Entrepreneurs are often expected to have supernatural endurance. We don’t.
With most businesses starting small, support staff is often out of the question, leading many to take on multiple responsibilities. Even when not necessary, many entrepreneurs often insist on doing things for themselves out of sheer ego.
Regardless of entrepreneurs’ reasons for working long hours, health problems are invariably likely to follow.
It’s not surprising that entrepreneur health is very poor by most standards. It’s not easy to find committed entrepreneurs who can get a solid eight hours of sleep and eat a balanced diet. Poor exercise habits and substance abuse issues also contribute to the overall ill-health many entrepreneurs and other workaholics face.
Incorporating full-body stretching into daily routines can help mitigate some of these issues by improving circulation, reducing stress, and promoting overall physical well-being, making it easier to tackle the demands of a busy workday.
Staying fit is working and playing smart.
We all need to realize that forgoing work to take proper care of your health is a concrete example of working hard vs. working smart. Let’s put it this way: how productive would you be if you were dead?
The drop in productivity invariably happens way before you’re dead. If you have unhealthy habits, you’re probably getting much less work done than you might think. Multiple studies show that people who don’t get enough sleep, have poor diets and exercise, and are smokers are statistically less productive and incur more medical expenses – something that should pretty much be obvious to anyone with those habits.
Speaking of medical expenses, the state of health care coverage in the United States is still such that health insurance premiums are among the highest in the world, with the general quality of US health care coming in at 37th, according to the latest World Health Organization report. Granted, that study is skewed towards countries with socialized health care – if one has money, you can get excellent health care in the US. Unfortunately, most new entrepreneurs simply don’t have the resources to get decent health coverage.
Even young entrepreneurs are at risk.
It’s not just older entrepreneurs who have to watch out. With higher living costs than previous generations, young entrepreneurs trying to gather enough capital are especially vulnerable. Those saddled with student loans would have it even worse.
Another health problem facing workaholic entrepreneurs—especially younger ones—is the tendency to play as hard as they work. Many of us, myself included, take a few drinks (or whatever) to unwind after working long and hard on something.
But the line separating recreation and abuse can be blurred. Alcohol and stimulant abuse are more prevalent among workaholics, and while most will probably get by just fine (at least in the short term), not everyone will be so lucky.
The choice should be clear given the enormous health risks involved with typical entrepreneur health habits and the bigger long-term pay-offs and relatively low costs involved in keeping healthy.
Keeping healthy is nothing more than working smart. Not only will you feel better, you’ll make better decisions and stay in the game much longer.
photo credit: B Tal via photopin cc Ed Yourdon via photopin cc, sean dreilinger via photopin cc, Rance Costa via photopin cc, HJ Media Studios via photopin cc
How do you keep fit? Comment below!