Got Health?

There is no shortage of studies that show when we consistently dedicate time and focus on our health in a holistic way, our physical, mental, relational and spiritual health will improve. But too often, we don’t dedicate the requisite time and focus because the speed of life gets in our way. As any high-performing team can attest, today’s technology enables the ability to work anywhere, anytime, which adds flexibility and efficiency in today’s fast-paced world. However, this technology-enabled pace can leave us feeling depleted, both mentally and physically, which can lead to burnout.   

Gallup conducted a study in 2018 on the cause and effect of employee burnout. Their study found that of 7,500 full-time employees, 23% of employees reported feeling burned out at work very often or always, while an additional 44% reported feeling burned out sometimes. Many employees believe burnout is part of the job if they want to be successful, when, in fact, the side effects of exhaustion and stress hinder performance. I love studying the life of world-class marathoners. These athletes are disciplined, and they have a clear training plan — one that speaks not only to how far and how fast they will run, but also to how much rest they will get. Consider how our own performance would improve if we adopted a runner’s mindset and approached life as a marathon and not a sprint. 

Physical, mental, relational and spiritual health all take time. How many times have you done the exercise where you are asked to list your priorities and then asked to list how you spend your time, only to find that the two do not match?  

Kelly Grier, our US Chairman and Americas Managing Partner, recently made a bold statement about the criticality of health and wellness. 

Our Board had the opportunity to attend an executive experience at EXOS in Phoenix, Arizona (TeamEXOS.com). EXOS is a company that strives to better people in health and performance by leveraging four pillars — mindset, movement, recovery and nutrition — and includes classroom studies, group workouts, various assessments and one-on-one coaching.

During these two days with EXOS, I got to focus heavily on health and wellness, which are passions of mine. Coming from a family with a history of heart issues, I have come to truly believe that health is our greatest source of wealth.

At the end of the day, health and wellness are about choice, and I challenge you during this holiday season to choose health and wellness and make them a priority in your life!

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Ernst & Young LLP or any other member firm of the global EY organization.