Yoga at HAYVN
Long stressful hours at work, breakfast on-the-go, lunch at your desk and fast-food takeout dinner. On repeat. This is the reality many of us face growing a business. Wellness programs designed for busy entrepreneurs and startup businesses are included in our HAYVN Health Month programming for the coworking community this September.
The obvious mindset is:
“The business takes front and center stage before anything else.” or
“Nothing gets done unless I/we do it ourselves. Now.”
It’s no wonder there has been a growing awareness of wellness as our stressful lives begin to affect our mental and physical health. In the race for success and funding, health and wellness has largely been overlooked. HAYVN Health Month is designed for you with this in mind.
Startup and small business owners easily fall into the trap of an unbalanced life. Work and health have grossly become a dichotomy in today’s world. Mounting pressures to deliver fast, fail fast and never-be-not working can quickly become overwhelming.
Working non-stop is a status symbol of being ahead of the curve. A complete shift in our healthcare perspective is necessary. We need an approach to health as an investment in human capital
According to a participant in the MIT Sloan School of Management’s research in 2019:
“93% of our cohort felt that self-awareness practice can help entrepreneurs create more successful businesses. More than anything, it gave our team a neutral, common language to build our relationships and culture.”
The mind-and-body connection
Overall health includes both mental wellbeing and physical fitness. Manage emotional and mental stress, avoid exhaustion or burnout.
When you start a business, paying attention to what really counts matters. Here are small steps you can take in order to strike a balance between self-care and startup growth.
- Schedule wellness like you would meetings. There is no better way to pick up a new habit than including fitness and wellness into your daily routine. Small habits developed over time can transform your life.
- Set aside time to be quiet or to meditate for a few minutes before turning on or checking your social media. Spending some quiet time alone can help you ground yourself and mindfully approach the day.
- Use technology to your advantage. There are meditation apps that help you maintain a healthy amount of headspace. Listening to a relaxing playlist while working can also sharpen your focus. (Perhaps Insert or Link to: HAYVN Coworking Playlist)
- Consider using standing desks. Sitting for long periods of time is not advisable for your health. Rent a standing desk space at HAYVN. This works if you are on a call that does not require sitting down and typing the whole time.
- Walk around the block, spend time outdoors. Carve some time on your calendar and give yourself 20 minutes to walk around the block after lunch or mid-afternoon.
- Track and set a cap on your screen time. The challenge to always be “on” is not an excuse to compromise unlimited screen time.
The ‘always-on’ mindset impacts our emotions for fear of missing out. Go off the grid on weekends and enjoy time away from the digital space and your gadgets.
- Eat healthily and drink plenty of water. This is a gamechanger. It is challenging to stick to a meal plan. It takes too much time to prepare brown-bagged goodies.
There isn’t even time for a 45-second wait in front of the microwave. Most on-the-go professionals have resorted to instant processed food.
Cultivating mindful eating habits is essential. Rushed meal times are unmindful. You either eat too much, too fast, or too little and insufficient nutrients.
Malnutrition and a sedentary lifestyle bring with it risks like obesity, anxiety, fatigue, depression. Take the time to prepare your healthy foods in advance, rather than rushing to grab something last minute.
- Lift and move. Our bodies are designed to move and to be active. Our muscles are built for motion and action with enough time for rest.
It does not matter whether you are a school-age child, a startup founder or an overly caffeinated entrepreneur.
Move. Develop your health and your business instead of lower back and joint pains. Consider giving yourself a full exercise and not just develop carpal tunnel syndrome.
- Get sufficient amount of sleep. Sleep is not a luxury. It is essential.
Just like any machine, our body is in need of recharging every once in a while. Getting enough sleep helps your mind and body recover from the daily grind. Lack of sleep depletes energy faster.
Making up for it by drinking too much coffee is tantamount to filling up a gas tank that has leaks. Make sleep a priority and you will get more work done more efficiently than ever before.
- Disrupt the routine every once in a while. Mindlessly going through your day can leave you running until you’re ready to pass out. Engage in other activities that will give you a break away from your screens.
Accomplish priorities not just tasks. Then take time to enjoy a 15-minute break for yourself.
According to a study by Michael Freeman:
“Entrepreneurs are 50% more likely to have mental health conditions like depression, ADHD, substance abuse, bipolar disorder, and suicidal thoughts.
Creativity, ingenuity, insight, brilliance, planning, analysis, and other executive functions are often the cognitive cornerstones of breakthrough value creation by entrepreneurs.”
Here are some of the programs offered at our HAYVN Health Month:
HAYVN Health Month Calendar of Events
Being an entrepreneur or building a startup company is an uphill climb. There are bound to be new experiences that test your:
- Endurance and problem-solving skills
- Emotional response to challenging situations
- Cultivated behaviors toward difficult people
- Ability to communicate or have crucial conversations
- Time management or ability to over-commit/over-book yourself
HAYVN has created a co-working space that takes critical steps toward holistic health.
As a member of the HAYVN community, you get:
- safe space to work.
- full-service office support.
- technology infrastructure with no downtime.
- access to fitness centers and wellness programs.
- community and networking events.
In case you missed our previous sessions:
Rock Solid Workout Class with Jessica Benedetto of Darien YMCA
How to Make Overnight Oats with Carolyn Eddie of Carolyn’s Absolutely Fabulous Foods
Setting Intentions for the Fall Harvest with Samantha Abrahams
Tips for Working from Home with Amy Polacko
Guided Meditation with Maria Allen of Bee Brilliant
Beyond HAYVN Health Month, HAYVN Community Wellness is now on Slack. In this community channel, we share nutrition tips, mindfulness videos and host workout classes each week in September.
HAYVN Health Month programs for September 2020 aim to support members through:
- nutrition
- exercise, and
- mindfulness sessions.
Here is a full list of upcoming online and in-person events hosted by HAYVN. https://hayvn.com/upcoming-events/
HAYVN Coworking
Founded in 2018, HAYVN is a flexible workspace for enterprising women (and men) to connect, create and grow. Along with a vibrant & engaged coworking community of entrepreneurs and business professionals, HAYVN is a business HUB, offering short- and long-term office space leases, meeting rooms rentals, and events to support local businesses. HAYVN is proud to be a Certified B Corporation™ and a CTNext partner. We believe in using the power of business to build a more inclusive and sustainable economy and have met the highest verified standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. HAYVN’s workshops and signature programs encourage women of all colors and ages and acts as an incubator for developing skills and pursuing funding. HAYVN Launch incubator is a 2021 winner of the SBA's Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC), and the only 2021 winner in Connecticut.
Visit our beautiful safe ‘HAYVN’ in Fairfield County, CT at 320 Boston Post Road, Darien, CT, 06820. Arrange a private tour today, or to learn more about our health and safety response, read through our detailed guidelines here.
