Stress Management for Business Health

By COLLEEN DEBAISE

Adapted from THE WALL STREET JOURNAL COMPLETE SMALL BUSINESS GUIDEBOOK (Three Rivers Press).

Running a business isn't easy. Work-related pressure can lead to a host of stress-induced problems: headaches, sleepless nights, irritability, weight gain and lost productivity, among others.

Business owners often cite the following as their most common sources of stress:

• Excessive workloads

• Concerns about making enough money

• Fears (when employees are involved) about making payroll

• Underperforming when it comes to meeting customers' expectations

• Feeling increased pressure to succeed when many things (such as personal savings, a corporate career and time away from family) have been sacrificed

The statistics on survival only underscore the stress placed on small business owners. About one-third of new businesses don't make it past two years, and almost 60 percent fold within four years, according to the Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy. Causes of failure range from lack of capital to inexperience.

Give Yourself Direction

It's clear from numerous interviews of entrepreneurs that the best method of combating business-related stress is to plan. Entrepreneurs who haven't updated or assembled their business plan (for more on business plans, click here) can feel directionless, inefficient and overwhelmed— all of which contribute to stress. Writing out even a simple plan can prevent overload while also providing a viable road map to success.

How to Manage Stress When You're the Boss

Too many business owners make the mistake of working in the business and not on it. While it's easy to get caught up in the daily grind, you'll ultimately reduce your stress by taking a step back to focus on your business in the long-term scheme of things. Essentially, you want to anticipate everything that might happen, and everything that's in your control to make happen. The best time to do that is often during quiet periods, or, as some business owners prefer, on a mini-retreat away from the office. During this time, your goal is to take a look at how the business has been performing— what's worked, what hasn't— and to come up with a plan for the year ahead. If you need more clients, target specific areas where you think you can drum up business. Come up with a marketing plan. Develop a budget by figuring out how much you need to set aside for quarterly tax payments, capital expenditures, your retirement plan, employee salaries and other areas. All of this advance planning will allow you to spend less time putting out fires and more time meeting the business goals you've outlined. As a result, you will feel more in control and less vulnerable to stress.

Reduce Your Risk for Chronic Disease

The recent economic meltdown demonstrates the tragic results of ignoring the fundamentals for a good economy. In a similar revelation, Americans are discovering that ignoring the fundamentals of good health leads to serious disease and even death.

The Study

The good news is that getting back to basics can significantly drop your risk for chronic disease. You’ve heard it before – don’t smoke, lose weight, exercise, and maintain a good diet. The payoff, however, is huge. According to a recent study, people who followed all four of the basics lowered their risk for diabetes, heart attacks, strokes and cancer by 78%.

Dr. Earl Ford, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and his colleagues, completed a study of more than 23,000 middle-aged people who never smoked, were not obese, exercised at least 3 ½ hours per week, and adhered to a healthy diet of a high intake of fruits, vegetables and whole grains with low meat consumption.

Eight years later, as reported in the August 10/24, 2009 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, people with all four healthy lifestyle factors showed a 93% decreased risk for diabetes, 81% for heart attacks, 50% for strokes and 36% for cancer.

Finding Support

Most of us understand that these good habits make sense but why does it seem so few of us even try? Perhaps we ignore the basics in the hope that the American medical system will bail us out. The total annual economic cost for diabetes alone is an estimated $174 billion. While the American healthcare system has made great strides in treating complications of these diseases through kidney transplants, heart bypass surgeries and new chemotherapy, recent data shows a better alternative. Prevention by following the basic health principles will be more effective than treating the complications.

So what are we Americans to do? Isn't it time to confront the fact that although it won’t be easy, can we really afford to put off adopting the good habits people in our culture used to have?

Google “lose weight” and you receive over 47.2 million results. In a very telling statistic, “keeping weight off” delivers an astounding 92.2 million results. It is clear; we are not getting to the root of the problem. Fortunately, we now have knowledge that looks at the gaps between healthy and destructive habits. Techniques such as motivational interviewing help reclaim good habits by identifying what’s important to you and determining how ready you are for change.

