To Your Health
Is your business killing you? How to break your bad habits and pick up better ones.
It's safe to assume that you're pretty fond of your
business. It's the salt on your pretzel, the sand on your
beach, the water in your garden. It's what makes you tick. It
ought to make you tick; after all, you've likely thrown
yourself into it, body and soul, just for the wonderful feeling of
being an entrepreneur and growing something from a mere seedling
into a strong, healthy plant. What you might not realize is while
your plant is busy getting strong and healthy, it could be killing
you.
"Entrepreneurs are at a very high risk of compromising
their health because of their jobs," says Gayle Reichler,
founder and president of New York city wellness firm Active
Wellness. "A lot of us feel we're invincible; we work long
hours and feel it, but we keep driving and driving, and pushing and
pushing. But it's critical for entrepreneurs to work [wellness]
into their routines."
Reichler ought to know. As she pursued her graduate studies and
prepared to become a nutritionist and health counselor, she spent
years ignoring the effects of stress on her immune system, as well
as her family history of thyroid and heart diseases. So when
Reichler was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 1991, it was like a
cold slap in the face.
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But Reichler saw her illness as an opportunity to better
herself. Now the healthy, happy 35-year-old has made wellness part
of her life, not just a fleeting fancy. You, too, can create a
healthy lifestyle for yourself, provided you have the will and the
knowledge to make it happen. So let's get you started. Are you
intrigues? Psyched? Good. You've taken your first steps toward
getting well. Now get out your highlighter.