Many of us blog for a considerable part of our income or use our blogs to supplement our freelance careers as writers, food photographers, recipe developers... the list goes on. Working for ourselves has many pitfalls including trying to keep some balance and stay healthy. Today, Meghan Telpner, the founder of the Academy of Culinary Nutrition gives us 5 tips to ensure a healthy body and a healthy business!
Editor's Note: This post contains affiliate links. See full disclosure below.
Is Running Your Own Business Bad For Your Health?
I've been running my own business for over six years. It was first mainly a blog (Making Love In The Kitchen) and I later merged it with the rest of my nutrition and lifestyle biz. In the time since I started, the world of self-run operations has changed dramatically. Facebook landed in the mainstream, as did Twitter. Commenting virtually disappeared from most blogs and the world became more connected, sometimes making it more of a challenge to disconnect when we need to - especially when it’s from something you love so much.
Having a business you love with a community that supports it offers you a sense purpose and makes you feel like you are making a difference. This sense of fulfillment is a huge contributing factor to total health. The challenge is that too many people allow it do the opposite.
When our blog is our business and our job is to create beautiful, nourishing, inspiring goodness and perhaps a side of education and entertainment, we need to be at our best to give our best. To do this, we need to maintain our own health first and foremost in order to ensure the health of what we create and put out into the world.
5 Tips to Ensure A Healthy Body and A Healthy Biz
1. Set Your Limits
Dream big. Really, really big. In all things. Then decide what you are willing and not willing to do to make that happen and stick to it. Are you not willing to work past 6:00pm? Don’t. Are you determined to take one full weekend off a month? Do it. Are you willing to endorse this company because you love them and their values work with your values? Do it. Are you not willing to endorse that product, despite the moolah because they offend your values? Stick to it. Your reputation, sanity and breathing space depend on it- and so does your health!
2. Take A Break
Make it a priority every day, every week, every month and for a good chunk of time every year to completely disconnect. You must give yourself space to maintain your sanity or none of the joys that we all associate with rocking your own dreams in real life will happen. A proper lunch break also falls into this category. Take time everyday to get nourished!
3. Drink
No- I am not talking about taking to the bottle. I'm talking about taking care of the little things you need to take care of everyday. It’s easy to get caught up in the task and the deadline as it typically rests solely on your shoulders. That makes it extra important that you make it a point to stay well hydrated, and well fed throughout your workday. What your brain produces will only be as powerful was what you use to fuel it.
4. Make Friends
These friends don’t have to work beside you, or even in the same industry. These friends are other people also rocking out their own life dreams, who understand why you can’t be out late on a Saturday night (with a deadline looming), and why you want to eat the best food ever (see point 3 above). These will be people who have similar interests as you, force you to make social commitments that promote networking outside your field and give you that fun you need for balance.
5. Don’t Quit.
Don’t mortgage your house and all you own to keep on with something that isn’t working - but don’t give up easily either. This goes for professional success and health success. The best results always come with consistency and commitment- that goes for healing the body, and creating a successful career you love. You can do it. I said so.
I have been doing this for nearly five years. I have had many sleepless nights. Made many, many, many, costly mistakes. I have worked 20-hour days. I have learned to say YES! And mean it. And I had to learn how to say NO, and be okay with that too.
Running your own business is really flipping hard, and at the same time, truly the greatest thing in the whole wide world and I wouldn’t trade it for anything! I can’t say I loved every minute - but the bits that I didn’t love, I definitely learned from and I am healthier for the whole experience.
What is your best tip for keeping healthy when other stuff seems determined to get in your way? Let us know in the comments - we'd love to hear your thoughts!
Disclosure
This article contains affiliate links — we earn a small commission if you purchase through them. That helps us keep this site ship shape and useful!
More Reading
You can read more of Meghan's writing here on FBC!
- A Behind the Scenes Look At Making a Cookbook
- The Power of Affiliate Marketing On Your Blog
- Featured FBC Member Meghan Telpher
- 5 Key Strategies to Take Blog to the Next Level
Find out more about Meghan's Academy of Culinary Nutrition
Toronto-based author and nutritionist Meghan Telpner brings her healthy and awesome life inspiration to fans across the globe. As founder of the Academy of Culinary Nutrition and author of the bestselling UnDiet: Eat You Way to Vibrant Health and The UnDiet Cookbook, she is fast creating a revolution in health and well-being. Inspiration is waiting at MeghanTelpner.com and follow her daily #UndietLife adventures on Instagram @meghantelpner.
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Meghan Telpner and her Culinary Nutrition Academy not only gave me the skills and knowledge I needed to start my own business but the confidence too. The biggest take away for me was yes, it was going to take a lot of work and effort but if your not nourishing your body and soul properly then it will make the process miserable for you and those around you. I love how she walks the talk and that is a key ingredient to having a successful business. You have to be credible. Megan’s simple strategies make running a business fun.
As someone starting a business I find these tips so helpful (and inspiring). Focus is my biggest downfall but knowing that is the first step toward overcoming it. Meghan’s tips will help to keep my focus on the most important things as I build my business.
Great advise from Meghan Telpner as always. I love the way she brings complex information into simple focus with easy to execute tips. It is a great reminder about why we take that crazy leap into the world of the self sufficiency of running your own enterprise. My best tip is to remember to breathe. Sometimes I get so caught up in my head I am not checking in with the rest of my body and don’t take those wonderful long meditative breaths.
I’m trying to set those limits right now, new to working at home full time. It’s so exciting to be able to but also taxing for sure.
As a recent graduate of Meghan’s Culinary Nutrition program, I can vouch for her focus on balance – being really committed to and passionate about your work (which doesn’t feel like work the way she talks about and presents it!) AND making your relationships, rejuvenation time and FUN priorities as well. I’m looking forward to her Awesome Life Detox and know I will continue to learn from and be inspired by her message and approach!!
Fitness is one of the best investment in self. These tips are helpful and inspiring.