The gap between knowing what to do and “doing” presents the greatest challenge. Few of us care for someone prescribing a change in our behavior. Through motivational interviewing and other techniques, you explore what fuels your ambivalence toward change. Whether you choose support through your doctor, structured programs or online resources, success can only happen when you are an active participant in the process. You have the answers, but getting help making them happen could be the one thing that jumpstarts your new healthier long-term life.

Taking the First Step

Don’t try to tackle everything at once. If you have high cholesterol and smoke, focus on changing one thing first. The challenge of a single step is far less daunting then the completion of a triathlon of steps. You will find that small victories motivate you to stay in it for the long haul. Isn’t it time for you to take that first step? Do you not owe it to yourself to make the effort get back to basics?

Jim Dudl, MD is the head of Diabetes for Kaiser Permanente and the Chief Wellness Officer at La Joya Perfecta, Costa Rica’s premier affordable wellness center. Dr. Dudl is also an advisor to the US Government on preventative medicine for its 2009 $500 billion budget.

Source reference:

Ford ES, et al "Healthy living is the best revenge: Findings from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition -- Potsdam Study" Arch Intern Med 2009; 169(15): 1355-62.

American Diabetes Association, “Diabetes Statistics,” available at http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-statistics.jsp, accessed October 1, 2009

Sleep Tips for Youthing

We found this article useful for minor sleep problems that we all have from time to time. Just some simple and easy things to do to get better sleep. However it does not specifically address the issue of sleep problems that are associated with aging (or anti aging) or how sleep is critical for youthing and vitality. It was written by Milos Pesic.

Healthy Lifestyle

Finally two new studies affirm the value of a Healthy Lifestyle

I got really excited with this headline supporting the anti aging perspective for Youthing Essentials.

Two new studies show all that heart-healthy advice about eating the right foods, exercising and losing weight pay off in real life for both men and women.
Why am I excited? Because the bottom line says that:

Do the right things, and you get measurable benefits.

The reports, both originating at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and published in the July 22/29 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, focused on different aspects of cardiovascular risk in two large groups: the 83,882 women in the second Nurses' Health Study, and the 20,900 men in the Physicians' Health Study I.

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Harriet Diamond, Founder

When a colleague misses a business meeting due to a health issue, it continually reminds me that good health is a business tool essential to high performance in the professional world.

That’s why I started Youthing Essentials – a company serving as a single, trusted source for guidance and products that really work to boost business women’s’ performance.

Although you may have put your health on the back burner because your business comes first, now you can feel confident that your health strategy is taken care of -- with Youthing Essentials. This is your path to good health.

I wish I had such a resource earlier in my career. I know first-hand how long hours, less regular nutrition, travel, and lack of exercise affect one’s ability to be the best. I was Co-founder at Silicon Valley Chapter of National Assn. of Corporate Directors, Vice President of Investor Relations at VentureSurf, President at International Angel Investors, President at American Seminar Leaders Association, Co-founder and Vice President at Market Power Computer Innovations… and before that I had a nutritionist career, managing health food stores on the East and West Coast. Never ending responsibility! And add to that my family’s needs.

Here at Youthing Essentials you can zero in on the best Essentials for you. I have put all the items we offer through a 10-step selection process, or what I call “doing due diligence.” I evaluate the source of each ingredient in each product, the viability and integrity of the vendor, the experience I have using a product as recommended, the cost, and six other factors.

Together let’s embrace the natural progression called ‘aging’, and be in the mindset of ‘youthing’ to perform at the optimal level!

I invite you to learn more in our blogs and subscribe to receive monthly updates of the latest scientific information. Need help or have a question? Please contact us at 888.802.1980. The bottom line for me: I am here for you!

Thanks again for visiting Youthing Essentials.

Harriet