Staying Healthy is What Keeps Me Productive
Health is important in business. It’s simply a fact. Managing a company and being an avid runner who exercises regularly, I understand the strong correlation between wellness and productivity. Regularly exercising and keeping healthy is one of the most important things you can do for both your body and your mind.
Studies have proven that the benefits of a healthy lifestyle range from stress reduction and improved thinking to better sleep and reduced risk of depression and anxiety. I have always had a great passion for sports. It began during my childhood in Canada playing ice hockey whenever I had the opportunity and grew from there. As an adult I have always made a concerted effort to prioritize health. Some of the biggest achievements in my personal life – aside from my beautiful family of course – have been sporting goals. Things I have been able to tick of my proverbial ‘bucket list’.
To date, I have completed around 50 marathons, raising money for a number of charities and reaching a target I set myself a long time ago. Attaining a black belt in karate was also a definite highlight, managed through hard work, determination and tenacity. One of my greatest passions, however, is mountaineering and I have had the pleasure of climbing 4,000 meters worth of mountains around the world.
Do I do it all for love? Of course! However, the positive impact that this activity and attitude to healthy living has had on my professional life is simply undeniable.
Healthy Eating to Help Throughout the Day
One of the main reasons why people commit to living a healthy lifestyle is to live longer. By consuming the right foods and regularly moving, people can live an extra 14 years. But it’s also about living better – and it’s not just about exercise. We all know that eating habits coupled with physical activity routines are shown to play significant roles in maintaining wellbeing. Many studies show that a healthy diet is crucial for increased productivity.
As we all know eating foods high in processed or refined sugar can disrupt your sugar levels significantly and give you extreme energy highs followed by the dreaded “sugar crash”. This aforementioned crash makes us want to eat more sugar in order to get a little boost in energy. Unfortunately the stresses of everyday life often give us cravings for those kinds of foods and start a cycle which is not easy to break.
A good way to break this cycle is, of course, a healthy diet; one in which you substitute foods high in sugar with fruits and vegetables. Fruit and vegetables contain natural sugars which work best to reduce the risks of energy spikes throughout the day. One thing to keep in mind is which foods most effectively support brain function. Food containing Omega-3 fatty acids and complex carbohydrates help you stay mentally and physically active.
Motivating the Mind and Mood
Success in the office is dependent on being healthy physiologically and psychologically, and wellness is known to lift the mood and increase confidence. With high societal demands and expectations, learning the ways to reduce stress and anxiety can help build coping mechanisms. The amount of information we consume on a daily basis has overloaded our brains – from spreadsheets and software to media and politics. Access to so much communication and data has an impact on us – one way this has affected us is the decline in our attention spans.
Human beings have progressively begun struggling to focus for longer periods of time, due to excessive exposure to digital stimuli. Exercise causes a release of hormones such as endorphins and serotonin, which improves cognition and concentration leading to maintained focus and reduces the chances of procrastination which in turn boosts productivity.
Enhancing sleep quality is also vital for optimizing productivity and maintaining good health. What you feed your body greatly influences your circadian rhythm which consists of physical, mental and behavioral changes following a 24-hour cycle. Therefore, keeping a consistent rhythm provides better functionality during waking hours.
Providing Space for Wellness at Work
In our company, we are sure to prioritize wellness. I truly believe a healthy team is a happy team, which is why we have implemented a number of initiatives and benefits to encourage a healthier lifestyle. We offer complimentary gym coaching for each team member, who can meet with a personal trainer three times per week. We also accommodate time for anyone who is attempting to reach some kind of physical target. Whether they are planning to run in the local 10k or climb Kilimanjaro during their vacation, they should feel supported by us to reach their goal.
Additionally, we always make sure that there are healthy snacks such as fruit and nuts available at the office and facilitate counselling with a professional therapist, should they so need it to help with their wellness. Initiatives such as these, whether big or small, are a vital part of our company culture and create the kind of working environment that breeds productivity and, in turn, success.
By cultivating a positive environment, I endeavor to create a supportive space where my team are able to thrive and reach their full potential.
Marc-Andre Pepin 