Wellness begins with you and slowly permeates through to your employees.
The struggle to get a business venture going always takes its toll on the entrepreneur – mentally and also physically. We tend to forget that our bodies are not machines with replaceable part in the eventuality of a breakdown. This is why it is important for us to take stock of the situation when the body is flashing all those warning signals.
There comes a time when the body cannot take any more punishment and that is not only bad news for you, but your business as well. In order to perform at the optimum level, one needs to make certain that they are getting adequate sleep and exercise. Moreover, the healthy entrepreneur also makes certain that he maintains a healthy diet to help combat the trials of the high stress environment.
If the day to day grind does not permit you to maintain a regular exercise schedule then make sure you take full advantage of the weekends. There are plenty of alternatives from yoga to meditation to breathing exercises that can be practiced in the comfort of your own home. For the more adventurous entrepreneur, there is always a weekend getaway in the hills where one can engage in trekking and also mountain biking to de-stress the mind and body. While one keeps up the exercise schedule, we cannot ignore the diet factor so incorporate lots and lots of fruits and green leafy vegetables in the diet. Conversely, red meat and also pork is high in saturated fats and hence should be limited to a meal a week.
Remember, even as an employee in a startup company your boss would demand nothing less than a strong and healthy individual on the job. As an employer, you must try and inculcate these traits into the lives of your employees to ensure no one, and not even yourself, suffer from burnout at an early age. A healthy worker can produce double the volume of work as a tired, sleep deprived and unhealthy one. You only need a minute to figure out why the Health and Fitness industry is booming!
Entrepreneurship implies that we don't jump onto the bandwagon or the gravy train, however, it is important to learn from other ventures and to try to garner any advantage another business venture provides. Not every entrepreneur is involved in the health and fitness business but that does not mean they are excluded from developing a health conscious regimen. Hence, go out and explore your neighbourhood for all the fitness based institutions like health clubs which often provide services like a gymnasium, the spa and also swimming facilities.
The best and fastest way to lay the groundwork on your health and fitness approach is to bring the ethos into the workspace! Install a refrigerator packed with all the great fiber intensive fruits, vegetables and fresh juices. Avoid all aeriated soft drinks, snack foods or fast food altogether as they will destroy whatever nutritious benefits your body acquires from the healthy foods. Also, make sure the company larder is never bare. You could perhaps issue a cyclical system of responsibility for the fridge, giving each employee the freedom to choose his or her favourite health food!
Another great way to build team spirit is to take the guys out for a short trip packed with obstacles requiring team play. Why not start a small fund and exploit it at the end of each month to go to a water park or even nearby highlands to partake in the activities of the great outdoors? Then again, if you are on a shoe string budget you could go with the option of playing team games. Basketball, football, cricket, volleyball, and good old fashioned rugby are fantastic stress busters. You will leave the field feeling refreshed, reenergized, and supercharged with the hungry and belief that you crave. Most importantly, you would have built a deep understanding and strong bonds of trust with your coworkers thus ensuring that you are on the same page. You could take on the world!
It is important to do a certain amount of groundwork before entering the supermarket for the 'healthy foods'. Marketing these days tends to mislead the average shopper to the extent of suggesting foods like chips and chocolate bars are good for health because they have less sugar. This is not true and so you must avoid buying energy bars or french fries if you want to attain that perfect state of wellness.
Yoga and meditation are great escapes for the mind that wishes to shut itself down for a few moments each day. At the end of the day, you are the one leading your team and so you must be prepared to be first on the buzzer at any given point. Meditation and yoga can help you recharge and refocus those overused brain cells. You will be amazed at your sharpness and freshness after even a short 10 minute time out from work. In fact, its all that could be standing between you and that all important breakthrough! In the afternoon, step into the balcony, breath in the fresh air and laze about in your cosy lounger. For company, you could bring that book you've been dying to read.
