WE work so hard for our businesses and profession that oftentimes we neglect the most important asset of the business: Us.
Business executives and owners are oftentimes so thinly spread that they forget to take care of themselves. They neglect to include in their everyday list a time to exercise, to have quiet times and pray and meditate and even just a few minutes of “me-time.” When they get sick, they realize they had completely neglected their health because they were so focused on their businesses. They care more for their business or work than caring for themselves.
A good reminder is that when business owners and executives are taking care of themselves, they are taking care of their business. It is not just a once-a-year long vacation but an everyday habit incorporated in one’s schedule. If we take good care of our offices and our other assets—including our cars and homes—we should have the same maintenance not only for our body but also for our mind and soul.
These acts of self-care do not only benefit oneself but the business as well. It helps us be more productive, have a more cheerful disposition and aid us in making the right decisions. A healthy mind, body and soul are good assets to the company or any businesses.
I saw videos about these people living up to a hundred and some even working in their 90’s. They are not affected by dementia. They can still walk. And their teeth and bodies are still as strong as ever.
I may not live up to that age but certainly many of us, if not all, would want to have a good quality life when we reach old age and continue to work on something we love to do. An example is Barbara Taylor Bradford who continue to author books at her 90’s! We want to look forward for longer years and not confined in a wheelchair or be bed-ridden and helpless.
But we cannot have that kind of quality of life if we do not prepare just as we prepared our businesses. While we are still alive, we must be good stewards of our body, mind and soul. Taking time for our personal relationships like having fun times with the family, loved ones and friends are not only good for the body but for the mind, body and soul as well.
Company executives are at risk of heart diseases. According to data from the Mayo Clinic, 73 percent of chief executive officers (CEOs) live a sedentary lifestyle. They sit in their offices the whole day and eat in a hurry without proper nutritional choices because of long hours and sporadic schedules of work. Likewise, 40 percent of CEOs are obese, which is a major risk factor for heart diseases and diabetes.
To combat such unhealthy lifestyle, business executives should be intentional in carving out time for exercise and planning a more nutritious meal. If it is really difficult to have time for the gym, a 20-minute walk outside the office every day is better than nothing.
I am trying to go back to the gym nowadays. For the past 20 years or more, gym has been a part of my routine. But I stopped for two years during the pandemic. I got a personal coach to help me back on the proper exercises not just to reduce weight but more on strengthening my muscles. It will be such a waste if all those years of strengthening and toning my muscles had gone for naught.
As one grows older through the years muscle mass and strength are also reduced and worse, is the onset of muscle atrophy primarily caused by the natural aging process. Scientists believe though, that being physically active and eating a healthy diet can significantly reduce the chances of having such occurrences. People are more prone to osteoporosis and arthritis as they grow older and even younger people who are not in their 50’s can experience these diseases. These disabilities are usually caused because one’s muscles deteriorate and lead to death because of the inability to walk and move around.
A quiet time to pray or meditate and a quiet mind plus a good sleep will mean a more productive executive, too. This will not only result to a happy executive but an executive full of creative juices to make the right decisions.
Annual physical examinations are not just an optional thing to do but a must for executives. These examinations will enable one to have an insight on their over-all health conditions and take steps to reduce health risks.
It is an important thing too to have a good team support which you can delegate your work.
Remember caring for yourself is caring for your business.
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Wilma Miranda is the 2023 chairman of the Ethics Committee of the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines, a Managing Partner of Inventor, Miranda & Associates, CPAs and a member of the Board of Directors of KPS Outsourcing Inc. The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinion of these institutions.
