This time of the year we easily get the flu and feel under the weather. While your body needs to accept these attacks once in while it might not always be connected to the weather only. The end of winter is also a time of transition where we often notice that we did not follow through with all the resolutions we had when we started the year. Sometimes we might still struggle with our holiday weight or the lack of exercise. Sometimes we wish we drank less alcohol or spend less money on stuff we don’t really need. Sometimes we wish our dating life was better or that we had found a companion in life.

High performance results from a mix of feeling healthy as well as being emotionally stable.

You need to work with your body as if it was a team member. Too many clients I know have physical limitations that seem to stop them from a fully satisfied life. In my personal experience I know that I could not rely on my body in a time of high-stress almost 10 years ago. Like most junior managers I thought I own the world and that nothing could stop me but in that year I changed my job, flew to New York, got married, went on honeymoon and around three weeks later my disk slipped in the lower back. I had to be in the hospital and then at home for three weeks altogether and I hated it. I was so immobile and unhappy that I never wanted to have this experience again.

This incident might be one of the reasons why I became an executive coach because many times I see colleagues as well who just seem to believe that their body will handle and tolerate everything. Until they are diagnosed with burnout or cancer or they have a heart attack or high blood pressure. Another common thread that I recognize also among highly intelligent clients is a tendency to avoid intimate relationships because they could fall apart.

Many managers do not seek help unless a doctor tells them that it is time to change behavior. Imagine you had an “oldtimer” (vintage car). Would you wait until the garage repair person told you to come for check up or would you take the car to a regular check up to make sure it does not rust? Some of us treat their cars better than their bodies. Frankly speaking, I used to to be like that until I had my three week unintentional break. Since then I have become a lot better at prioritizing health.

Your health might not feel urgent to you just yet.

Could it be that your body  gives you signs that you need to change “something” in your life?

If you read the signs correctly you have three choices:

1) You can ignore this and move on until you have a bigger issue.

2) You can take it seriously as a sign that you need to have a medical check up or

3) You can go and seek an executive coach who can help you analyze where you are overburdened and how you can work better with your existing resources.

Please let me know in the comments if you have any questions about your physical and mental health.

Thank you.

Angie

Read more about how to stay healthy and get productive by ordering Michael Hyatt‘s ebook “Shave 10 hours off your workweek.” It’s a free resource I can highly recommend.

[tweetthis twitter_handles=”@angieweinberger”]Tip of the week: Take a walk every day. #manageyourenergy[/tweetthis]

Stress written all over your body?

1) Take one hour out of your busy schedule and consult a therapist

2) Go for light exercise rather than the gym such as a daily walk outside

3) Clean up your workspace daily and mono-task

What do you do when you already have a bad day or you are not feeling up to your normal standards?

You start an emotional discussion on a chat until you want to smash your phone in the nearest shop window. The advantage is you can do this on the train. The disadvantage is that your conversation partner might not get the message. If you speak on the phone he or she will hear your tone of voice. I observed a woman getting engaged in a discussion using her other free hand to show her frustration. She seemed unwell. Yet, she went to a meeting. (I had done this so many times in my corporate life that I could relate to her feelings.) She was chatting with her boss and I could tell she was close to crying or shouting out loud.

It also reminded me of my own behavior the day before. I had agreed to do a resume update for a friend but was frustrated because he needed it the same evening and in print. My day was already a bit annoying and then I got angry at myself for lowering my standard and not attending my weekly brain & body remedy (a Bollywood dance class). I skipped the class, went home, did the updates and brought the print-outs to my friend. He was happy. My evening was ruined and my mood as well.

Sometimes we feel that we let other people (relatives, friends, clients) take over our schedule. We do not set clear boundaries and then we are angry. We often cut corners because of “time pressure” or “external circumstances” and then we hate ourselves for not saying “No” earlier.

With clear principles and a bit of distance we can work this out better:

1) Take care of your health first. If you are sick or unwell stay at home and turn off your communication devices. Distance yourself from the stress.

2) Once you feel better see what damage has been done. Was the conference call really that urgent? Did the presentation really save the world?

3) If you know you tend to express your emotions in emails use the “draft” function. Re-read what you wanted to send a few hours later. Tone it down.

4) Delete apps that encourage you to chat unless you want to develop an ulcer or remain in this condition for the rest of your professional life.

Let me know how this went.

Angie