Health Warnings Business Owners Ignore (But Really Shouldn't)

When you run your own business, it is easy to let your physical health slide because you just need to get through that big business meeting or you just need to finish that vital project or it's accounting time and you can’t possibly schedule in a doctor’s appointment.

Although this is understandable. Because life as a business owner is about as hectic as it gets, it is pretty foolish because your health should always come first. You won’t be able after all, to run your business if you get sick, and being a high-flying entrepreneur by no means protects you from becoming ill.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the common symptoms it’s easy for many business owners to brush off, but which they really should not ignore:

Low energy levels

If you get up every morning feeling like you’ve had no sleep at all, and if you find yourself slumping in your desk before it's even reached lunchtime, you might be worried about your productivity levels, but you should also be worried about your health too.

Yes, being a business founder can take it out of you, but a lack of sleep or constant fatigue can also indicate stress, depression, cancer, high blood pressure, and heart disease amongst other things.

Try taking it easy for a while, but if you still feel fatigued, get a physical.

Brain fog

When you are experiencing brain fog, it’s easy to put it down to too many late-night meetings and not enough long lunches but actually, brain fog could be a sign that you require neuropathy treatment, that you are deficient in one or more vitamins or in some extreme cases, even that you have cancer.

Try getting some more sleep and having a few easy days in the office, and if that doesn’t help, book an appointment with your physician asap.

Eyestrain

Again, it’s easy to write off symptoms like blurred vision, seeing double or eyestrain as being caused by your busy work life as a business owner, and of course, it could be that you have just been staring at the computer for too long without as break But, if your eye issues are persistent they could also indicate issues like diabetes, glaucoma, cataracts or brain tumor. 

Try taking 10-minute screen breaks for every 50 minutes of work and see if that improves things. If not, you know what you need to do.

Joint pain and stiffness

Joint pains and stiffness can absolutely be caused by an uncomfortable office chair and spending too many hours in it, but they can also be a warning sign that something else is wrong in your body. From high stress levels to arthritis, there are a number of conditions you will want to rule out if you want to stay as healthy as possible for as long as possible so you can be there for your family and to run your business.

Ignore these health warning signs at your peril!