As successful business leaders and entrepreneurs, it can be easy to push aside important self-care activities, in favour of using the time to ‘get more done’ in the business.
But is this really a winning formula?
In yesterday’s Meeting of the Titans, we looked at several areas which can affect our productivity and enjoyment of business as high performing leaders.
Exercise was flagged by a few who said they’d like to invest more time exercising than they presently do. Even though they recognised from previous periods of exercise that when they did they felt better, related to Team better, performed better, and most likely had a more expansive view of the opportunities in their business (and life).
You may have been in this position before, or maybe you’re there now, prioritising business above self-care, even though the science clearly points to exercise as an imperative if you want to be performing at your best.
As well as the increase in feel-good hormones and sense of fulfilment that we know comes with regular exercise, this TED talk by professor of neuroscience, Wendy Suzuki, deep-dives into the science which shows that exercise can actually change the anatomy, physiology and function of our brains. Creating an increase in focus, attention and capacity – basically we become more intelligent and higher functioning than we are without it.
And just in case that astounding result isn’t enough to banish those lingering feelings of guilt about taking time out to exercise, the Center for Creative Leadership wrote the following in their article entitled ‘A Leader’s Best Bet: Exercise’:
“Leaders who exercise regularly were rated significantly higher by their bosses, peers, and direct reports on their leadership effectiveness than those who didn’t.
Time invested in regular exercise, even if it means spending less time at work, is correlated with higher ratings of leadership effectiveness. It seems that a healthy lifestyle can help executives better cope with the stresses and demands of their positions, ultimately increasing their leadership effectiveness.”
So it seems that self-care sacrifice, in the name of being a focussed and hard-working leader is probably not benefitting our colleagues or team either.
In fact, if the research in this article is anything to go by, when given a choice, our Team would likely hand us our runners and push us politely out the door, rather than ask us to sacrifice our health and happiness to stay back and help.
If you’re now pondering the best way to start or increase your current exercise routine, the answer is to make sure that whichever way you approach it, make it fun. The most effective way to create any change that’s sustainable is to put your time into activities that you find enjoyable and inspiring.
This could be a team sport, where you’ll be inspired to turn up for your team mates, even if you’ve had a big day, or hiring a personal trainer who holds you accountable and is able to help you to reach your specific goals, working with you in a way which has you feeling like a champion.
The key is to take a first step that is achievable, by scheduling a time which you will definitely commit to each week, and gradually increase from there. Before you know it, you’ll be enjoying more health and fulfilment, and your Team may even thank you for it. Your business definitely will.
