Remote work created more freedom but it also broke down natural boundaries.
Remote entrepreneurs already knew that problem.
Without a clear structure, there’s no work-life balance.
The lack of clear barriers between work & life holds hidden risks:
Stress and inflammation.
Remote work can drastically improve work satisfaction. But researchers have found that people also feel too “socially isolated, guilty and trying to overcompensate” 1.
According to a UK survey, “80% of Brits feel working from home has had a negative impact on their mental health”.
And 36% of home workers feel they always have to be at the computer to respond quickly. This leads to increased stress and anxiety.
Self-care is highly underrated
While this is a study on employees, as an entrepreneur, you often work whenever and wherever you need or want to.
Unless you are very disciplined you don’t set clear boundaries to prioritize your well-being.
You know you should, but never “find” time.
You procrastinate your self-care.
This comes at a cost.
Eating better, exercising, or simply finding a bit of “me-time” is often neglected.
Especially if you are in a high-pressure phase of starting up or scaling your business.
As a solopreneur, you are overwhelmed by all the hats you need to wear.
If this is you, keep on reading.
Stress and inflammation
There is one important aspect linked to stress that we often neglect: inflammation.
Science-backed studies have demonstrated that continuous stress creates more inflammation or worsens any “dormant” inflammation that already smolders in your body.
Prolonged stress often causes:
• neurodegenerative diseases
• cardiovascular diseases
• depression
• cancer
The good (and bad) news is that inflammation is highly impacted by lifestyle factors.
That’s exactly where you have big leverage!
You can change that.
6 simple lifestyle hacks you can start today
“But Ketty, what can I do to lower my inflammation level, before I develop a disease?”
As said before inflammation is highly affected by your lifestyle.
To lower your inflammation level, reduce your stress level.
Finding balance in your daily life is key here.
We reduce our stress levels through a balanced lifestyle.
Here are our top 6 lifestyle hacks to reduce stress and inflammation:
1) Win your morning, win your day
This simply means, how you start your day will affect your stress level and energy for the rest of the day. Start your day calm, clear, and powerful.
Weak up an hour earlier and
• move your body
• eat a healthy nutrient-dense breakfast
• and do some kind of introspective work
If you don’t know where to start, here’s our morning routine.
2) Take regular breaks
Through rest and reset your body and mind get a fresh start.
After 60 – 90 min. concentrated work, you need a break to declutter and re-focus.
This gives your brain time to reorganize information and make new connections.
- Set up working/break blocks in your calendar [ideally 10 – 15 min. breaks]
- Get up, move, take deep conscious breaths
- Disconnect, and do something non-work related
You’ll notice how this tiny habit also increases your energy and performance.
3) Eat anti-inflammatory foods
According to recent studies2, the inflammatory dietary pattern is high in
• sugar-sweetened soft drinks
• diet soft drinks
• refined grains
• margarine
• red meat
I highly recommend avoiding those!
Research suggests integrating more anti-inflammatory foods, such as:
• oats
• berries
• nuts and seeds
• green leafy veggies
• fatty fish
• EVO oil
The natural antioxidants and polyphenols, together with the healthy fats contained in the above are wonderful anti-inflammation agents.
4) Mindful practices
Recent research3 shows that mindfulness has the power to reduce inflammation.
Chronic stress and its consequences on your hormones are the breeding ground for inflammation.
This can cause heart disease, arthritis, cancer, and other autoimmune diseases.
If you haven’t tried meditation yet, maybe it’s the right time to start your practice.
Alternatively, look for activities that put you in a state of flow.
13 min. of daily meditation4 already has tremendous benefits.
5) Social life
According to a study published in the “Annals of Behavioral Medicine”, if you discuss your worries, and difficult times with a friend, you have a lower heart rate and blood pressure.
Many of us have reflected on and suffered from the lack of social contacts during the pandemic.
Now back to “normal busy life”, we sometimes forget how important belonging to a community is.
Plan enough time for your social life.
6) Slow deep breathing
Slow deep breathing is a magic bullet for stress and inflammation.
By training and controlling your breath you can hack your autonomous nervous system.
Through slow deep breathing, you calm your mind and reduce your cortisol level.
Here’s a simple protocol to progressively train your breathing pattern and reap the benefits of better sleep.
1/ Design your morning, so that you win the day
2/ Take regular breaks to refresh your body and declutter your mind
3/ Eat anti-inflammatory foods and avoid sugar, processed food, and red meat
4/ Practice mindfulness and meditation to reduce stress
5/ Participate and contribute to a community of like-minded individuals
6/ Train your breathing for efficiency and better sleep
I hope those 6 simple lifestyle hacks help you to fight stress and inflammation.
PLUS: Whenever you’re ready… Here is one way we can help you optimize your energy and become stronger.
1. Work with us One-on-One
If you’re an entrepreneur or solopreneur & would like to work directly with us to level up your performance in a sustainable way… Click here to get started.
- Foods that fight inflammation by Harvard Medical Publishing
- Mindfulness training and systemic low-grade inflammation by Massimiliano Ruscica
- “Brief, daily meditation enhances attention, memory, mood, and emotional regulation in non-experienced meditators“ by Julia C.Basso et al.
“The Extra Byte”
“To experience peace does not mean that your life is always blissful. It means that you are capable of tapping into a blissful state of mind amidst the normal chaos of a hectic life.”
“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself but to your own estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.”
