As a leader, one of the best things you can do is take care of your health. Too often in our society stress and unhealthy behaviors are glorified as a sign that someone is working hard. We look at someone who gets little sleep and skips lunch because they are too busy as a go-getter and a hard worker. Unfortunately, this behavior is rewarded and glamorized and it can be very dangerous in the long term.

I have always worked jobs that go beyond the traditional “9:00-5:00.” Most recently I worked at a place that completely glamorized and idolized working overtime. I remember one time listening to a coworker practically brag that she worked so hard that she actually gave herself an ulcer. The worst part was that everyone else treated that like a badge of honor. Our society rewards “hustling” and calls people who work 15 hours a day “girl bosses.” While it’s great to encourage a hard work ethic, ultimately this promotes dangerous and unhealthy behavior.

The best thing you can do to be as successful as possible is to stay healthy. Your physical health is vital to your performance at work. If you don’t take care of yourself in the short term, you may have serious long term effects. Getting a good night’s sleep is one of the best ways to take care of yourself. Insufficient amounts of sleep can make you groggy and can decrease brain functioning and reaction time. In the long term, lack of sleep can have more serious effects on memory and cognitive functioning and can even lead to an earlier death. Similarly, stress can have serious negative side effects like weight gain, hair loss, and migraines. 

Physical health is not the only type of health that you need to worry about. Mental health is equally if not more important than physical health. Depression and anxiety can creep up on you when steps are not taken to avoid these issues. Once depression sets in it can be all consuming and it can greatly impact your ability to carry out even small, everyday tasks. Unchecked mental health issues can completely derail your life and destroy your productivity. It’s amazing what you can do when you aren’t struggling with these issues.

To be a great leader, you need to be the best version of yourself. You cannot do that if you are struggling with health problems or dealing with mental health issues. Part of doing your job well is taking care of yourself. If you fail to do this, the ramifications can be significant. Start making healthy choices now. Drink water, exercise, sleep, cook healthy meals, and take the time to process your emotions rather than bottling them up inside. These steps are a great start to really take control of your own health. You don’t have to start doing all of these things at once-it won’t stick if you try to do too much too fast. But start small and slowly integrate little healthy habits into your everyday routine. This is the best way to be a great leader and healthy, happy person.

-        Bria