Need an energy boost? Why all solopreneurs need five minutes

As a pilot, there’s nothing my husband loves more than escaping to the sky and dancing around the clouds. It’s his happy place. When flying solo, he also knows how vital it is to be fully prepared for every contingency. He is meticulous about maintaining his aircraft in top condition, is completely obsessed with the weather and in addition to packing his parachute, ensures he’s well rested before take-off and has had a healthy breakfast.

All this keeps him safe.

But when flying solo in business we often do things differently. Are you working too hard? Are you always thinking about work, on edge, struggling to switch off, and worried you’re stretching yourself too thin?

Taking time out as a small operator can feel daunting, impossible even, but is essential as a business strategy to maintain your mental and physical wellbeing, prevent burnout and safeguard your business.

Hearing stories of those who choose to escape the rat race, by heading off into the wilderness for six months might sound appealing, but might not be possible any time soon or even something you’d want to try.

The good news is you don’t need to.

All that’s required is to open the door and step outside.

It’s been shown we spend over 90 per cent of our time awake, indoors, creating what is known as our nature deficit. Studies have shown this is contributing to the rising levels of mental stress and suffering, loneliness and chronic disease in our society. We need more time in nature.

Forty years ago, the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku or forest bathing, was introduced to reduce the risk of over-stressed businessmen having heart attacks. Researchers showed how immersing yourself in a green space (and the Japanese are fortunate in having 65 per cent of their land mass covered by forest), lowers stress levels, lowers blood pressure, elevates mood, strengthens the immune system, improves cognition and creativity, to build better health, well-being and happiness.

As a lifestyle medicine practitioner, I prescribe green prescriptions for those seeking respite from too much stress, poor sleep, anxiety or depression. As with any other prescription, it includes a suggested dose and frequency depending on your preference for type of immersion, accessibility, and time commitments.

The aim here is to create a new healthy habit, something that becomes as natural as part of your day as cleaning your teeth.

Here are three tips to get you started with your healthy habit

1. Assess what is available nearby

 Even if you don’t live or work next to a park, discover where your nearest green or blue space is and plan to visit it. If you’re surrounded by concrete and the urban planners forgot to provide communal green space, invite nature in by adding living plants, pictures of natural scenes, creating a green nook to relax in, or ensuring that the windows are big enough to let in lots of natural light. Why not create a small deck outside, perfect to enjoy a cup of coffee while overlooking a natural vista?

2. Create the habit

Committing to getting outside more doesn’t have to be onerous and is certainly not time wasting. Choosing to spend fifteen-to-twenty minutes outside before work, during your lunch break or later in the day is the perfect time to re-energise, restore attention and reduce stress. Even 4-5 minutes has been shown to make a positive difference.

Getting outside is perfect for walking meetings, clearing your head and improves problem solving.

3, Savour the moment

 Giving yourself permission to step outside for five minutes or more quickly becomes something you look forward to. That short moment of disconnection from all the usual hustle is the perfect reset for greater calm and broadens perspective. How delicious! Stepping out to notice your surroundings engages all your senses and builds appreciation for the world outside. Time pressure melts away. The extra bonus is that feeling less stressed reduces potential reactivity, anger, or frustration when things go wrong.

You can still plan for that hike. But in the interim, why not look for that #onesmallthing to get you outside more often? For example, sitting outside to eat your lunch, spending time cloud-watching, or kicking a footy around in the backyard with your kids.

Taking better care of yourself and your business can truly be as simple as going for a walk in the park.

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