There’s a lot of glorification around the entrepreneurial lifestyle. And while it does allow for you to bring in your own money and have more independence, entrepreneurship can become an obsession. I could literally sit in a room for 12+ hours and crank out content, strategize sales funnels and peek back and forth on social media.

It’s not until baggy eyes, poor social skills and 20 pounds later that you realize you’ve been working so hard on your business that you’ve let EVERY other aspect of your life suffer.

It’s not okay to trade your health for success, and in order to be successful long-term, you must prioritize your health.

Here are 5 things to change if you’re an online entrepreneur (or an overachieving career person who has to stare at the computer for over 8 hours).

1. Change your diet.

Not too long ago I teamed up with a holistic health coach who has agreed to help me with my health. We talked about my overall heath from mental to financial to physical to nutritional. One thing she has me doing is using a food journal. It’s not so I can feel guilty about all the crap that I eat. In your food journal you’re supposed to write down how the food actually made you feel after eating it. So often we just grab whatever’s quick and “tasty” and don’t realize how low our energy is after consumption. A food journal is to help you become more mindful of how poor food choices can negatively effect your work ethic due to lack of energy.

(This is an example of me pretending to be super healthy with my organic protein and spinach + guacamole.) All jokes aside, this really is a good meal for me to start my day.

I learned that I have a hormone imbalance and that my body doesn’t properly breakdown sugar (similar to people with diabetes). It was frustrating to learn, but once you identify a problem, it makes it easier to come up with a solution. I have personally been eating a Paleo-like diet because that’s best for my body. My cousin recommended the book “Eat For Your Type” by Dr. Peter J. A’damo. It’s about how there should be different diets for the 4 different blood types.

I purchased the AudioBook for under $6 so that I could listen it while I work. 🙂 Just kidding – I can listen to it while I get in some exercise. *side eye*

2. Take a walk.

I think that too many people underestimate the power of taking in a few extra steps a day. And by extra steps, I mean going on a 1 hour quick paced walk.  When people think of exercise, they want to start off with overachieving goals that they flake on before they get even started. Start walking 1 or 2 miles every day for a week or so. Then find some more intense cardio and weight lifting exercises to add to your regimen.

Because I’m not self-motivated when it comes to working out, I enjoy working out with other people. I like the idea of a virtual fitness coach so I checked out YouTube and found a guy called The Fitness Marshall. He is HILARIOUS, and he makes the workouts seem like he is right with you.

I also enjoy watching @ItsShawnDotCom on Periscope from ItsShawn.com. She does morning and evening workouts so it’s nice having someone that’s flexible. Just looking at her body is motivation. I’m like “yes, I want to look like you.”

3. Socialize with humans… offline.

When people ask me to hang out in person, I dread the idea of putting on pants.  Conversations are much more fun from the comfort of your own home! But honestly, there’s nothing like taking a mental break just to enjoy some human interaction. Even if it’s only 2x a month, do a lunch date with someone you enjoy spending time with. It’s good for your health and your brain. I think I’ve said “LOL” out loud before because of how frequently I have chat conversations.

4. Stay hydrated

I have a really bad habit of forgetting to drink water when I’m focused on a project. Dehydration is not only bad for when you have under eye puffiness, but it also makes you feel nauseous. I don’t have the time to be nauseous when I’m trying to make cute sales pages. I don’t have the luxury of rocking under eye puffiness when I enjoy hosting webinars and Periscope broadcasts. I like to have a case of purified water bottles around me at all times. Your daily water intake should be half your weight in ounces. If you’re 160 pounds, you should be trying to drink 80 oz of water which would be about five 16oz water bottles.

5. Wear computer glasses

Because I stare at the screen for about 60+ hours a week, it can cause headaches, blurred vision, dry eyes and eye strain. Staring at an artificial blue light for hours has effected near 70% of adults who experience digital eye strain. As I’ve gotten older and contemplated Lasik, I knew I needed to start taking better care of my eyes. I’m blind without my contacts, and my vision gets worse every year. I’ve been telling my Periscope followers about my new computer classes from Phonetic Eyewear. One of them already purchased using my ‘MAYA10’ discount code, and loves them already.

I love my glasses from Phonetic Eyewear eyewear because not only do they reduce the harsh effects of staring at my screen all day, but I look cute in them. I’m just saying, everyone compliments my glasses, and they have no idea that they’re computer glasses! I own the Robin in Snow Leopard.

Normal computer glasses usually come with a distinctive yellow lens to combat the artificial blue light of a screen, but I like how these protect my eyes with the same effects of a yellow lens, without making me look crazy. I remember putting my glasses on and smiling in the mirror and I thought, MY ARE MY TEETH YELLOW?! I took the glasses off and my smile was back to normal. Ha! Here’s a picture of my glasses in one of my flat lay Instagram posts where you can see a little bit of the yellow tint I mention.

Overall, being successful is best when you can enjoy your success through great health. What are some things you’ve been implementing into your daily health regimen? Would love to hear from you!