It’s like a super drug…and it’s free!
Ben Martin
Executive Health Coach | Father | Played Elite Rugby | ??Join my weekly newsletter below in the featured section??
For those of you that reach the bottom of this week's edition, I’ve created a fun but insightful quiz you can take…to get the most out of it make sure you read this entire newsletter before jumping in.
What I’m about to discuss is every leader's secret weapon (or worst enemy) - Sleep!
However, being a business leader makes you significantly more prone to being sleep deprived.
Whether you’re looking at national travel, international travel or just the stress and overthinking alone.
There are massive contributing factors at play that are nuanced to business leaders like yourself.
I love to begin this conversation with this simple fact (if you remember one thing, make it this)...
Once you’re consistently getting six hours (or less) of sleep per night, you’re cutting your lifespan short.
That’s why I recommend getting between 7-9 hours of sleep per night, consistently.
So, let’s look at some short term implications of slipping under that total;
??Impaired judgement - leading to lower IQ and EQ. In simple terms, poor decision making. Not good, as a decision maker?
??Reduced adaptability - leaving you poorly equipped to navigate business challenges.
??Reduced emotional capacity - often removing the emotional aspect of your thoughts, communication and consideration.
??Poor attention span - I don’t need to expand on this one.
??Increased hunger and cravings. Leading to frequent snacking and searching for sugar, caffeine and junk food.
??Reduced energy levels. Making any tasks outside of the “necessities” feel impossible.
??Irritability, leaving you poorly placed when dealing with family, your team or anyone that crosses your path.
Unfortunately, there are longer term impacts too;
??Such as the increased risk of developing early onset dementia - something none of us want to contend with.
??As previously mentioned, cutting your lifespan short. Less time with those you care about most doesn’t sound like the best investment, does it?
领英推荐
??Mental health battles such as depression, stress and anxiety. Your chances of slipping into one of these avenues massively increases.
??There are other health implications that you become at risk of such as hypertension, obesity, stroke and heart attacks/disease.
BUT
Good news. You can flip this on its head very quickly!
There are some super simple things you can start implementing from today that can set you up for success with your sleep;
?Wake up at the same time ????????????????. Even weekends - it’s the first step in regulating your circadian rhythm.
?Stop taking caffeine on board from 2pm onwards. It has a half life of six hours, so don’t push it too late.
?Create a pre bed routine. Hot showers, no digital stimulation, a relaxed environment and so on. Replicate this every night.
?Exercise of some kind daily - this helps sleep massively. A tired physical body will need good sleep, there’s a huge difference between mental fatigue and physical fatigue.
?Eating a considered, well balanced diet. Keeping your energy levels balanced and consistent across your day massively helps your body stay regulated and able to sleep much easier.
?Actively manage your stress loads daily. This could be reading, meditating, practising gratitude, taking a walk outdoors, connecting with loved ones, exercising a mental dump daily (big fan of this personally).
None of these steps require any cost nor do they require changing the world to implement.
Do them consistently and you will thank yourself for it today, tomorrow and in ten years time.
It’s like a super drug.
(take it from someone who’s recently started getting consistent sleep for the first time in over three years since my eldest was born. I feel like a brand new person)
You can take a quick quiz that will show you how well you score across sleep, stress, exercise and diet right now using the following link: https://ben-mvvldwbi.scoreapp.com?
Delivering a full report and giving you powerful insights on necessary changes for you.
It takes 65 seconds on average - so don’t tell yourself you don’t have the time.
Let me know how you get on.
Ben