According to the World Health Organization, long working hours have been killing 745,000 people a year. In an era wherein work has become more fast-paced and demanding, the reality of overtime can feel inescapable.
Entrepreneurs are particularly vulnerable to this. When you’re running your own business, for example, you’re not following a fixed office schedule. It can become difficult to achieve work-life balance when your business is your life.
If this sounds familiar, then you need to start correcting this. It might not be a change that can happen overnight, but you can certainly take the first steps today.
Apart from reassessing your schedule and setting boundaries, you will, of course, need to take care of your physical health. That starts with eating right and supplementing your diet with the vitamins and minerals you need to feed your body and entrepreneurial spirit.
B-complex
There’s nothing complex about taking your B-vitamins. Just take the tablet and go on your way.
B-complex tablets are a combination of different B-vitamins. Each B-vitamin has a different purpose or benefit. B1 and B2, for example, are great for energy, while B12 is well-known for its benefits on neurological function. B3, B6, B7, and B9 are good for different forms of metabolism.
Everyone can benefit from taking B-complex vitamins, but there are members of the population for which it is particularly essential. For those who are pregnant, B12 and folate (B9) are essential for fetal development. As we age, we also develop a decrease in B12 absorption. Because B12 is found in many meat and dairy products, vegans and vegetarians are particularly at risk for B12 deficiency. Taking B12 through B-complex supplements is extra important for them.
Vitamin C
You may not be a ship captain having to deal with scurvy hitting your crew, but vitamin C deficiency can still affect your business.
Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is an antioxidant with many health benefits. You can find fruits, but you can also take them through supplements.
We are all familiar with how it boosts our immunity, but vitamin c is also vital for other things. It protects our cells from damage, helps produce collagen, and improves our body’s iron absorption. Speaking of iron…
Iron
As an entrepreneur, you sometimes need balls of steel to take the right risks for your business. Another thing you need is iron, a mineral that helps our bodily functions in many ways.
For one thing, iron helps our bodies distribute and utilize oxygen. So the next time you breathe in and out to relax after a particularly stressful moment at work, spare a moment to thank the iron in your blood. And to make sure you have just enough, take some pills to keep the iron flowing through your veins.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D has been one of the big stars of the COVID-19 pandemic, gaining popularity as it was alleged to be essential in fighting or preventing the virus. While there has been no sufficient data to prove this, vitamin D nonetheless has many great and proven benefits for our bones, nerves, and immune system.
Our bodies produce vitamin D when exposed to the sun, but when you’re working in an office, you’re probably not getting enough sun exposure. It’s best to take vitamin D supplements to ensure that you’re getting enough for your body.
Zinc
It may be last in the alphabet, but zinc is definitely not the least. It’s required for many bodily processes like DNA and protein syntheses, growth and nofollow development, and immune functions. The tricky bit is that, even though it is such an essential mineral, our bodies neither produce nor store zinc. It is for this reason that we need to take zinc supplements or zinc-rich foods regularly.
Giving our bodies the right amount of vitamins and minerals is just the first step in looking after our health, which is just one aspect of maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Apart from this, you need to assess your schedule, workload, and living conditions.
It seems ironic, but taking care of ourselves can sometimes feel like hard work. We don’t need any of that additional stress. That’s why, when embarking on any big life change, treat yourself with some compassion and cut yourself some slack.
When it comes to vitamins and minerals, think of them as your body’s ABCs–the foundations of a healthy life. There is so much more that comes into play, but it’s important to have the basics down pat.