When you own your own small business, sometimes it consumes all your time and energy. Speaking from experience it can be difficult to step back and say, I need some time away, I need to take some time for myself, or my family.
If you don’t take time out for yourself, you’re setting yourself up for stress and burnout. Taking time out for yourself can actually make you a more effective business owner. Sometimes taking a step back can help you think things through without all the pressure of the moment.

How can you take time out for yourself and relax? It’s …read more

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An article from Scientific American got my attention today, especially since I found myself sick several times last month. The article, entitled “The Danger of Stress”, revealed studies showing how long-term stress can be harmful to the body.
It might seem counterintuitive, but… stress makes our immune systems less effective because it actually elicits an immune response itself. [It] causes the body to release pro-inflammatory cytokines, immune factors that initiate responses against infections. When the body produces these cytokines over long periods of time—for instance, as a result of chronic stress—all sorts of bad things can happen. Not only …read more

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Let me be honest: I slept for the most part of the day.  True, it was because I was feeling ill, but after a good day of sleep, I have to say that I feel more capable to tackle the work I have to do. I seem more focused and less likely to give in to distractions.
What are the benefits of sleeping, exactly?  If we think clocking in some overtime work and burning the midnight oil will do wonders for our careers, we might be in for a surprise if we find out that it might be doing the opposite.
A …read more

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In most industrial cultures, when a parent asks their child what they want to study in college, their desired field of study is measured against money.  Say “I want to study Fine Arts!” and your parent tells you to take up architecture instead.  Say “I want to become a novelist!” and people say it’s wiser to study journalism.  They say this as if journalists and architects are all about making money, and as if artists are always starving.
Is there really a dichotomy of doing what you love vs. working for money?
I don’t think so.  I think we are raised to …read more