Much of what Jill is talking about should be natural for us to do. Get enough rest, eat right, and we will perform at our best. Unfortunately for most of us, this is the first thing that gets pushed aside when we get busy. We have a client who runs late and so the time we thought we had to eat we now use to complete her service, or one calls and makes us feel sympathetic and we schedule them through our lunch break. When we do this, we really are sabotaging our day.

In my salon I work about eight hours a day. I learned a long time ago that I had to schedule a 30-minute break into my day or the front desk would book me completely solid.  I take the full 30 on most days because it gives me a little wiggle room in case something happens. Though I realized that I needed to schedule a break, I was not so prepared when in came to having my lunch ready. In my case I used to just run down to the closest fast food place and get lunch. Well, over the years that had added up to being about 30 pounds overweight. 

About six months ago I finally woke up to the fact that I was not really taking care of myself like I could be. I had belly-danced once a week for years but had not been active other than that for quite a while. I set a goal for myself to lose the extra weight and start working out so that I would have more energy and be healthier. I started packing my lunch every day, being careful to pack only nutritional foods and not junk. I allowed myself a treat now and then, but even with that I made smarter choices. I now work out at least three days a week in addition to the dancing.

I have never felt better and have lost 22 pounds of the extra weight I had been carrying. My stamina is greatly improved and I find that my focus and interaction has really improved. My guests have noticed and as a result they are much happier as well. So if you are like I was, I highly recommend taking a moment to look, really look, at how you are taking care of yourself. You may find you want to make positive changes too.

— Sandy