Your Wellness Checkup: 3 Ways to Infuse Health Into Your Life

You know it. They know it. When you’re feeling sick, over-whelmed, stressed out, or burned out, you are not performing at your best. And you’re not enjoying your work as much as you could, either. Unfortunately, work—especially work you love—has a way of becoming the thousand-pound gorilla that pushes aside other pursuits.

It may be time for a checkup—literally, with your physician. Or, in this case, figuratively—conducted by you. Ask yourself, “Who or what causes your overload?” Sometimes it’s you. How are you at managing your time, setting boundaries, or knowing when to say no? Are you clear about your priorities?

Sometimes, though, the overload is caused by them. Have they just merged, downsized, right-sized, grown by double (or even triple) digits, or handed you the work of three people?

Often it’s both. But regardless of the cause, the result is the same. “Stop for lunch and you are lunch” is a quote we saw hanging on a wall in a Silicon Valley company. The message is harsh. Exhausted faces show the result. Talented workers often sacrifice health and well-being as they strive to satisfy deadlines, bottom lines, their own work ethic, and the boss. Ironically, it backfires. They and their work suffer.

People who cannot find time for recreation are obliged sooner or later to find time for illness. —John Wanamaker?

Here are some telltale signs of overload:

• Family members complain that they rarely see you.
• Your “toys” (tennis racquet, golf clubs, novels, saxophones, garden shears) are gathering dust.
• Your “vacations” are usually just long weekends.
• You consistently take work home and work evenings or weekends.
• You consistently arrive at work early and leave late.
• You rarely meet friends or family for lunch.
• Your work demands have prompted you to drop a hobby or fail to use a health club membership.

There are, no doubt, things your boss and your organization can do to help you reduce stress and increase your level of wellness. When you identify a way for them to help, ask them for it. When all is said and done, though, it’s up to you to put a little more health, energy, and balance into your life and work. When you do that, you’ll find that your work satisfaction and success increase dramatically.

1.??? Manage Your Time (OK, How?)

One way of looking at it:

• A week is 168 hours. If you sleep 8 hours a night (recommended for wellness), you have 112 hours left.
• If you work 50 of those waking hours (including your commute), you have 62 hours left.
• If you regularly stay late, bring work home, or work on weekends, you might only have 30 or 40 hours left— fewer if you mismanage your time with distractions, procrastination, or unnecessary tasks.

So, manage your time wisely at work so you can spend all your time, both at work and away from work, productively and satisfyingly. What are you doing with the thirty-plus hours you have left, after sleeping and working? If you’re a typical American, you’re staring at some kind of screen (TV or computer) on average of five to six hours a day. That’s thirty-five to forty-two hours per week. That leaves you with zero time to exercise, interact with your family, or indulge in a favorite hobby. No wonder people complain that they have no time! If you turned off the television and computer just two days a week, think what you could do for your health and well-being.?

Here’s another way of running the numbers. If you live to your seventieth birthday, you will spend:

• twenty-three years of your life sleeping,
• seventeen years working,
• eleven years watching TV, and
• two years getting ready to go.

What if you spent just a few of those years doing something else? To maintain your health or get healthy, you sometimes have to say no to a good idea. You have to know when to draw the line.

2.??? Sleep and Eat (Duh!)

Not such a novel idea. Yet talented people forget to do just this.

What are you eating, and how much are you sleeping (yes, counting the naps at your desk)? How can you change? When will you start? Whom will you tell and enroll to assist you in your efforts?

3.??? Exercise (Groan)

Does it really have to hurt to qualify as exercise? The phrase “no pain, no gain” only works for a small percentage of people (triathletes and body-builders come to mind). Most sensible human beings actually spend their lives trying to avoid pain.

The gym may be your thing. If so, go for it! But don’t feel bad if it just isn’t you. The key is to find exercise you actually enjoy. If you like it, you’re much more likely to keep it up. And maybe variety is the spice of life for you. If so, walk one day, garden the next, bungee jump the next.

Prepare to Thrive

The next time you find yourself caught in the whirlwind of work and stress, remember that a wellness checkup is in order. Prioritize your health, set boundaries, and say no when necessary. With these changes, you'll discover a remarkable transformation in your work satisfaction and overall success. After all, life is not just about surviving; it's about thriving. Embrace the opportunity to live a healthier, more fulfilling life, and watch as your personal and professional worlds flourish in harmony.

Connect with Bev on LinkedIn

Adapted with permission from Love It, Don’t Leave It, Copyright 2003 by Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evans. Published by Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.