How living a sustainable lifestyle can lead to success in a socially sustainable career

When you picture the most successful people in the world, who do you envision? Think about what qualities they have that you admire; what are they? A majority of successful people embody qualities such as charisma, knowledge, dedication, and good instincts. However, in order for these influential people to reach this level of success that we all strive for, leading a healthy and sustainable lifestyle can be a huge factor.

Take Oprah Winfrey for example, who meditates twice a day for 20 minutes at a time to re-center herself. Or Robert Igor, the CEO of Disney, who wakes up at 4:30am to exercise, clears his head, and reads before even starting his day. The list of admirable people who prioritize their health goes on and on.  

As someone who works hard in an organization that’s committed to helping others, it’s not uncommon for you to experience a drain in energy or even burnout. In order to find success in your career, you must first accomplish sustainability in your overall lifestyle. Here’s how:

1. Create A Daily Routine

Establishing a daily routine helps you prioritize tasks and keep track of your goals. As you build your daily routine, it’s crucial to dedicate time to simply focus on yourself and your needs. Refrain from checking your email and phone notifications first thing in the morning. Instead, take some time to wake up, be mindful with how you’re feeling, and envision what you’d like to accomplish that day. Incorporating moments of mindfulness will make a huge difference.

2. Prioritize Your Health

When life gets busy, you may begin to neglect your well-being, whether intentionally or not. You may start to put off doctor’s visits or force yourself through the workday even when you have a lousy cold. When you put your health on the backburner, you limit your full potential. If you don’t give your body what it’s asking for, it won’t give you what you’re asking for in return. 

Instead, start scheduling annual appointments in advance so you remain on top of your health. Additionally, it’s important to stay active as many ailments can arise due to remaining sedentary. Start by creating a gym routine that’s maintainable and gets you excited as this will help boost your immune system and relieve stress. Prioritizing your health isn’t as impossible as you may have originally thought.

3. Fuel Your Body

To ensure your body gets all of the nutrients it needs to properly function, you need to address your dieting habits. Eating meals that merely provide temporary satisfaction but not long-lasting energy may be the reason you feel so drained. Healthy foods like bananas, fish, sweet potatoes, eggs, oatmeal, oranges and the list of foods goes on, can give you a surge of vitamins for energy.

Although you may not realize it, certain beverages can comprise a large portion of your sugar and calorie intake. Beverages like juice, sports drinks, soda, flavored coffee drinks, and smoothies can all have negative effects on your health. Moving forward, try switching to healthier drink choices, such as water. Even if you’ve never been a fan of it, try fruit-infused water for extra flavor and hydration. Additionally, if you’re a coffee addict, consider transitioning to drinking coffee black, or at least reduce the amount of cream and sugar you add to your cup.

4. Take Breaks

Can you remember the last time you took an actual break at work? Eating at your desk doesn’t count, and not taking breaks can actually hinder productivity. When there doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day to accomplish everything you’d like to, taking a break may seem lazy or futile. However, taking breaks has been correlated to improved employee engagement, according to this article from Forbes.

Taking more frequent breaks can reenergize you, improve mental well-being, boost creativity, and even give you more time to make healthy habits. So, enjoy your lunch break. Make a coffee run during that mid-afternoon slump. Make more time for yourself throughout the day, and the success of your work will reflect it.

5. Quit Bad Habits

They say healthy habits are harder to form but easier to maintain, while bad habits are easier to form but harder to leave behind. Bad habits like smoking, skipping breakfast, or spending too much time on your phone can all negatively affect your health, as well as your ability to perform well at work.

Quitting bad habits is easier said than done, which is why it’s important to take it slow and make minor changes along the way. It’s also a good idea to start at the source of the habit and determine what’s triggering them in the first place. This will help you learn how to break bad habits for good.

Start with these five areas towards living a more sustainable lifestyle and we’re sure you’ll start to feel even better in your socially sustainable career! Do what you preach!

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