Today we are going to chat about caring for your physical health as an entrepreneur. Let’s dive into how you can focus on all areas of your life, not just my business!

Have you been tuning in to my podcast, “Confessions of a Serial Entrepreneur?” If not, I would love for you to check it out! 

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST HERE!

Each month I share the good, bad, and beautiful of running multiple businesses in the hopes to encourage you in your journey as an entrepreneur! 

And since I’m in the business of confessing my journey as a serial entrepreneur, it’s only fair that I get right to it and tell you that my physical health sat on the back burner for over two decades. This is the first year in my entrepreneurial journey that I actually took a step back and said, “You know what? Something just isn’t right. I shouldn’t be feeling this bad all the time.” And it’s kind of embarrassing to admit that it took me over twenty years to realize something just wasn’t right, but that’s why I think this is so important to talk about. Because it isn’t embarrassing at all. It’s simply years of giving into the idea that I didn’t have time to take care of myself. Years of putting my family and my business in front of my physical health simply because I listened to the narrative that there isn’t time for it. And I know that so many of you listening can resonate with this. 

No matter what your career or family life looks like, I am willing to bet that society has tried to tell you that you don’t have the time to take care of yourself.

Or maybe you’ve been the one telling yourself that for all of these years, but today I want to end that lie once and for all.  

I wasn’t mindful of my physical health for many, many years.

I pushed hard and hustled even harder because honestly, I thought that’s what you were supposed to do to be successful. I thought that if I didn’t stay up late and wake up early, if I didn’t skip meals and neglect my nutrition, if I didn’t give every spare second to my business, I would never truly “make it.”

But what exactly is “making it” anyway? I think that’s something really important for entrepreneurs to evaluate right from the very beginning. What is your definition of “making it?” Is it a dollar amount? Is it having more time to work on yourself? Is it having the time freedom to be with your family more? Is it fame and notoriety? What does “making it” in business truly mean to you? 

And honestly, there is no right answer here. We all have our own definition of that. But I think if you spend some time truly identifying what “making it” means to you, you’ll find that you’re not asking for much. For me, I simply never wanted to move backward. And so as long as I am moving forward on a daily basis, I truly believe that I have “made it.”

And it wasn’t until recently that I discovered part of moving forward for me, is making sure that my mental, emotional, and physical health are a top priority. 

It took me some time, but I finally realized that pushing harder rather than taking a step back when things got too heavy wasn’t the way to long-term success. And so I have recently started practicing very specific boundaries around my day to help me focus on all areas of my life, not just my business. 

Make time for rest in your daily routine. I can promise you that it will only enhance your business, not hinder it! If you wake up early to work on your business, don’t stay up late doing the same. I totally understand that some seasons of life require us to work in the small pockets of time here and there, but you can’t give your business every spare pocket. Be sure that you’re making time for rest so matter how jam-packed your schedule may seem. 

No is a full sentence. But I get it, as a people pleaser, peacemaker, enneagram 9, saying no tends to be incredibly difficult. 

What feels more difficult? Saying no when you simply can’t take on anything more, or working yourself to the point of illness? 

Taking back the power of “no” is incredibly freeing and beneficial for your mental, emotional, and physical health. I absolutely suggest you give it a try as often as possible! 

This concept is incredibly new to me. In past years, I would never ever imagine taking things off of my plate simply because I didn’t want to disappoint anyone and I didn’t want to admit that I couldn’t carry the same heavy load from season to season. 

But I recently learned that continuing to do things I couldn’t handle was only making things worse, not better. I say it a lot but only because it’s so true. “You can’t pour from an empty cup.” But you can refill it. Only when you first take time to rest, take burdens off your plate for a season, and refresh. 

Taking things off your plate is not a sign of failure. But instead a sign of a strong business owner that is in tune with their needs and understands that when personal needs aren’t met, business needs will never be cared for in the ways they deserve! 

As you may or may not know, I am no stranger to focusing on health and wellness. As a brand partner with Young Living for nearly a decade, I have found so many incredible products that help our bodies function as they were intended, but I wasn’t focused on the right supplements for my specific needs until now! 

To learn more about how you can fuel your body with the best supplements, check out everything I’m taking HERE, and don’t ever hesitate to reach out. I love chatting about all things health and wellness! 

Moving your body doesn’t have to include hitting the gym each day or putting an in-home gym system in your garage. It can as simple as getting out in the sunshine for 30 minutes while you walk around the neighborhood. Whatever physical activity looks like for you, I highly suggest you find time for it as often as possible! Not only will it improve your physical health, taking a beat to walk away from your work will only make you more productive when you get back to it! 

And that’s it! That’s all you have to do! Hahaha Sounds simple right?

Trust me, I totally understand how daunting it feels to hear that you have to make time for rest, say no when necessary, take things off your plate, fuel your body with good nutrients, and move your body as often as possible in order to care for your physical health. All on top of running your business and caring for your family. But you don’t have to do it all at once. Pick one thing today that you can start implementing. When that becomes a habit, add in another. As hardworking, driven entrepreneurs I know it doesn’t sound easy to hear you have to do less, but I truly believe if we can walk far, far away from the lies of hustle culture, we will find that implementing these things isn’t doing less, it’s actually doing more. Because the more good we can do for our bodies, the more good we will inadvertently do for our business.