Health is an important aspect of life and something we all need to prioritize in the business world by remaining active and exercising. This is especially important for any white collar worker spending most of their time indoors sitting at a desk. To hit our peak performance both at work and at home, we must have an intentional focus on living a healthy lifestyle. A huge aspect of this many of us take for granted is getting enough quality sleep each night. I know many of us, including myself, have a challenge with this.
After a long hard day at work, many of us come home and want to relax or just spend time with our significant others and kids for those of us with them. We might stay up and watch a show, and maybe another show … you know how it goes. The important thing we need to remember is getting in the habit of having a bed time even as adults. By getting on a consistent schedule, primarily during the week, you are able to control the hours and time your body is at rest and recovering for a more productive and energetic tomorrow. Without a consistent bed time, your hours of sleep will be deprived.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, adults should be getting seven to nine hours of sleep (or an average of eight hours) each night. Americans currently average 6.8 hours of sleep each night, down more than an hour from 1942. There are numerous medical studies that have related a lack of sleep to health problems. I know many of us entrepreneurs get even less than the average 6.8 hours of sleep quite often or even less than six hours a night which is certainly a concern if it occurs often for our health and well-being. We all know how much better we perform and how much better we feel after a good night’s rest.
Besides the clear benefits to health, here are a few benefits to your life and ultimately your business through better sleep:
►Better focus and attention with increased productivity.
►Better memory and creativity.
►Reduced stress and lower risk of depression.
►You’ll have more energy.
►You will make better decisions.
►You’ll simply be happier.
►The list goes on.
So get on a schedule, have a plan. Try adding an hour of sleep this week and see what happens!
Andy W. Harris, CRMS is president and owner of Lake Oswego, Ore.-based Vantage Mortgage Group Inc. and past president of the Oregon Association of Mortgage Professionals. He may be reached by phone at (877) 496-0431, e-mail [email protected] or visit VantageMortgageGroup.com.
This article originally appeared in the August 2016 print edition of National Mortgage Professional Magazine.
