Building Foundations For Your Business
For many businesses, particularly small retailers, the lead up to Christmas can be extremely busy.
Pam Goodison
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It’s easy to get caught up in the festive rush, with customers demanding products and services as gifts for their loved ones, and your own preparations for the big day itself.
If you don’t look after your health during such times, it could become a problem. Imagine: if you fell ill, it’s likely that you’d have to pay someone else to do your work for you, to avoid disappointing your customers.
This time last year I came down with an illness that lasted six weeks. I think it was brought on because I hadn’t been looking after myself and I’d taken on too much work. It took me a long time to recuperate, as I tried to work through it to still meet my Christmas orders. Looking back now, if I’d just taken better care of myself, I’m sure I would have recovered more quickly.
Yesterday, at a networking meeting, a contact talked about building foundations and gave some really good advice on the matter.
When we build foundations for our business there’s a process we go through, We work on many things, such as sales processes, the product, advertising, etc., but at what point do we think about our health? If our lifestyle is not so good, this will eventually affect our business.
Some good advice was passed on, concerning the three foundations for our health.
What water can do for us
Many of us get through the working day by consuming numerous cups of tea and coffee; however, drinking water is much better for us. It helps maintain a healthy digestive system, it supports greater mental performance, and it keeps the skin clear. Our bodies are made up of between 45-75% of water. Working from home, in our nice warm houses, we can dehydrate easily—we need to keep hydrated and our water levels topped up. The European Food Safety Authority issued a report in March 2010, which suggested an adequate daily intake is 2 litres of fluid for women and 2.5 litres for men.
We’re designed to move
It’s also important to get regular exercise. The temptation, particularly in winter, is to laze around on the settee and eat lots of junk food. As I write this and look out of my dining room window the sun is shining. It’s a beautiful day for a walk.
Exercise also boosts mental health. We should aim to get away from our desks every so often, even if it’s just for 15-30 minutes during our lunch hour. If we did this on a daily basis, it would equal 3.5 hours of exercise a week, which will help to eradicate any weight gain and stop diseases, such as diabetes.
Get some slumber
Finally, sleep is so important. If I don’t get enough sleep, I feel like a zombie. We should aim to get around eight hours a night, though I appreciate how difficult this is for many of us at the moment, due to lockdown.
Aim to stop using your phone at least one hour before you go to bed. Keep to a regular bedtime and try to make your bedroom as relaxing a place as possible.
A lack of sleep can result in a bad mood and can affect our overall health. NHS.uk states that regularly suffering from poor sleep could put you at risk of serious medical conditions, including obesity, heart disease and diabetes, as well as shortening life expectancy.
So, the next time you’re tempted to take your phone to bed to catch up on a few work messages, or to take that last minute order, think about how it could affect your sleep—and, ultimately, your health.
You only get one life, so look after yourself.
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