Wellness. What does it mean to you and how does having it benefit you both personally and professionally?
What it is, what to do about it, and what steps can be taken to improve an individual’s wellness are topics discussed in seminars, meetings, publications, and in the latest SBO Connects July 17 session. Claire Caldwell, a New York-based small business owner who specializes in Sales & Marketing Training, and who co-chairs the MPI SBO community education committee, led the hour-long Meeting Professionals International Small Business Owners (MPI SBO) social chat on Zoom.
She posed three questions to participants. What does wellness mean to you? What do you do to achieve it? What was the catalyst that led you to focus more on yourself?
While the answers to what holistic (without drugs) wellness means seemed to revolve around having a healthy balance of mind, body and spirit, achieving that elicited diverse answers.
- Drink a lot of water to keep your body hydrated and your mind refreshed, one participant’s doctor thought most important. One participant adds fruit and herbs to her water.
- Become attuned to what your body needs at that time. Develop micro-habits to remind you to take time for yourself.
- Sleep! One of the session’s participants whose business specializes in wellness, said “Sleep allows the body to detox, heal and grow. It Slows down the aging process. Improves memory.” How much sleep a person needs is individual. Eight is optimal. Six+ ok, but less than that means you are likely overtaxing your body’s systems.
- Block out time on your schedule for “me time.”
Pretend it’s a business meeting from which you can’t be interrupted, although as another noted, “When you own a business you feel more compelled to respond to a client’s email or unexpected phone call.” Another responded that when she pre-pays for something like a fitness class or a beauty care appointment, “I make sure I get there.”
- Exercise.
Meeting and Planner Consultant Susan Piel, CMP Fellow, CMM, HMCC said she takes a walk to separate her workday from personal time. It eases tension and allows her mind to let ideas flow freely.
- Stay connected to family and friends. That connection is crucial for a balanced work and personal life. The wellness expert on the call mentioned there is a LinkedIn group for emotional wellbeing for event planners called Event Minds Matter.
- Relax and chill. Find what you enjoy doing and be nice to yourself by doing it. (Read a book, sit by the pool, stretch, watch a guilty pleasure TV show. We all have something we’d like to do more of, but owning a business seems to eat up any spare time. Get over it! Prioritize yourself. If you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t have the strength and wherewithal to help anyone else.
- Digital Detox. Turn off social media occasionally to give your mind a break.
- A couple of attendees have added plant-based foods to enhance their nutrition naturally.
- Measured approach to alcohol.
Alcohol consumption triggered several suggestions, from having none to limiting it during early day meetings, but the one upon which everyone seemed to agree is that meetings and events need to offer more non-alcoholic selections beyond water. Be inclusive: not everyone drinks alcohol. Be creative: offer a variety of mocktails.
Register now for the September 18 MPI SBO Education program, Meeting Work is a breeze When A.I improves Productivity with Ease. The hour-long session begins at 2 pm Eastern.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0lc-yspzkpHNMyldMdefZuSJUHFKfqhXRH
Karen Kuzsel is a writer-editor based in the Orlando area who specializes in the hospitality, entertainment, meetings & events industries. She is an active member of International Live Events Association and Meeting Professionals International and is now serving on the 2023-2024 MPI Community Council for Small Business Owners. She is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and Experience Kissimmee. Karen writes about food & wine, spas, destinations, venues, meetings & events in her blog, Hotel Happenings & Program Promotions. A career journalist, she has owned magazines, written for newspapers, trade publications, radio and TV. As her alter-ego, Natasha, The Psychic Lady, she is a featured entertainer for corporate and social events. Karen@KarenKuzsel.com; www.KarenKuzsel.com; www.ThePsychicLady.com; Karen@ThePsychicLady.com.