Not long ago, I encountered a situation that had my stress levels higher than they had ever been before. I had to come up with solutions to a problem and I had to do it quickly. An added problem was that I trained my brain to crave sugar whenever I became stressed. Sugar provided me with instant, yet temporary gratification. When I ate it, I’d get a surge of endorphins, which provided me with an unsustainable energy to get this done.

The bigger problem with my method of dealing with stress was revealed when the problem wasn’t resolved over night, the next week or the next month. The stress didn’t go away and neither did my sugar consumption. As the months passed, the stress increased and so did my sugar intake. By the end of the third month, I was feeling sluggish and sick. My digestive system wasn’t working properly. I wasn’t sleeping well and I nearly lost all motivation.

This sugar solution proved to be counterintuitive since instead of giving me a boost to get things done, it was taking away the little motivation that I had. I knew I had to make some changes soon or I’d end up a diabetic. The craziest thing is that I knew how to fix the problem, but the wrong thing was just easier. Because the wrong thing was easier, and I was already stressed, I went with it.

My change came on the weekend of Father’s Day. I decided that enough was enough. I needed to be healthy and my family needed me to be healthy. I wanted to be able to run and play with my daughter in the park and this path was not going to get me there. I was ready to make a change.

From what I’d learned from a neurologist, I knew that I couldn’t erase the bad habit I’d created; however, I could overwrite them with good habits. That’s why I started the 60-Day Challenge. I decided to exercise every day for sixty days straight. It wasn’t an easy task, but my determination did not fail me. By the end of the sixty days, I felt like a new man. My motivation had returned and my health was improving. Working out was the right solution. It not only improved my health, it reduced my stress levels as well. Today I continue with a minimum five day a week exercise schedule.

Stress is meant to be a defense mechanism. It gives us energy for immediate and emergency response such has avoiding a car accident or other dangerous situations. The body isn’t designed to deal with prolonged stress. Stress that continues for a long period of time will wreak havoc on our immune system. And if we’re doing things like eating bad food to cope with it, we’ll only make matters worse.

As a business owner, you must build a concept, a brand, an audience and everything in between. In the startup stages, you are often the chief cook and bottle washer. That’s usually what brings about a rise in stress levels. There always seems to be something to do. Being able to manage your stress during these times is crucial. Go for walks at lunch. Hike on the weekends. Go out and dance. Do something you enjoy, but whatever it is, make sure that it gets your heart pumping for at least thirty minutes.

Your body will thank you for it. In fact, your body will pay dividends. For each hour of energy you spend exercising, your body will reward your with multiple hours of energy in return. A happier and healthier life awaits you. Go out and take it.

Eric L. Lipsey
www.TheLink.biz