Prioritizing our health is something we should all do but it doesn’t always come naturally. When you’re living a fast-paced lifestyle or under stress, it’s easy to neglect your wellbeing. For people who are self-employed, or own their own businesses, it’s particularly important to take care of yourself.
Working for yourself means shouldering a lot of responsibility. When you’re self-employed, your earnings take a hit if you’re unable to work, which means it’s vital to stay as healthy as possible. Furthermore, the pressures of running your own business can make you more vulnerable to health issues. To ensure you’re prioritizing your wellbeing and your business, take a look at these top health and wellness ideas for the self-employed.
1. Stay Active
Depending on the type of work you do, you may spend hours a day at a desk or stuck behind a computer. People who work in this way can face health problems due to their sedentary working style. As a self-employed worker, however, you can factor exercise into your schedule more easily than most people.
Before you start work every day, be sure to implement some form of exercise into your routine. Whether it’s an early morning workout at the gym, a brisk walk or some weight training at home, kick start your day by being active.
2. Get Enough Sleep
Being self-employed often means working long hours and prioritizing your business above anything else. It’s not unusual for entrepreneurs to work seven days a week, although this isn’t the healthiest way to approach your working life.
If your body doesn’t get enough rest, it’s unable to repair itself. This puts you at risk of developing a variety of health problems and can substantially lower your immunity. Furthermore, your cognitive function and memory can be affected by poor sleep.
If you’re not getting enough rest at night, take a look at your mattress. Using the wrong type of mattress is a major cause of sleep problems, so you could enhance your sleep quality by switching to something different. Plan your purchase in advance and you’ll get great bargains on home furniture, such as beds and mattresses. You can often get good deals on Memorial Day for example, so be sure to look out for discounts and promotions. With some savvy shopping, getting a good night’s sleep is cheaper than you think.
3. Practice Perfect Posture
If you do work at a desk for the majority of the time, you may find that your posture suffers as a result. Back pain and neckache are common amongst officer workers, as are headaches and repetitive strain injuries.
However, manual workers aren’t exempt from these issues either. When your job involves a significant amount of physical work, it takes a toll on your body. Over time, this can lead to chronic issues that are tricky to treat. By incorporating health-enhancing practices into your working day, you can minimize the risk of developing these health problems.
Taking regular breaks and stretching throughout the day can help to combat these issues. In addition to this, you may want to incorporate ergonomic office furniture and a standing desk into your home office setup to help minimize the risk of work-related health issues.
Putting Your Health First
Many self-employed workers worry that their business will suffer if they take the time to focus on their health. However, your ability to work at all will diminish if you don’t prioritize your health and wellness. By incorporating health-conscious practices into your working life, you can successfully enhance your health and your performance at work.
