Over the last four articles, we’ve been talking about how we, as business owners can get healthy and stay healthy. We’ve talked about physical, mental and emotional health, as well as decision fatigue. For this article, we’re turning the attention to our staff and how we can promote a healthy work environment for them. Perhaps we can use some of the information we’ve gained over the last few articles to create a work environment and mentality that promotes the well-being of our greatest asset…our staff.

We are heading into darker and colder months, months that are generally harder for people. It is my desire, as I’m sure it’s yours, to provide an environment that acknowledges and actively seeks to provide for the needs of staff in order for them to be healthy and effective, as well as ensure they’re with us for the long haul.

A safe workplace

In my experience, the best thing we can do for our staff is to make sure they know it’s...

I love going out for dinner with my wife. But I hate deciding which restaurant to go to. This is an issue for us because she, too, hates deciding where to go. If our conversations about where to have dinner were recorded, they would be painful to listen to. For your amusement, here’s an example:

Me: “Where do you want to eat?”

Her: “I don’t care. Where do you want to eat?”

Me: “It doesn’t matter to me. I’ll eat anywhere?”

Her: “Do you feel like anything in particular?”

Me: “No. Do you?”

Her: “No. Would you please just make a decision?!”

Like I said…painful. I remember the first time I heard about decision fatigue. Finally our struggle to decide on a restaurant made sense to me. We make so many decisions each day, that by the time dinner rolls around, we are done.

Medical News Today defines decision fatigue as “a psychological phenomenon surrounding a person’s ability or...

We’re tired.

The roller coaster ride of the last few years has taken its toll on business owners. We’ve faced more hurdles, challenges and pivots in the last year than I can recall in my 30+ years of landscaping. And the result is owners who are tired, stressed, anxious, unhealthy, and exhausted. Over the next month, we’re going to address the topic of owner health. If you as the owner aren’t healthy, it’s far more difficult for the business to be healthy. We’ll be talking about physical health, mental health and emotional health, as well as decision fatigue. So as we finish off 2023 and look ahead to 2024, let’s make this the year we determine to get healthy and stay healthy!

Let’s start with physical health. When it comes to making positive changes in our lives, our physical health can often be the easiest area to address and in which to make changes. The benefits of getting and staying physically healthy are not new to any of us. We...