Leadership and Wellbeing - Physical Health

What is wellbeing and why is it important for leadership? Wellbeing is health, or the ability to stay comfortable and happy. Why is this so important for leadership? Leaders are the guides in an organization and create the culture of which they are a part. It is critical for leaders to focus on their own health in order to stay grounded, focused, disciplined, and guiding others in the right direction. The more that leaders can stay centered in who they are the better they are then going to be able inspire and grow others in the organization.

Wellbeing is made up four different components: physical health, emotional health, mental health, and spiritual health. The first one we are going to focus on is the physical health as it is the basis of keeping the body strong, vital, and full of energy to handle all of the work needs in an organization. What can leaders to keep to keep their physical health in balance?

Exercise - working out for 30 minutes 4-5 times a week is a great way to relieve stress, get the endorphins going, and keep your energy levels high. Whether you walk the dog, go running, play tennis, or go to the gym physical activity is a great way to keep your wellbeing in balance.

Eat nutritionally - as a busy leader you are often on the go, eating out with clients, burning the hours on both ends which can lead to poor nutritional choices. In order to maintain or increase your physical wellbeing it is important to eat healthily getting plenty of vegetables and fruit, lean meats, and lots of water. There is an online app where you can now track all of your food intakes called MyFitnessPal and is a great way to know what you are putting into your body.

Sleep well - often when you are working hard you forsake sleep, but research is showing that getting 7-8 hours of sleep per night is critical in functioning as well as possible.

What is one physical health step that you can take to increase your wellbeing? What area can you focus on?