It is so much fun to grow your business and your career, and to make progress towards your professional goals. However, it’s not worth it at the expense of your health. It’s often the case that as you grow professionally, you to start to feel the effects of burnout. To avoid this, you need to manage your stress and health as you go along.
Why Bother to Manage Your Health?
Let’s discuss what could happen if your stress spirals out of control:
- Mental health issues such as depression and anxiety
- Disruptions in regular eating and sleeping
- Impairedcognitive function and memory loss (yep, this is 100% stress related and not so much about growing old.)
- Cardiovascular problems like high-blood pressure and heart disease
- Compromised immune system
- Stomach problems like acid reflux and ulcers
- Chronic fatigue
You know this, I know this, but most of us are not managing stress properly. Long-term physical effects can be particularly harmful and even life-threatening.
Identifying Stress and Stressors
The problem is that most of us don’t even realize when we’re getting over-stressed. Stress manifests itself in various symptoms and you have to learn to recognize these symptoms in yourself.
Your symptoms might include:
- Loss of appetite or changes in eating habits
- Trouble sleeping or feeling tired even when you get enough sleep
- Irritability and mood swings
- Indulging more in alcohol, emotional eating, or other negative stress-combating strategies
What are your stress symptoms? This may take some time to think over, but it’s worth the effort. Your body and behavior will tell you exactly when you’re having trouble. Pay attention so that you can be ready to deal with it.
How to Beat Work-Related Stress
Before you start considering methods to reduce stress, make an assessment of your overall health. Simply taking care of yourself and striking a good balance can automatically reduce stress.
Make sure you’re eating at regular times. Your diet should include plenty of variety, including fresh vegetables and other nutrient-rich foods. Don’t rely on snacking to get through long stretches of time between meals. Eat whole foods all the time.
Get at least eight hours of sleep at night. If you’re not sleeping well, try to pinpoint what’s preventing you from getting a good night’s sleep and then take steps to fix it. For example, if light from outside is bothering you at night, try putting curtains on your windows. Sticking to a regular sleeping schedule will also improve your sleep quality.
Get at least some light exercise each day. This doesn’t have to be at a gym – consider a daily walk or some stretching and easy-to-do exercises like squats and pushups. They are magic.
Develop Stress-Reducing Strategies
In addition to taking care of your overall health, you should develop some strategies for tackling stress when it occurs.
Any hobby that takes your mind off business and your daily stresses will work. Reading, playing games, watching comedy and listening to music are all good examples of things you can do to reduce stress.
Choose some fun activities you can do with friends. Just talking to someone outside your work environment can help you get work off your mind. Plan some friend or family time.
There are specific activities that are especially good for maintaining a healthy balance. Things like yoga, meditation, and creative visualization have been proven to reduce stress. If you don’t do any of these right now, try one out and see how it feels.
Maintain Your Health and Your Business Will Prosper
If you’re constantly stressed, your business won’t be able to flourish. In the long run, maintaining a balance will improve your health and your business will prosper along with you.
If you want to learn about more ways to manage your stress and achieve more balance in your life, then head over to my free mini-course, Eliminating Business Overwhelm, where you’ll find more tips and techniques. Head over www.MariCarmenPizarro.com. You will not regret it!
