High Performing Habits, part 2

In an earlier post, I wrote about research showing that the most effective leaders go beyond time management skills to use high-performing habits throughout their workday. These are meaningful at work, and yet, the activities that impact our effectiveness do not end when we go home. In fact, the habits we create during our “off-work hours” can be some of the most impactful on our focus, creativity, resilience and physical and mental energy – all of which we need in large supply to successfully navigate the the average workday.  Many of us tend to downplay how much time we are willing to give ourselves for our own wellbeing.

It is well-understood that lack of attention to your mental and physical wellbeing impacts your daily and long-term effectiveness at work.  Consider sleep: recent research at Hult International Business School indicates that lack of sleep can fundamentally hinder managers’ ability to perform at their peak, including impacting memory, mood and stress (to name just a few).  Additional research suggests that healthy adults should get a minimum of seven hours of sleep each night, yet the professionals surveyed averaged only 6.5 hours.  How much sleep do you get?

In addition, research from the Brigham Young University found that employees experience better job performance and lower absenteeism when they had good nutrition and exercised on a regular basis. Workers who exercised for 30 or more minutes on three or more days a week were 15% more likely to have higher job performance. Additional, new research shows that even 7 minutes of a high-intensity workout can have a positive impact on both body and mind.  How much exercise do you get in daily?

Think about your personal experience with sleep, nutrition and exercise.  Which of your daily routines are detrimental?  How can you create more “high-performing habits” in your sleep, food and daily fitness schedule this year?

Some suggestions:

• Catching up on sleep on the weekends isn’t sufficient. Prioritize sleep this week, and go to bed 30 min earlier than usual. Notice what changes as a result.

• Add one positive nutritional change each day. It might be eating a balanced breakfast, or replacing an afternoon high-sugar snack with a green juice or healthy option.

• Finding time to get to a full gym workout each day can be a challenge. If you can’t get to the gym, add one short, high-intensity activity, such as a 15-20 minute cardio session or jog around the block? Or, add a low- to mid-intensity physical activity as a replacement, for example get off the subway a few stops earlier and walking to the office.

• If you have never tried meditation or breathing exercises, try it. The effects go beyond stress relief into greater memory, less cellular aging and greater feeling of happiness. Research shows that 10-minutes per day can have significant benefits. There are many free apps which can support a daily mental reset practice.

  Seeing results after making a few positive habit changes creates motivation to make permanent changes. