Are You In The Best Shape To Run Your Business?
When you are running a business it is very stressful, time consuming and you don't have much time for anything else. It can also be physically and mentally draining which can have a negative impact on your health and the business. So how can you get into the best shape to run your business? One way is regular exercise which has been shown to have a positive impact on performance at work and on general well being and health. There are many ways of taking exercise including walking, running, cycling, swimming, going to the gym, tennis and team sports which you can build into your week. So how can regular exercise help you to run your business better?
Feel better and more positive. The ups and downs of business life can negatively impact your state of mind. Physical activity causes the brain to release endorphins which improve your mood, making you feel better and much more positive, all of which will have a positive impact on your performance at work.
Reflect on your business and become more creative. Running a business today is very challenging and working all the time does not necessarily produce better business results. Taking exercise frees your mind and creates space for you to reflect on your business, to see things from a different perspective, to stimulate creativity and to help you to solve business problems and challenges.
Increase energy levels. Business leadership requires hard work, tenacity and lots of energy. Regular physical activity increases mental and physical energy levels which you can harness in running your business.
Reduce stress levels. Running a business can increase your stress levels significantly. Exercise has been shown to reduce stress levels and to enable you to better manage stress on going, making you more able to cope with the stress of running a business.
More focused and productive. It is easy to lose focus and get distracted at work especially when you are not taking regular breaks. Regular physical activity will help you be more focused and productive for the benefit of your business.
Improve your mental health. Working too much and not looking after yourself can have a negative impact on your mental health. This in turn can impact your performance at work including poor decision making and unhelpful thinking. Exercise improves your mental health, helps you to think clearer and make better decisions and boosts your confidence and self esteem, which will all positively impact your business.
Sleep better. Running a business can result in sleepless nights or difficulty in getting to sleep, resulting in tiredness that can have a knock on effect on your ability to run your business. Regular exercise will help you to sleep better and in turn help you to run your business better.
Improve your physical health. Poor health results in sickness and time off work and also not being able to run your business to the best of your ability. Many studies have shown that regular physical activity improves your physical health which puts you in much better shape to run your business.
There are many ways of improving your business performance and business results, but you may not have considered incorporating exercise into your lifestyle to be one of these. So if you do not exercise currently give it a try and see for yourself what happens as a result.
Author: Liz Makin
Published: June 2012
Makin It Happen has a range of personal development online courses to purchase, created by Liz Makin, including anxiety management, communication, resilience, soft skills, stress management, time management and coaching. Liz Makin also provides personalised business coaching, business mentoring and stress management services to business owners, directors, managers and professionals.
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