Balance Internal and External Wellbeing
- Feb 17
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 13
By Victoria Barkow
In the midst of today's "hustle" culture, it can be easy to burnout and end up taking 3 steps backwards. Balancing personal wellness with building a successful business or career isn’t easy - whether you're clocking into a 9 - 5 or building your own company, the demands can take a real toll. I’ve worn both hats, and I’ll be honest: the stress doesn’t magically disappear in either world. But over time, I’ve learned that you don’t have to pick between success and sanity. You can build both. Here’s how I think about it, along with what actually works day-to-day.
The importance of daily habits and routine is easily overlooked. When people talk about “vitality,” we imagine some extreme biohacker routine—but honestly, energy comes from simple, consistent habits. Nothing flashy.
For me, vitality comes from:
1. Movement before momentum
Even when I worked a corporate 9–5, I found that a short morning workout—whether that means stretching, yoga, or a quick walk—creates literal energy. It’s like flipping on the internal power. There are biological reasons behind this science, but we won't get too deep into that here.
2. Hydration as a mindset
We’ve all heard this, but most of us don’t do it. Keeping a big water bottle nearby during meetings (or while tackling client work) reduces brain fog and keeps me more patient and grounded.
3. Protein-rich breakfast
When I started my business, I used to skip breakfast and live off coffee until noon. That ended in burnout fast. Adding protein in the morning helps stabilize blood sugar, which controls energy and mood.
4. Time Blocking
You need to block out time for specific tasks, including ones that keep your peace. Being intentional about your time will reduce the amount of guilt that comes up, such as "I could be doing work right now". Removing guilt from my life by time blocking was the one pivotal thing I point to when describing success. When you go through this exercise, you will find that you actually have more time in a day than you think. The time that we spend working usually seems like it takes forever because we get distracted by non-value add tasks.
4. Sleep schedule
You need sleep to perform.
Whether you’re responding to emails from your boss or trying to wrap up website revisions before your client sees them, you deserve downtime. Your brain does not thrive in a 24/7 hustle cycle. Therefore, spend 15 minutes before bed and read an actual book before bed. Get 6-8 hours of sleep, not more.
None of these are complicated—but they add up to improved vitality day after day. Do these consistently for 2 months and start to reap the rewards
Balancing high achievement with self-care
Here’s the honest truth: self-care doesn’t happen by accident. You have to schedule it with the same seriousness you give meetings, launches, or performance reviews.
When I worked a 9–5, I learned to create “output windows” and “recovery windows.” Not every hour of the workday has to be peak performance. I reserved my highest-focus tasks for morning and left admin tasks for after lunch when energy naturally dips.
Another balancing strategy is to define “enough.” Enough productivity for today. Enough revenue goals for the quarter. Enough meetings scheduled this week. High achievers tend to chase more without acknowledging progress. Acknowledgement is its own form of wellness. Be able to look back and see the progress you have made and realise that you are setting new bars for yourself each day/week/month subconsciously.
One holistic practice I swear by for mental clarity
Meditation gets all the spotlight, but the practice I swear by is what I like to call: Verbal Alignment. This basically consists of first stating (out loud) how you feel. "I feel anxious for the meeting with client X today". Complete all of these statements until all of your feelings are stated. Then state positive reinforcements: "I have the information I need for the meeting" or "I will not let imposter syndrome own me today". Finally, you state your goals "My goal for today is to complete the meeting, present all options, and ensure that the company is well-represented" and "My goal for today is to maintain posture".
Of course, this feels silly to do. I would rather be successful and feel better about myself and my day than risk "silliness". I encourage you to do it by yourself, while doing nothing else. Allow yourself 5 minutes to focus on the exercise.
You will be surprised how much the weight on your chest lifts when you give it life and realise that it holds no real power. When you speak the thing you are afraid of, you take away its power.
Final thoughts
Wellness and success don’t compete with each other—they complete each other. You can be highly ambitious and deeply cared for. You can grow a business without sacrificing your well-being. You can thrive in a corporate or independent career without feeling drained all the time.
Just remember: vitality is built through daily habits, balance is created with boundaries, and clarity is found in simple intentional practices.
When those become non-negotiable, everything else in life—health, productivity, relationships, creativity—levels up naturally.
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