HERE ARE SOME OF OUR HABITS AND ROUTINES THAT MAKE OUR DAILY GRIND A LITTLE MORE DREAMY:
• SET UP TWO LUNCH DATES A MONTH WITH FRIENDS
• DO YOGA EVERY WEEK DURING BUSINESS HOURS
• STOCK UP ON SALADS AND PREP YOUR MEALS FOR THE WEEK
• START THE DAY WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE IT
• TAKE A DAILY WALK
• HAVE A GREEN SMOOTHIE
• WORK FROM A COFFEE SHOP, YOUR KITCHEN TABLE, OR BY A POOL
• MAKE SURE YOU HAVE NON-WORK-RELATED CONVERSATIONS DAILY
Health coach and acupuncturist Amy Kuretsky is our good friend and go-to boss when we have questions about taking care of our bodies, minds, and spirits.
BEING BOSS: What’s the difference between self-care and health care?
AMY KURETSKY: Self-care treats more than just the body—it’s purposeful and preventable care of the whole self: mind, body, and spirit.
Health care is what keeps you alive, but self-care is what allows you to really live. I know that sounds like a big, crazy statement, but I honestly find it true for myself and many of my clients.
You could go through the motions of your health care every day (things like brushing your teeth, taking your vitamins, eating nutritious food, moving your body, and getting adequate sleep) and still feel like something is lacking. It’s only when you incorporate elements of self-care (things like spending time in nature, quieting your mind through meditation, and incorporating elements of fun into your day) that you feel inspired to create the type of business and life you want.
BB: How does taking care of your health fuel your hustle?
AK: One of the most obvious ways I see it manifesting is through my inputs and outputs. When I consume a bunch of crap (things like junk food, too much social media, and negative news reports), my motivation and creativity totally tank and the content I create suffers as a result.
But when I consume foods, words, and ideas that vibrate at a higher frequency (things like fresh and nutritious food, positive support from friends, books on expanding my awareness), I literally start to vibe higher, and I’m able to create some of my best content—the type of content that resonates with and attracts my dreamiest clients.
I also see the connection on a quieter level, too. Like many of my clients, I have a lot of voices in my head telling me what I should and shouldn’t do. There’s the voice of my inner critic, the voices of expert authors and podcast hosts, the voices of successful bosses I look up to. The list is endless, but somewhere in that sea of voices lies my voice. It can be hard to hear my voice sometimes, but when I commit to a daily mindfulness practice, I’m more able to quiet down the noise and tune into my own voice more clearly. Tapping into that voice—my intuition—empowers me to run my business in a way that’s aligned with my truth and ends up attracting more of my dream clients, mentors, and collaborators.
And lastly, when I wake up early to work out in the morning (like 6 a.m.), I’m ten times more productive. I can’t really even explain why—it’s just a thing that always happens and I’m more than happy to go with it.
BB: What do you tell a creative entrepreneur when things like time and money feel like barriers to proper health care?
AK: If your barrier is time and your business is based upon your creativity, then you can’t afford not to make time for self-care. Think about the last time you came up with a really big idea. I bet that it didn’t happen during your scheduled work hours with your eyes glued to your laptop. You probably struck gold while going for a walk, taking a shower, or after a nice long nap. Our brains don’t like feeling like caged animals—they are at their most creative when we let them out to play!
If your barrier is money, know that self-care doesn’t have to look like weekly appointments with the acupuncturist or week-long trips to a spa. Self-care can be as simple and cheap as crafting a morning routine that makes you feel inspired, cared for, and energized. The only thing holding you back from creating a self-care routine within your budget is your own beliefs around what self-care is supposed to look like.
BB: What kinds of non-negotiable health-care routines would you recommend to a creative entrepreneur?
AK: Don’t trade sleep for work. Ever. I get that sometimes you feel that you need to pull an all-nighter in order to get work done in time, but starting down that path is a slippery slope. Sleep is a necessary break for our body to do much-needed cleanup work. It’s during this time that our brains are able to form new connections and pathways, as well as get rid of old data. This deep clean helps us solidify any new learning and makes the much-needed space for new creative thoughts to arise.
The other non-negotiable routine is to move your body daily. If you tend to be exercise-adverse, please note that I’m not talking about regular marathon training or high-intensity workouts (though, if that’s your thing, do it!)—I’m talking about any activity that gets you up and moving a couple times a day. It could be a simple walk around the neighborhood with your dog, a couple minutes of stretching first thing in the morning, or even a short cleaning session to tidy up your home or office at the end of your workday. When we move our bodies, we move our energy. And the number one way to keep your creativity flowing and avoid feeling “stuck” in your creative work is to keep your energy flowing in your body by moving your body.
Amy Kuretsky is a health coach and acupuncturist working in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and at www.amykuretsky.com. Her passion is helping creative entrepreneurs become their healthiest selves without sacrificing their love of the hustle in the process. She wholeheartedly believes that only one person knows what’s best for you (that’s you!), and her work as a coach is all about helping you better tap into that inner wisdom and find your own unique brand of work-life balance.