f you're like most in our industry, especially feet on the street merchant level salespeople (MLSs), you work long hours. There is no such thing as an end to the workday. You carry a cell phone, pager and laptop and respond to calls and text messages as quickly as you receive them.

You've chosen an ultra competitive profession, and you understand that achieving success requires acting quicker than your competitors. You probably work late and make phone calls and respond to e-mails first thing in the morning.

This frantic pace will disrupt more than your sleep; it will also wreak havoc on your eating habits. Do the words "lunch" and "hour" never occur in the same sentence? Does your car double as your dining room table? Do the majority of your meals come with fries and a soda?

Maybe it's time to examine how your lifestyle and hectic workdays are affecting you and your work. Stress, lack of sleep and a poor diet will leave you feeling physically drained. A drained MLS won't do anyone any good, especially himself. While you may not be willing to cut your hours or limit your workload, there are some steps to take to live a healthier lifestyle and maintain energy throughout the day. Following are some tips on how to do this:

Take a Quick Walk

When you feel your energy dipping, take a brisk walk. Although it may be the last thing you want to do, give it a try. It might be enough to perk you up. Tell yourself you will do it for just five minutes, and you will probably want to keep going for at least 10 or 15 minutes more.

Improve Sleeping Habits

If dragging during the day, you may need to improve the quality and quantity of your sleep. Limit work activity before heading to bed for the night. Take time to wind down and relax rather than going straight from laptop to pillow.

Improve the chances of getting a good night's sleep every night. Go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning. It may be difficult to resist sleeping in on weekends, but if you do sleep in your body may have trouble getting back into the work schedule on Monday morning. Also, keep the room dark. Turn off the TV and make sure blinds block all light coming through windows.

If you aren't successful in getting more sleep at night, you may need a catnap to make the waking hours more productive. Sleeping, or simply resting for 20 minutes, may be all that's needed to recharge in order to work through the afternoon hours.

Eat Healthfully

If you must eat on the go, stock the glove box with healthful alternatives to the fast food drive-thru lane. Some good choices are a piece of fruit or handful of nuts. When visiting restaurants, choose better options than a burger or fried food, such as a salad or fresh sandwich.

Although the idea of eliminating a morning java fix may be blasphemy, make efforts to decrease your caffeine intake. For example, at lunch skip the caffeinated soda in favor of water; the buzz may help you initially, but the inevitable crash will leave you faltering.

A sales professional's life is hectic, competitive and stressful. For many, this career choice leaves little room for rest, exercise and healthy eating habits. It doesn't have to be that way.

You don't have to find a new profession to lead a healthier lifestyle or cut your client list to reduce stress. Make a conscious effort to exercise, improve sleep habits and eat healthfully to reap the rewards of increased energy and vitality. An energized MLS will better serve clients and himself.