each and every day in your business. Looking at all the benefits on your productivity, emotional regulation, creativity, and drive, it’s hard to believe that an overworked individual was once a metric for success. I am so happy to see that health and wellness has been trending for years because I believe the future of strong leadership will be measured in how they fill their days with health. At the end of the day, who do you want to work for or buy from: an irritable, under-slept executive or a productive but compassionate leader? You decide.