November 1, 2016

Looking After Yourself

It’s a quick post on stuff that helps to keep sanity and also look after yourself.

Bootstrapping your business if a brutal roller coaster, with burnouts, depressions and mood swings. However, recently more and more people start to talk more openly about it.

This blog post is a summary based on personal experience on what to do to keep sanity and be in a good health.

I hope someone starting a business can find it useful. I’d love to have such list a few years back, but not sure I’d follow it as some stuff comes with experience only.

Meditation

Yes, it’s the first thing on the list. I wish I started to meditate regularly sooner. You can find a lot of research on this topic - it’s super helpful.

Some stress is useful for you, but if you are starting your business chances are you are in the constant stress which can be harmful. Meditation helps you to switch off this state and focus on what’s happening right that moment.

It’s really easy and you can do it any time of the day. My advice on how to get started - subscribe to Calm and go through 7 days of Calm - it even should be on the free plan. They have a lot of meditation plans which you can follow.

Avoiding loneliness

I’m not suggesting you start being around people all the time. I’m talking about a loneliness that you feel even when you are in a company of friends / colleagues / etc. You can google it, loneliness is a known health risk.

I was lucky to meet Julia (now my wife) a few years ago. Despite being in long distance relationships we share more stuff with each other than couples that live together.

Stop smoking

If you smoke, just stop. No cigarettes, no shisha, no e-cigarettes, no vape. Just stop. It’s hard, and it took me more than 5 years to quit, but still it’s worth it. In the end, I just decided to stop and stopped.

No smart techniques or patches etc. The first week or two were really brutal - you just stand and start walking in the circle thinking that you want to smoke, but eventually it will go away.

Once you quit - don’t start, it’s not worth it. Plus it helps that a pack of cigarettes cost £10.

Excercise

Whatever you fancy. Running, biking, rowing, or just working out in a gym. Just do it.

Nutrition

Chances are you fuel yourself with ramen noodles, cheap takeaways from nearby. Gut bacteria is important - eat bio yoghurts or more salad. The salad is good for you as it helps your digestive system.

Cut on sugar. Seriously, check labels - most of the food you eat has tonnes of sugar.