Heathly You, Healthy Business
Choc-a-block diaries and long hours are common side-effects of being your own boss. But if we really want our businesses to succeed, maybe it’s time for a new approach.
by Katherine Bruce
When life coach Maureen York meets with an entrepreneur whose energy levels are flagging, she doesn’t immediately ask them what they do all day – she asks them what they eat.
“When somebody decides to set up a business,” says Maureen. “They have the passion and drive but often they also have this very idealistic view of how it’s going to be. Further along the road, the pressure of running a company combined with everyday demands such as looking after a house and raising children means the energy levels can become depleted and the initial passion starts to get submerged.” Maureen is a strong advocate of keeping our energy levels high by looking after ‘number one’: eating well, staying hydrated and booking in ‘me time’.
As well as helping us staying sane, she believes this type of re-prioritisation can also boost bottom-line results for our businesses. “If you’re treating yourself as a second-class citizen, your potential clients will pick up on it,” says Maureen. “You have to think: Would you want to do business with somebody who doesn’t prioritise themselves and is exhausted?”
So, if good energy levels are the bedrock of running a successful business, what can we do about them? Here, a nutritional therapist, a personal trainer and an art therapist talk about different ways to boost our energy levels and businesses at the same time.
What we eat
The expert:
Nutritional Therapist, Valerie McKen
The advice:
For business owners working long hours, it’s tempting to rely on caffeine and sugar to keep you going when your energy levels start to nosedive. Long-term, the best way to keep your energy levels even is to ensure your blood sugar remains stable. The key is to eat protein with every meal. Protein-rich foods, such as eggs and fish release their energy slowly, and will not only fill you up, but will allow you to keep going all day. If you do need to snack, rather than reaching for the chocolate bar or caffeine, try eating a small handful of nuts along with a piece of fruit.
Staying well-hydrated should also be a priority as it will help you remain alert. That doesn’t mean suddenly drinking litres of water, but it does mean you should include around 4-5 250ml glasses of pure water in your diet along with herbal teas and waterrich fresh fruit and vegetables. (And no, tea and coffee don’t count!)
Getting Fit
The expert:
Personal Fitness Trainer, Lorna Balfour
The benefits:
On a physical level, exercise releases endorphins that help us feel happy and relaxed. It also increases the amount of energy-producing mitochondria in our cells – which is why people who are very active have more energy, not less.
But as well as giving us a physical boost, doing exercise can work at a psychological level: deep down we all know that staying fit is important, so actually doing it stops us feeling guilty and makes us feel more confident. And simply getting out of the office and focusing on something totally different is a good way to reduce stress levels.
The trick is to do something you enjoy but which is still challenging. Get advice from a fitness professional to make sure you’re working out at the right intensity and using the right techniques to help you achieve results quickly and avoid injury. They’ll also be able to advise you on setting realistic goals and staying focused.
Giving yourself a boost: The more exercise you do, the more your cells adapt to create more energy. The key is to do exercises where your heart rate is slightly elevated. However, if you feel physically exhausted it may be better to start by restoring your energy through tai chi, yoga, or qi gong.
Being Creative
The expert:
Artist and Art Therapist, Juliette Jeanclaude
The advice:
Many people leave art behind in school or think they can’t draw, but there are huge benefits to making time just to be creative. Drawing is a super-efficient way to relax and uses a completely different part of the brain. Art is also a good way to access your subconscious, helping you to unblock issues or create new ideas. For example, if you keep putting off doing a particular job and you don’t know why, you can simply ask ‘Why am I not doing this’ and draw whatever comes into your mind first. It’s incredibly insightful. Or, if you can’t think of a solution to a particular problem, you can use painting to come up with creative ideas that you might never have thought of while sitting at your computer.
The Experts
- Maureen York is a life and raw food coach, known as The Calm Coach. Find out more about her work at www.thecalmcoach.com
- Lorna Balfour is a 1-2-1 personal trainer. Find out more about her methods at www. passionateaboutfitness.co.uk
- Valerie McKen is a nutritional therapist and raw food chef. To find out more about how she can assist you, visit www. thenutritionangel.com
- Juliette Jeanclaude: is an artist and art therapist who runs different workshops and taster sessions each month. Find out more at www.healingcreativity.com
Top Tips
From the life coach: When creating your daily/weekly schedule, remember to include some quality ‘me’ time, even if it is just 15 minutes a day. Stepping away from your office/computer, even for a short time, will allow you to reframe a situation and give you a new perspective on it.
From the nutritionist: Keep your business brain healthy by eating foods rich in Omega 3 oils. Oily fish such as salmon and trout are perfect sources. For a great snack idea, top two to three oatcakes with smoked salmon and low fat cream cheese.
From the fitness trainer: If you don’t exercise weekly it’s demotivating as your fitness level remains about the same. Rather than aiming to slot in exercise when you’ve got the time, book out specific times in your work diary every week. Be strict and don’t let work tasks take priority or your exercise will become sporadic.
From the art therapist: Keep a pad and pencil on your desk, then, before you sit down to the computer each day, spend ten minutes just drawing. You could draw whatever comes to mind first or help yourself to prioritise by asking ‘What is truly important today?’ and seeing what your subconscious reveals.
