One of the main reasons I chose self-employment was to prioritise my health, giving me the time and focus to take better care of myself.
In Chapter 2 of my book No More Bosses, I share stories of people I know who went through extremely tough times due to work stress:
- A Global HR Director working 20 hours a day across Singapore and the USA, which triggered an asthma relapse she hadn’t experienced since childhood.
- A data scientist hospitalized for a month after juggling too many responsibilities in the office.
- A senior executive who developed Parkinson’s-like symptoms from the relentless pressure of trying to manage an impossible work situation.
For me, it happened twice: once towards the end of my recruitment business, when the stress from shareholders and business demands took a toll on me, and again when I was running an outplacement office, chasing an unachievable target.
Over-smoking, over-drinking, and waking up in a cold sweat became a typical Tuesday for me.
Fortunately, these experiences hit me when I was younger and more resilient. I can’t imagine the irreversible damage if they were to happen now.
With that realisation, I embarked on my journey to “reverse aging”—both biologically and physically.
The first step was eliminating work stress, which for me came from toxic cultures, endless bureaucracy, and unrealistic expectations. Self-employment solved all that by giving me control over who I work with and who I don’t.
But that’s just one piece of the puzzle.
There are other aspects that matter, whether you’re self-employed or in a corporate job: supplements, exercise, and skincare.
Let’s start with supplements.
Supplements
My attention to supplements began after reading Lifespan – Why We Die and Why We Don’t Have To, a book that treats aging like a disease and suggests ways to combat it.
Although most of the book was theoretical, the actionable insights came in the form of supplement recommendations. That’s where I learned about NMN and resveratrol.
(Quick disclaimer: I’m not a doctor, and nothing here is medical advice. This is purely informational.)
I also took a DNA test from Circle DNA during a 50% promotion, which helped me identify dietary deficiencies based on my genetics.
Use my code ÁDRIANTAN18’ & get a special discount up to 50% OFF on CircleDNA’s Premium Test!
However, I wanted something more precise—so I turned to Mito Health for blood and stool tests.
Based on the results, they recommended interventions for my slightly elevated cholesterol levels.
After extensive research and experimentations, I arrived at my current supplement stack: (most of these are affiliate links)