It’s not news to any of us that life can be a bit much sometimes. What with long work hours, trying to stay fit and healthy, spending time with family, socialising, and trying to fit in ongoing learning and professional development – it can be difficult to fit it all in. (If you have kids on top of that – heck! We applaud you.)
Working too hard is an unfortunate but common issue in our current society. We’re all exhausted, and can easily fall into the nasty habit of letting work take precedence over our health. It can be a cycle that is very easy to fall into and hard to get out of.
But we’re here today to tell you to stop working too hard, and to take care of yourself. Believe us – you need to hear it!
Roland Youakim, Director of Platinum People Group, shares some of his advice for taking care of yourself.
Work hard, rest harder
I was recently chatting with a friend about all my personal health activities.
I do a lot of self-care, but I also work a lot. I find being in good health both physically and mentally is what allows me to fit so much in and be so productive.
My health routine involves:
- Personal training
- Float treatments
- Regular massages
- Eating well
- Sleeping well
- Meditating
After hearing all this, my friend went on to comment, ‘isn’t it amazing how much you look after yourself when you’re self-employed?’
And she’s right. You need to! As a business owner, I don’t get paid for sick days. And there’s no one to do my job for me if I’m not around. So being at the peak of my health is a worthy investment that means I can achieve more, avoid getting run down, and feel great.
It’s a no-brainer really.
Take care of yourself, so you can take care of others
If there’s one key message that you take away from reading this today, it’s this:
Work hard, go above and beyond for your customers, meet your targets, secure your bonuses – but don’t neglect to look after yourself.
If you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of other things. You’re not exactly helping your clients if you keep getting unwell. And you’re not doing the best thing for your family if you’re so stressed and run down that you can’t be there for them.
Now, your routine may not involve what mine does, but I encourage you to find what makes you feel great. It may be spending weekends with your family, or making time for your hobbies like surfing, or playing golf, or reading. It should probably include some exercise and healthy foods (that’s a given). Whatever it is that leaves you feeling fresh and revived, make time for it. Trust me, you’ll work more productively and achieve a lot more by taking time for you than if you simply work too hard.
