Five Health Mistakes Business Executives Make...
And
Why Their Performance Suffers
Most business
executives are so focused on landing deals, fulfilling client needs,
and getting through their to-do lists that they lose sight of the most
critical success factor: their own health. This article identifies the
top five health mistakes business executives make... and explains just
how costly these mistakes can be. Learn how to avoid these mistakes...
and watch your business performance improve as a result!
Mistake #1: You Don't Eat Breakfast
You've heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but
when things get busy, breakfast is usually the first thing to go.
How Costly Is This Mistake? Breakfast
essentially "breaks the fast" you've been on since dinner
the night before. Skipping breakfast and heading off to work is like
setting off on a road trip when your car's gas tank is empty. You may
make it a few blocks, but then you will come to a screeching halt.
If you skip breakfast,
you will find it hard to concentrate during morning meetings, and you
may not be able to handle your overflowing inbox efficiently. By lunchtime,
this calorie deficit will have caught up to you in a big way. Watch
out - you may find yourself ready to bite someone's head off by lunchtime!
Skipping breakfast is a surefire way to get into a fight with another
executive (or even worse... a client!).
What's the Solution? Eat a breakfast
that is easy to prepare and highly portable. Try a hardboiled egg and
a piece of fruit (you can make 5 hardboiled eggs at once, enough for
the full week). How about a bowl of instant oatmeal with some berries
and walnuts on top? Put a smoothie in your coffee mug and take it with
you (use frozen berries so you don't have to worry about fruit going
bad). Make a piece of toast while you're brushing your teeth, then put
some peanut butter on top (add a banana, and you're good to go!). Buy
a pre-made fruit salad and pair it with an Odwalla bar.
Mistake #2: You Load Up on Soda and Coffee To Stay Awake
Many executives can't make it through the day without their morning
coffee and afternoon Coke. I've worked with some executives who drink
10+ Diet Cokes per day! Other executives say they can't get going in
the morning without their coffee.
How Costly Is This Mistake? While coffee
and soda seem to give you energy... they're actually what I call 'fake
fuel.' High caffeine consumption leads to eventual adrenal gland exhaustion,
which leaves you vulnerable to fatigue and autoimmunity in the long
term. Caffeine also stimulates stress hormones that increase your anxiety,
irritability, and insomnia.
When you need
to be 'on' all day, the last thing you need is to be irritable and anxious!
The caffeine in soda and coffee keeps you from being able to make healthy
responses to the daily stresses of your job. If you drink coffee and
soda, you will get overwhelmed easily and find it difficult to calm
down and center yourself during the workday.
What's the Solution? Drink more water.
You should get used to having a water bottle with you at all times.
If you need to gently transition away from soda and coffee, try using
Yerba Mate (an herbal tea
that will give you a healthy energy boost) or Teeccino
(an herbal coffee with less side effects). Start your day with a cup
of green or black tea. To transition away from your afternoon soda,
mix sparkling water with cranberry juice or lime. That way, you'll get
the bubbles you love without the sugar or the caffeine.
Mistake #3: You Skip Lunch (Or Don't Eat Enough During the Day
)
Many executives are so busy during the day that they grab lunch on the
run, or skip it altogether. They grab a candy bar from the vending machine,
or a piece of fruit to hold them over until the work day is done. Most
execuives tell me they're useless from 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. because they
feel so tired and spacey.
How Costly Is This Mistake? Think how
counterproductive it is to lose two hours out of your afternoon because
you're lacking energy! Skipping meals makes you feel sluggish, hungry,
and weak. When 3:00 rolls around, you will be unable to concentrate
and less likely to think creatively. If you have an important client
presentation, and you skipped lunch to finish preparing, you may not
have the energy and focus you need to successfully deliver the presentation.
You need to figure out a way to maintain your productivity during the
last few hours of the day!
What's the Solution? Take snacks to
work with you. If you can't get out for lunch, make sure you get a few
snacks in your body every few hours. This will keep your blood sugar
stable and keep you from crashing around 3:00 p.m. Try snacks that have
complex carbs, protein, and fat in them. Some good examples? Veggies
and hummus. An apple or banana with almond butter. Trail mix. Whole
wheat pitas and salsa. Turkey wrapped around cheese.
Mistake #4: You Run Yourself Ragged All Day
Most executives are on automatic pilot all day. They follow their Palm
Pilot schedules and move from one meeting to the next, one airport to
the next, without taking a mental or physical break.
How Costly Is This Mistake? Running
yourself into the ground on a daily basis means that at some point,
you'll have to stop. Usually, this 'stop' will come in the form of the
flu. Being sick means lost work time... something you probably try to
avoid.
What's the Solution? Learn to take
mini breaks throughout the day. In the morning, take a few minutes to
breathe slowly and deeply before you head to your next meeting. At lunchtime,
turn your computer display off so you can spend at least 5 minutes eating
your lunch in peace. In the afternoon, sneak outside for a quick 5-minute
walk in the fresh air. Ride home from work in silence (turn the radio
off and put the cell phone down) so you get a break from the constant
noise and input of the workday. Before you go to bed, stretch for a
few minutes to calm your mind before hitting the sheets.
Mistake #5: You Eat A Lot of Fast Food or Junk Food
Executives who are on the go all the time usually depend on fast food
joints or airports for their food.
How Costly Is This Mistake? When you eat junk,
your brain turns to junk. All fast food and junk food has a lot of fat,
grease, and sugar in it. These ingredients clog your body and your brain.
Fast food and junk food slow you down and make you lethargic, limiting
your ability to make decisions effectively and react quickly
What's the Solution? Incorporate live
food into your day - the kind of food that will give you lots of energy!
If you know that you're going to a restaurant for a client dinner, order
a salad. The live greens will give you social energy. If you know that
you're going to meet colleagues for lunch in the cafeteria, bring some
baby carrots, cucumber slices, or other veggies with you to munch on
in the afternoon. The live energy will feed your brain and help you
approach your afternoon to-do list with vigor!
The Bottom Line
One of the fastest ways to improve your business performance is to improve
your health. All it takes is a few small changes to see dramatic results!
If you've gotten into the habit of making any of the health mistakes
listed above, pick one to change... today! Select a solution that will
work for you and try it out for a week. Notice the difference it makes
- not just in your health - but in your business performance.
Send feedback to the author, Christi
Lehner.
To learn more about Christi's Corporate Wellness Programs, click
here.
To view Christi's corporate speaking schedule, click here.
