Have you ever noticed that many of the most successful business leaders are also health and fitness fanatics? Unless you are living under a rock you probably already know that eating your broccoli and working out will give you more energy and focus – and ultimately allow you to work more productively.

In fact, this morning I feel like a living example of what not to do. I’ve been on vacation for 6 days – visiting family and, well… eating. We had pizza 3 times, and pecan pie with whipped cream (a treat normally reserved for Thanksgiving only). I scarfed down tortilla chips and home made white chocolate & cranberry cookies and red wine and margaritas. Worse still – I broke my toe last week and had to give up my daily morning workouts. So I have been sitting. And I have been eating. Sitting and eating. You would not believe how bad and sluggish I feel today!

As a Virtual Assistant it can be easy to get caught up in work (two weeks ago I actually missed breakfast AND lunch without even noticing!) and ignore our health. But it’s super-important to remember that a healthy body equals a healthy business. Most of us are either working alone or in charge of a small team – either way – we need to be in tip-top shape to run the show. Here are a few tips to make sure you’re running your biz in peak condition:

• Walk. Even the most un-athletic person on the planet can walk. Don’t feel like you have to do a hard-core video or run a marathon to be healthy. A daily walk might be just the thing to keep you in shape.
• Calender Management is key. If there is one thing Virtual Assistants are really good at, it has to be sticking to the calender. If you schedule your workout right in there in black and white – you will be far more likely to stick to it.
• Get your ZZZZZ’s. Sleep is so key in this business and I for one have had a hard time learning how to do this. How often do you go to bed and dream about the project you’ve been working on all day? Or worse – toss and turn thinking about solutions to your clients business needs. For me – I have to force myself not to work at night. I need at least an hour or two to unwind, read before bed and take my mind off of business.
• De-stress. It’s easy to get worn out in the V.A. business. Sometimes every job seems to have ‘rush’ stamped on it – or a huge load of tasks seem to all come in at once. You have to take time to unwind from the craziness. However you choose to do it (meditation, a pedicure, yoga, massage, cocktails with your girlfriends, etc) you need to make time to pamper yourself.
• Eat your broccoli. We all know how to eat healthy…but knowing it is not enough. You have to do it too.
• Take a break. One of the great things about this business is that you control your time. Take breaks when you need to throughout the day. Take vacations, or take Friday off. Sometimes a little down-time is the perfect prescription for getting more productive later.

So as my vacation is winding down – I am also going to get back to my regular routine. See you in the produce aisle!

Got tips for keeping healthy? I would LOVE to hear them! Please share in the comments and have a fantastic week.