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#ContentWritingChat Recap: How Entrepreneurs Can Lead Awesome & Healthy Lives with Chris Nadeau

by | Dec 2, 2016 | ContentWritingChat

#ContentWritingChat Recap: How Entrepreneurs Can Lead Awesome & Healthy Lives with Chris Nadeau

Do you want to get caught up on the latest #ContentWritingChat? Well, you’re in luck! We have a recap of this Tuesday’s chat ready for you to dive into. It’s filled with great tips you won’t want to miss!

#ContentWritingChat Recap: How Entrepreneurs Can Lead Awesome & Healthy Lives with Chris Nadeau


Our guest host this week was Chris Nadeau. Chris is the co-founder of Evolving Solutions. He is also the blogger behind Eat Greens Every Day, which is all about helping you lead a healthier life. That just so happens to be the inspiration behind this chat! Chris shared a ton of helpful suggestions so you can lead and awesome and healthy life.

Q1: What are your key tips to balancing happiness and health with running and owning a successful business?

Entrepreneurs lead very busy, and sometimes hectic, lives. It can make it hard to find a balance between work and staying happy and healthy. To create more of a balance in your life, keep these tips in mind:

Chris suggests scheduling time for yourself each day. After all, sometimes you need to make that appointment with yourself in order to fit self-care into that busy schedule of yours. He said to block off 30-60 minutes each day to focus on your health.

Jamie from HeyOrca! agrees. Sometimes you just have to schedule in that time in order to actually make it happen. Find at least 30 minutes in your daily schedule to block off for a little self-care.

Sarah from ThinkSEM is right! You have to know when to shut down. You can’t always pull those all nighters. Decide when you’re going to quit working each day and actually log off and shut down. Don’t fall into the trap of answering emails late at night.

Set boundaries for yourself and for your clients. If you are running a service-based business, it can be tempting to stay up all night responding to client emails. Don’t give in! You need to set boundaries so you don’t bring work over into your dedicated personal time. We also love this tip of scheduling time to learn new skills. That’s very important!

Because our cell phones and smart watches are basically glued to us, it can be hard to truly unplug. When you finish work for the day, log out of social media and your inbox. Silence the notifications and leave your phone in another room. Focus on the moment and be with family or take the time to enjoy your personal hobbies.

Zachary knows time management is vital when it comes to balancing your personal life and your business. If you don’t manage your time wisely, you might find yourself working late nights more often than you’d like. Instead, make the most of your day by managing your time better.

The truth is, we sometimes get so wrapped up in the hustle that we forget to look up from our computers! Julia suggests stopping to give yourself a break throughout the day. Block off time for a proper lunch away from your desk. Take 30 minutes to do some exercise, have a yoga session, or do a little meditation. This can truly make a huge difference in how you feel and how the rest of your day goes.

Q2: How can a morning routine help you start the day off right? Tell us about yours.

Having a set morning routine that you stick to every day is essential for starting things off on the right foot. Check out what some of our chat participants had to say about the importance of morning routines and what they like to do to start the day:

Chris said your morning routine can have an impact on your entire day. How you spend your morning can influence your productivity, energy levels, and how successful you are. So, don’t you want to make sure you’re spending the morning in the best way possible?

It sounds like Chris has a pretty great morning routine as well! He drinks lemon water (this aids in digestion), wakes up early enough to allow time for himself, exercises, meditates, and has a green smoothie.

Laura knows she’s most productive in the morning, so she takes advantage of that time. She eats a good breakfast and then dives into her writing. By utilizing your most productive times, you’re bound to get even more work done!

Mornings are great for Mike as well, so he also knows to take full advantage of this time.

For the caffeine addicts of the world, no morning routine is complete without a cup of coffee.

For Asiya, she likes to have brainstorming sessions over a cup of coffee when she wakes up. It’s all about doing what works best for you! If you get your best ideas in the morning, try a brainstorming session early in the day like Asiya does.

Q3: How can diets impact our lives for the better? Describe your style of eating + how it helps you stay productive.

It’s no secret that the foods you eat can have a great impact on your life. They can change how you feel, can give you an energy boost (or deplete you of energy), and so much more. Check out these tips and keep them in mind the next time you head to the kitchen:

Chris said that what you eat can impact how your brain functions. As a result, some of the foods you eat could make it easier or harder for you to hit the goals you’re trying to reach. When it comes to your diet, he said to focus on greens, veggies, and lean proteins. Skip the processed foots and drink lots of water.

This is a great answer from Sarah! Good nutrition leads to a healthy life, which can equal success. Just be sure to throw in a little hard work, too!

Julia knows clean eating is the way to go! She switched to eating organic and has cut out the junk food. She surely feels much better eating healthy!

Sandi said to stay hydrated by drinking water. Keep a glass of water on your desk throughout the day and remember to actually drink it up. It’s also helpful to avoid a lot of sugar, junk food, and a caffeine overload.

It’s safe to say that if you’re trying to stay motivated, a greasy meal isn’t the way to go! Go for some fresh fruit instead!

Mike knows just how important probiotics can be as part of your diet. Make sure you’re incorporating them daily to ensure you feel great. You can get a good serving of probiotics for many yogurts or you can also take a daily supplement.

Q4: What are your best tips for leading a healthy, balanced life?

If you want to live a healthy and balanced life, these are the tips you need to know! Check out what some of the participants in Tuesday’s chat had to say about this:

First, Chris recommends starting your day off right. This goes back to that question on your morning routine. Develop a routine that works for you and makes you feel great. You’ll notice a huge difference when you do. He also said to eat real food, focus on personal develop, do a digital detox, get some sleep, and hold yourself accountable.

