How To Take Better Like Of Yourself

Taking decisions when you can be exhausted and not thinking clearly should be detrimental to your bottom line - and your health. As an executive coach, I've always been a large champion of encouraging the CEOs and MDs I mentor and coach to achieve a well work or life balance so they should be more effective and productive. As business leaders we are often guilty of pushing ourselves too hard - like the time when I hit 'the wall' 350 miles into my 2007 epic bicycle ride below the west of America. I had eaten too little, spent too long within the saddle - and consequently ran out of steam. The only solution was to take 3 days off to refuel and let my body to recover.

The highest many frightening aspect was the impact on my brain. I was unable to do simple calculations or work out my average daily mileage and convert it into the many days it should take me to reach Mexico. A testimony to this is 3 pages of calculations and ramblings in my log book!. The importance of listening to our bodies cannot be overstated - as I discovered in a more recent skills development and closer to building on a three-day break in Northumberland. I had large plans to explore the byways on my bike.

Subsequently waking up late morning on first day, a quick 5 periods within the armchair subsequent to lunch turned into an extended siesta and sett the pattern for the following 3 days. Clearly I wanted the rest and wondered how good my decision-making had been within the preceding week. What do you do to recharge your batteries, how do you counter the effects of stress, who do you 'chew the fat' with? Or do you just hold charging on regardless?. Getting out on my bicycle is a method to clean my head and gain a sense of achievement. I'm now enjoying receiving a weekday off once a month to ride with a team of colleagues and like companionable outings.

I no detailed wake at 3am staring at the ceiling since I kicked the caffeine habit and, thanks to the advice of Sue Firth I've changed my diet and got rid of those sweetener highs. Signing up to Twitter and following interesting blogs has opened up new horizons and helped me 'Sharpen the Saw' as Stephen Covey puts it. Taking time to invest in yourself, receiving like of body and mind is one regarding the biggest responsibilities of a leader and one you should not place of until later, due to the fact that it maybe too late.