Having been a coach for the last 14 years, having worked with over 10,000 people, and spent the last 2 years as an executive health and performance coach, it’s clear how important it is for the CEO (and senior level team members) of any company to look after their physical and mental health,
Apart from the obvious importance of health, living longer and living a life with more quality too. There is a more immediate reason to prioritize health, both physical and mental health.
In the past, I have personally neglected my health and found myself in the midst of depression and anxiety, which had a huge negative impact on all areas of my life, not just my career but also to the detriment of my team, who didn’t get the leadership they should have had from me as the CEO.
But don’t just take my experience for it as I’ve also worked with many high-level execs who have for many years focused a lot on their career, and kudos to them. It’s got them extremely high levels, which many get to in their career, but at what cost?
- Poor hormone regulation (both male and female)
- Growing midsection
- Poor sleep
- Reduced mood regulation
- Higher blood pressure
- Low energy
- To name but a few of the side effects we witness from someone who’s dedicated their life (quite literally) to their career.
Of course, with any C-level role, there will be pressures that can often lead to stress, and demands are often high. It’s tough at the top, however, it’s important to point out a quote I regularly use with my coaching clients-
You can’t put it in an empty cup.
This means we can’t keep giving if we aren’t giving ourselves enough first.
So it’s extremely important to prioritize your physical and mental health because when you do?
- Your productivity will increase
- Your focus will improve
- You’ll be less likely to have sick days
- You’ll sleep better
- Your team will pick up on this and follow it themselves
- You’ll also have more energy for other areas of your life like socials, family and more.
Plus, of course, the many other health benefits gained from focusing on your health.
It’s also important for you as a leader in the company to promote health as that will pass down into your team. When the team sees their superiors at work focusing and prioritizing health, it’ll trickle down into the company and create a culture of prioritizing health. Which, of course, will improve the overall effectiveness of the team and thus increase profits too.
Improved health often = Improved performance.
Now, I know being a busy exec doesn’t always allow for hours of training and strict diets, but it really doesn’t have to be like that.
In fact, it’s often found that doing simple things consistently pays off in the long run.
- Walking 8-10k steps a day
- Get some sunlight and fresh air each day
- Drinking 2+ liters of water a day
- Sleeping 6-8 quality hours a night
- Lifting weights 3-5 times a week
- Eating plenty of protein, fruit and vegetables
These are the kind of basics that could fit into even the busiest of people’s lifestyles but are often neglected.
Doing these consistently for even as little as 30 days will have a huge impact on your physical and mental health. It’s what we do with our busy professionals on our coaching programmes to help create healthy habits that are sustainable.
Its life changing, its career changing.