A Common Sense Approach to Start Enjoying Your Life Again!

By Guest Author, Adam Tan, M.D.

In a society where stress and anxiety go rampant, finding time for personal health is one of the most vital investments any person can make. After all, enjoying the products of hard labor may not be always possible if you’re suffering from a lifestyle-related disease and its complications. And while health insurance can help alleviate the financial burden from severe medical conditions, prevention will always be better than cure.     

With that said, here are 5 practical tips to keep your health on toes while still having time to work and enjoy life.

Physical Exercise

Exercise is the cornerstone of every wellness program. And even though most people treat it as a weight-loss tool, it primarily functions as a preventive strategy for various illnesses. In fact, research shows that regular exercise decreases the risk of acquiring type 2 diabetes, essential hypertension, and boost protective mechanisms against various cancers.  

However, limiting yourself to cardiovascular activities such as running isn’t always ideal since it only targets one aspect of systemic organs (e.g. cardiovascular and lower body muscles).

So to get the whole array of benefits, it’s recommended to include weight lifting and strength training exercises as they also increase bone density while strengthening overall muscles, joints, and tendons. This will act as a preventive measure against osteoporosis and sarcopenia (muscle degeneration due to old age) as well.

A minimum of 2-3 hours a week is all that is needed to stay healthy. Check out your local gym and find a good spot that fits your schedule. 

Diet

Diet is another important pillar of healthy living.  

Limiting processed food, taking fewer trips to the local fast food, and including more fruits and veggies each meal are simple ways to do it. If cooking at home isn’t possible (although recommended), then choosing restaurants with healthier menus is your next best option.

However, for the busy entrepreneur who wants to take health to the next level without sacrificing valuable time, intermittent fasting (IF) is another effective approach. It will allow you to enjoy meals while simultaneously increase productivity throughout the day.  

However, it’s important to mention that it’s not a dietary protocol for everyone as there is no “one size fits all” approach. Therefore, it’s advisable to learn about its pros and cons before trying it out, and if you ever decide to take this path, try learning about the common mistakes people often make with intermittent fasting. This will help you save time from inadvertent headaches of a new dietary approach.  

Sleep

Like exercise and diet, sleep is a key factor in daily performance that shouldn’t be taken lightly. 

Everybody needs sleep. And a lack of it will not only affect your mood but your immune system as well, leading to an increased risk of acquiring viral infections and similar pathologies.

Ideally, 8 hours of sleep is the mean average. However, this may change for each individual.

Some need at least 6 hours a day to function, while others 8 hours or more. But as long as complete sleep is achieved through the day, then that won’t be a problem.

And if time does not allow, a 20-30 minutes power nap at lunch or in the afternoon will do wonders.

Meditation

Let’s face it – life isn’t all sunshine and rainbow. There will be times when storms appear unexpectedly. But the defining line between a truly successful person and one who isn’t is – resilience. 

And the secret?

Well, it’s meditation!

Meditation acts as a stabilizer amidst the busy storms of life. A solid rock you can stand on when things get out of balance.  

But it doesn’t have to be a tedious task to maintain. Depending on your beliefs, simply taking 30-60 minutes a day to quietly meditate in solitude will supercharge your thoughts and establish a deep sense of purpose. In turn, by becoming aware of why you do the things you do, motivation and drive fire up, helping you become more creative, productive and efficient with your business.

Social Interaction

As the old saying goes “no man is an island”, so should any entrepreneur who wants to live a balanced and healthy lifestyle strive for social interaction with others. However, everybody has a different way of socializing, some would rather spend time with a friend or two, while others prefer a bigger group like parties and family gatherings.  

Whatever the preference, whether you’re introverted or extroverted, find whichever way suits you best, as there is no hard and fast rule.  

After all – everybody is different.

Conclusion

As young entrepreneurs, prioritizing wellness is critical for personal success. While diet, exercise, sleep, meditation, and social interactions may seem to take a great deal of time in our lives. Small, daily efforts in each of these facets are all it takes to make things work.

In the end, just like anything in life – a little health investment early on will pay dividends in the long term!

Other References

1. Opp, M. R., & Krueger, J. M. (2015). Sleep and immunity: A growing field with clinical impact. Brain, behavior, and immunity
2. Warburton, D. E., Nicol, C. W., & Bredin, S. S. (2006). Health benefits of physical activity: the evidence.