Executive Leaders’ Tips for Fighting Stress
As an Executive Coach, a significant aspect of my relationship with clients involves supporting their mental health. Over the past two decades, I have witnessed the intensifying struggle leaders face to maintain their mental well-being and the well-being of the groups they manage.
Yet, some of my Executive Coaching clients seem immune to the “plague” of stress.
Let's take a look at what sets apart the leaders who seem to be 'slaying this mighty dragon' of stress:
Making it a priority to sweat every day, whether it’s biking, rowing, running, or power walking. Movement is what matters, but finding a regular partner or group to workout with makes it even better and can amplify your commitment, so find a pickleball club… it’s sweeping the nation!
Celebrating all wins, whether big or small. This practice does two things: 1) it marks the end of one challenge before the beginning of the next, and 2) it is a form of practicing gratitude, even if it seems self-focused. (Hint: Try carrying these celebrations home every night by recalling 3 things to be grateful for from your day. It’s a great way to support restorative sleep.)
Prioritizing sleep, which means getting to bed at a decent and consistent hour. In fact, my healthiest clients seem to have a ritual around preparing for sleep in terms of skincare, stretching, hydration, and powering the screens off an hour prior sleep to power down their brains. My husband likes to read before bed; when he does, he is typically asleep within 30 seconds of placing the book on the night table.
Eating clean foods so that they feel their best. Clean foods are minimally processed and prepared at home. This takes a bit more effort, but if done right, it is cheaper than eating out or ordering in every night. I personally find Dr. Mark Hyman’s recipes a great resource for healthy eating.
Ensuring they have their next vacation or staycation planned and booked at all times. Having a vacation plan locked down gives them something to look forward to, but even more importantly, it subconsciously enhances their ability to break their work stretches into blocks of time spent with and without stress. Neuroimmunologists tell us that those who maintain the perspective that each period of work stress is a separate and distinct experience and not just a continuous flow of trauma are much healthier, both physically and mentally, than those for whom life is just a ball of stress being pushed up an endless hill. It also doesn’t hurt their ability to protect their time and boundaries… it is easier to say no to a work request when the personal plan is booked and paid for.
Making time to keep their most important relationships happy and healthy. This involves vacations, socializing, and other plans to be together. Like planned vacations, making social plans with others helps ward off the ever-expanding stress cloud that pushes work into the empty spaces on the calendar.
Keeping a hobby, whether it be a social sport, like golf or tennis, or a social opportunity, like cooking, boating, painting, fishing, or a book club. Even solitary endeavors, like refinishing furniture, rebuilding a car, gardening, or knitting, are valuable for their ability to feed your soul with stress-free joy.
Pursuing mental health therapy if needed. In fact, many choose to maintain a relationship with a therapist just to help unpack current and past events. Those issues have weight and can really drag you down. Therapy can help you move forward in a way that is most supportive to your future self.
Preserving downtime, i.e., having a plan to have no plan, to think, rest, and just BE.
Meditating, either seated or in a solitary repetitive exercise (e.g., yoga, a solitary walk, a long run, tai chi, etc.). Using a meditation app can be a great facilitation for this, check out Insight Timer, Headspace, Calm, or 10% Happier.
The common link across all of these activities and habits is that they activate the parasympathetic side of the autonomic nervous system. This is the rest, digest, and restore side of our being, which opposes the fight or flight state that stress and our over-connected lives are forever forcing us into. The parasympathetic arm of the autonomic nervous system is the vagus nerve, which is activated by basic movements like stretching (yoga), deep breathing (rhythmic exercise and meditation), and positive interpersonal interactions (social engagement).
What do you do that helps keep you centered and in a state of wellbeing?
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