We use the phrase “mind your own business” casually when we want to dismiss someone. This is one way of asking others not to interfere with our lives.
However, do we mind our own business ourselves?
Before we get into that, we must know what our business is.
Simply put our business is things that are concerned with our personal and professional lives. It is about us!
Our business concerns different aspects of our lives.
Some of these aspects are:
Physical Well-being
Our physical well-being concerns our body. In other words, our physical health. It is one of the foremost areas of our business because we can perform any activity only when we have a healthy body.
Unfortunately, health is one of the most neglected aspects for most people. On the other hand, there are those who obsess too much about good health and go on elaborate diets, excessive gymming, etc.
Our physical health depends on our lifestyle. To take of our health we need to eat a healthy diet, get some sunshine, physical activity, rest, and sleep. Of these, I think one of the most neglected aspects is sleep. We do not give much importance to sleep and keep stretching ourselves. Many people feel guilty if they want to rest or sleep. Good sleep is one of the most important factors that determines our physical and mental health.
I think we should all take some time out and reflect on our daily routine to assess whether we are getting any physical exercise, adequate rest, and a healthy diet or not. Only when we get the things aligned we will be more productive and happier.
Taking care of one’s health is not restricted to just leading a healthy lifestyle but also means taking care of our bodies when we are ill. Many of us do not give our bodies the necessary care and rest when we are ill because we believe that our work will suffer. This only prolongs our illness.
Mental Well-being
It is said that a healthy mind exists in a healthy body. So, if you have formed a system that your physical health is in order, then to a large extent your mental health is taken care of.
However many of us disturb our mental well-being by getting stressed over trivial issues. Unfortunately, stress not only impacts our mental health but also manifests in our bodies as illness or disease.
The best way to deal with stress is to identify the factors that cause stress and develop effective strategies to address them.
One way to manage stress that works for me is by distracting my mind with an activity that I enjoy. For instance, when I am feeling low, I pick up my microphone and sing happy songs to myself.
Emotional Well Being
Many of us take our emotional health for granted. We tend to believe that emotions do not matter. We try to curb our emotions or hide them from others because we feel that displaying emotions is a sign of weakness. We have heard the phrase, “Don’t be an emotional fool being used so often for people who don’t suppress emotions.
Suppressing emotions also makes an individual vulnerable to mental health issues. Taking care of our emotional health is definitely our business. The best way to deal with emotions is by developing close relationships and nurturing them. These relationships support us when we are feeling weak or are down in the dumps.
Relationships
Nurturing relationships that matter to us is our business. We need to identify the people who genuinely care for us and our feelings and invest time in building relationships with them. When you try to identify these people, you will find that there are very few people who really care about you. That makes your task easy, there are not too many people to take care of.
Many of us get so caught up in chasing our goals that relationships take a backseat in our lives. The fact is that even when we achieve the goals that we have been chasing and have no one to share them with, we are lonely. So, spend time with people you love so that you are emotionally secure and happy.
Work
Our work can be our profession, education, taking care of the home, anything. We need to do our “work” with due diligence. No work is too big or too small. Whatever we do should be important to us. We will be able to focus on our work and do justice to it if our physical, emotional, and mental health are in order. So, we must ensure that we focus on those aspects while managing our work. In other words, work should not become the only focus area of our lives.
Financial Health
Managing your personal finances must definitely be a focus area of your life. Your financial status directly impacts the quality of your life. So, make sure that you plan your finances with due diligence so that you lead a comfortable life.
Your Home
Our homes are our refuge. Our homes must be warm and comfortable. It may take some effort to ensure that we maintain a clean and comfortable home but it is important. This is because if your home is maintained the way you like it, you will find it welcoming and will want to return home and spend time with your loved ones.
Hobby
It is said, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy!” This is true. When we only focus on our work and do not have any hobbies, we become dull and boring and life becomes an ordeal. Your hobby does not have to be something flamboyant and you do not have to excel in it. You need to do it to break the monotony of work. It should be an activity that makes you happy and does not cause exhaustion.
Personal Growth
Our lives become meaningful only when we do things that help us grow and evolve. These could be things like traveling, reading, etc. You should meet such people and indulge in activities that help your mind grow. A growth mindset is an asset while giving us fulfillment. It also makes our lives more interesting.
Caring for the Environment
Taking care of the environment is as important as taking care of our homes. After all, planet Earth is our home, and taking care of its well-being is our business. We can do it by reducing wastage, adopting a minimalistic lifestyle, etc.
These are some vital aspects of life that we must focus on to enhance the quality of our lives. While we speak of what our business is, we also need to identify the things that are not our business!
They are things like:
Taking too much interest in the lives of others: Trying to follow what is going on in the lives of other people only clutters our minds and affects our peace of mind.
Advising others: Many of us try to advise others with the intention of helping them. But, most people are not interested in taking advice or suggestions from others. So, it is best to leave people alone and focus on yourself instead.
Your past: Your past is over and done with. There is nothing you can do to change it. So, there is no point in thinking about it and messing up your present.
Worrying about the future: It is good to plan for the future. But your future should not become an obsession. You can have a systematic plan for the future and leave it aside and enjoy your present.
Opinions of others: Many of us give too much importance to what others say or feel about us. Well! What others think about us is not in our control, So it is not our business. It is their business.
If we reduce our focus on such things, we will have more time to take care of things that constitute our business!
So, identify what your business is and spend time on minding it, instead of bothering about things that do not add value to your life!
Remember, What you do is your business, and what others think or do is their business, not yours!