How to start thinking about your wellbeing first

So often as entrepreneurs we put work first and often at the detriment to our overall wellbeing and other areas of our lives. Who hasn’t grabbed something unhealthy to eat to save time and meet a deadline? Or answered emails late into the night forgoing good quality sleep? Unfortunately, this behaviour tends to become the norm, sacrificing our overall health in the process. We get stuck in a mindset of thinking we don’t possibly have the time to take care of ourselves.

We all know the importance of our health. But why do we tend to deal with it in such a reactionary way? If we experience an undesirable symptom we take a pill. Or we get to a state of burnout and then seek help.

Now what could your life look like if you flipped it around? If you put your wellbeing first?

Wellness leads to other things in our lives. It leads to healthier relationships, better productivity & creativity with work and being more resilient when it comes to managing stress.

So what could this look like in practice?

Let’s start with relationships

What could it feel like to spend more quality time with your partner? In a previous blog post on beating overwhelm (you can read that here) I talk about thinking about the quality of time instead of the quantity. If you prioritised your sleep for instance would you show up more energised throughout the day and be better able to spend quality time with your partner in the evening? Now this might take 8 hours of sleep but the quality of the rest of your day would be greatly improved.

How could this look with work?

We could also use the same example of sleep here. But let’s talk about our food choices. What if you chose to eat whole foods throughout the day improving your mood and energy levels. This could lead to more focus and creativity. Without the sugar crashes you find your flow and manage to get more done. And guess what this also leads to. Yep, you guessed it. More time in the evening with your family because you achieved more throughout the day.

Now let’s talk about managing stress.

Making time in the morning and/or evenings to meditate might feel challenging for some. Same with the idea of taking breaks throughout the day. But we aren’t designed to sit at a desk and work for hours on end. Our bodies and minds need breaks. This could be as simple as getting up from your desk for 10min on the hour and doing some stretches & deep breathing. It could also be a walk or exercising at lunch. If we’re feeling exhausted all of the time it becomes much harder to manage our stress. The practice of meditation, taking moments of pause and movement throughout your day will actually help you build resiliency and you’re better able to deal with daily stresses.

So I’d like you to think of the following questions and how prioritising your health could look in your own life.

How much better could your day flow?
Could you be more focused, productive and creative?
Get more done throughout the day and as a result have more (and better quality) time with your partner and family in the evening?
What healthy habit could you incorporate?
Perhaps it’s taking the time for a walk at lunch? Or shutting off your computer earlier this evening so you can have some down time and a better night’s sleep?

“Imagine how limitless your life could be if you put your wellbeing first.”

It also helps to acknowledge that the different areas of our lives aren’t separate, that one affects another. Once we do this we can start to change our mindset about our health and consider that it creates the foundation that shapes our entire life. Our healthy habits creating the energy we need to show up the way we truly want every day.