Here are my top three tips of how I (and my team!) stay sane while building Allspring:
• Improve sleep by watching sunrise and sunset outside: Wavelengths during sunrise and sunset have the biggest impact on your circadian clock signaling your body that it’s time to be alert or time to wind down. For me, sleep is such a critical input to my mental health and this practice has improved my sleep cycle (which I track using WHOOP).
Source: Dr. Huberman, tenured professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford University School of Medicine.
• Proactive calendaring: I calendar everything, focus time, time for less fun activities (for me it’s payroll processing), strategic thinking time with team members, and I think about the work I need to get done in 2-week sprints. This way it feels like there’s a place for everything and it’s not living in my head. It also makes sure that I give space to no meeting/focus/creative/me time from 6-9am, which is my favorite block. So much of being an entrepreneur is engaging with others - team, network, customers, etc. Providing dedicated focus time gives me space for deep work that I enjoy and feel less stressed and more energized for more extraverted or fast pace moments.
• Eat the same thing for breakfast and lunch: Staying consistent has helped me reduce the number of choices I have to make in a day and removes some decision fatigue and mental load. Also, it's helped me be more financially planful which alleviates stress as well.
Source: Barry Schwartz, The Paradox of Choice
If you struggle with keeping your life and career in check, meet with an Allspring coach. We can help you balance what matters most to your career while keeping your life at the forefront.
Erin's top 3 tips of keeping mental health top of mind while building a business.
1:1 Agenda for Weekly Check-Ins & Career Conversations