Prioritize your tasks, create a list of everything you need to do, and then execute it. Great advice! This works for business plans, meal plans, workout routines, and more. When you plan and block off time in your schedule, you’re more likely to make it happen.

Don’t forget to get out there and have some fun! Doing something you genuinely enjoy can reduce stress and even boost your creativity. It’s absolutely okay to embrace those geeky hobbies!

Don’t fall into the habit of pulling all nighters all the time. As Sandi said, sleep is essential if you want to function well during the day. Set a bedtime routine and hit the hay around the same time every night. It helps you develop a routine that you can stick to.

Andy suggests laughing and spending time with family. Make time for regular exercise, while eating the foods you like every now and then. And don’t forget to get plenty of sleep!

Jeremy has just about summed it up with his answer! He said to exercise daily, get some sleep, and eat healthy and nutritious foods. And remember that being positive makes a huge difference as well.

Q5: Discuss how to plan your day to ensure you stay happy, healthy, and productive throughout.

Do you want to make sure you always have a great day? To ensure you’re feeling happy, healthy, and productive, keep these tips in mind:

Chris likes to break his days into chunks. The first chunk is where he focuses on his morning routine and his health. It’s a great way to make sure your day starts off on the right foot.
He wakes up at 5:45 AM, completes his morning routine, begins to tackle his work, has lunch, then gets back to work.

This is advice everyone needs to keep in mind! You should plan your day according to YOU. So, when are you most productive? Morning, midday, or in the afternoon? You can plan your day around your productivity zones to get more work done.

Becky creates a to-do list of all the things she needs to do during the day. Not only does a list keep you on track, but she’s right about it being satisfying to cross tasks off as the day goes on.

Kathleen knows taking work breaks is essential to success throughout the day. Take a break from your desk to do some stretches. It’ll help you feel refreshed when you sit back down.

Julia also suggests taking breaks throughout the day. Her other advice is to time your work, create a to-do list, and drink green/clean juices. Who wouldn’t want to a refreshing green juice to get through the day?

It’s also important to recognize how you feel so you can realize when you need to take a break. If you’re starting to feel stressed out, overwhelmed, or run down, take a break!

It may seem overwhelming to make a lot of big changes in your life, so don’t be afraid to start small. As Zachary said, even one good habit is a start. So, what one thing can you change today to make a difference in how you feel?

Q6: Describe a good work-life balance when it comes to your business.

What does a good work-life balance look like when it comes to your business? Here’s what some of our chat participants had to say:

Chris tries to work five to seven hours on business tasks during the day. He uses the rest of the day to focus on other things he wants to do.

As Andy said, don’t get stuck in a job you hate. While sometimes this is hard to avoid, it’s important to love what you do. You don’t want to wake up every single day dreading work. You should look forward to it and feel passionate about what you do.

Just because you work for yourself and your office is in your own home, it doesn’t mean you have to work until 1 AM all the time. Set office hours for yourself and get in the habit of shutting down at the same time every day.
And here’s a tip: If you are working late and responding to emails, no one has to know. You can use Boomerang with Gmail to schedule your emails to go out a reasonable time. You don’t want clients thinking they can reach you at all hours.

Q7: Do you use any tools in your daily life to help you live better?

The great thing is, there are a ton of helpful tools available to us today that can make our lives even better. Check out these suggestions and give them a try for yourself!

Chris has a few tools he relies on regularly to ensure he stays happy and healthy. Have you tried any of these suggestions?

Who doesn’t love a great playlist? Andy likes to use Spotify when listening to music. It’s a great way to get you in a better mood and energized to take on the day.

Sarah’s advice is to get outside. There’s nothing like a little fresh air to reinvigorate you. Plus, going for a quick walk can get you energy up and is great for helping you stay healthy. She likes to take her dogs for two walks every day, which is great exercise.

For Jamie, she relies on her Keurig to provide that morning cup of coffee, Spotify for great tunes, Slack for staying connected with others, and a treadmill for a stress-busting source of exercise.

Julia likes to read books that will help her learn and grow. After all, you should never stop learning! As a writer, she also knows it’s important to write daily to sharpen her skills. And she also loves some motivational playlists.

As for Lex, she enjoys taking a nap. If you’re feeling tired, a quick cat nap could do the trick to get you back on track for the rest of the day.

These are all great tools to help you better manage your work every day!

We like Lauren’s “no excuses” thinking. She streams her workouts on her phone, which means she can take them anywhere she goes. There’s no excuse for not hitting the gym because you can work out anywhere with the amount of exercise routines online today.

Q8: Which entrepreneurs do you look up to/follow when it comes to lifestyle?

There are a ton of entrepreneurs out there and many of them can provide a great source of inspiration for your daily life. Here are some awesome ones you can look to:

This is a great answer from Chris! He looks up to his parents. And as he said, this is a great reminder for those with children. Your kids are looking up to you and watching your every move. Make sure you’re setting a good example for them. Chris also looks up to Richard Branson and Kris Carr.

Gary Vaynerchuk certainly has an inspiring hustle, but don’t forget to take time for yourself and taking a break at the end of each day.

Kristi looks up to other entrepreneurs who are mothers. After all, they juggle a lot and can be a great source of inspiration!

Debi looks up to those who are successful, balanced, kind, and intelligent. These are all great qualities to be admired!
We look forward to seeing you at the next #ContentWritingChat! Mark your calendars weekly for Tuesday at 10 AM Central Time for great chats centered around content writing and marketing. Follow @ExpWriters to stay updated on our new topics and guests!

Tags: entrepreneurship