Mental Health Day Focus: How Should CEOs Deal with Stress?
Ram Tulumuri “When talking about how to be a CEO, the sudden shift, extreme stress, sickness or injury can typically cause stress. Unfortunately, life is full of unpredictable problems that can confuse our minds, or even take away our happiness. To maintain optimum creativity and wellbeing, a different set of skills are required. There is no way one could be completely prepared for depression, but it’s always handy to know a few useful tips, just in case. In this article, we will look at how a CEO can deal with stress to maintain optimum creativity and wellbeing”
Why is Stress Management Important for CEOs?
According to a study by Vistage (an international association for CEOs) 100% of the 2,400 participating CEOs suffer from an unstable economy, may come from external sources. It may also stem from our body and mind. Stress can disable our thoughts and creativity, which are the key factors to management and being a great motivator. For many people, stress can be managed through relaxation activities such as yoga and taking breaks.
Mental Health Mistakes to Avoid
There are decisions CEOs make every day that can dramatically impact the way they feel emotionally and physically, some of which may seem entirely unrelated to their health and happiness. That’s because our human experience is basically about connecting with other people. Connections are what provides our lives with significance and meaning. We’re wired for it and that’s just what research confirms. Therefore, one of the biggest mental health mistakes we should avoid is the denial of deep and significant relations (such as marriage, close friendships and connecting with family). Several studies indicate that close family relations are one of the key reasons why the people of Okinawa, Japan, despite being one of the country’s poorest prefectures, have remarkable longevity.
Try Not to Stay All Day Indoors
You can get an array of mental and physical health benefits by discovering the world around you, whether it means traveling or hiking the forests in your area. It will increase the confidence you have in yourself and boost your ability to connect with others by exploring the outdoors and spending time in nature. For starters, the advantages of sunlight (and the detrimental effects of artificial light) are well known in research.
Spending a lot of time indoors isn’t great for your physical health either. Being detached from the natural environment can have negative effects (especially natural sunlight) can even have harmful effects as extreme as respiratory problems or Seasonal Affective Disorder. So try to spend more time outdoors by going for a walk/run in the mornings or whenever you get some free time.
Taking the Time to Meditate
Several research studies have shown that meditation has the ability to alleviate anxiety, thereby potentially improving stress resistance and efficiency. That was definitely true of Alak Vasa, the founder of Elements Truffles, who began to meditate at Goldman Sachs and ITG as a trader. She says that meditation, even under extreme stress, helped her hold anxiety and panic at bay.
Seeking Professional Help
If your depressive mood lasts more than two weeks or significantly interferes with your ability to function at work and in your social life, or causes you to consider or intend to commit suicide, it would be a very good idea to speak with a mental health professional as quickly as possible. You can also reach out to a trusted family member or friend and start developing a support system. It can only help to ease the burden of your situation by acknowledging that you are depressed and unhappy.