Ways to Beat Daily Stress

I'm probably preaching to the converted when I say I struggle to start the day without a green smoothie (my current favourite is this IQS recipe). Not only does it give me an energetic kick-start to my day, but it sets my healthy intentions. I find I'm far less likely to reach for the biscuit tin come the 3 p.m. slump if I've started off on the right foot.

I sometimes feel like a diva "outsourcing" my exercise to a personal trainer when I could just motivate myself, but I learnt soon after launching the magazine that paying an expert to make sure I exercise three times a week means it doesn't get lost in my to-do list. I currently love boxing — and I'm surprised at how good I am, for someone whose work is based around spreading love!

In my previous business, when I ran a book publishing company, I was at my desk by 8 a.m. without fail — the first to arrive and the last to leave. Now, I listen to my body clock. It often surprises people to hear I sometimes stay in bed until 9 a.m. if I don’t have a morning meeting. I'm not usually asleep — I'm propped up on a pillow reading emails — but in my own sacred space, on my own schedule. What’s the point of being your own boss if you can’t have the freedom to do so?

I recently went to Byron Bay to start mapping out a plan to write my next book, but during the trip I was faced with a number of unexpected challenges and outside factors that I hadn't predicted. After six days I hadn't written a single word, but rather then beating myself up for not hitting my self-imposed deadline, I decided to shift my expectations, put the book on the back-burner to put out more urgent fires and refused to allow myself to feel guilty. I am insanely driven and ambitious but have learned to cut myself some slack sometimes.

A meditation teacher once told me: "Even an abundance of happiness or excitement still puts stress on your body." This is so important to remember. When I first launched The Collective, in all the excitement, I underestimated just how stressful running a business really is and began burning the candle at both ends. I couldn't understand why I was so exhausted when I had so much to celebrate . . . Now, even when business is booming and everything is going swell, I make time to meditate every day, even for five minutes. It's my own personal Coke break — without the sugar hit!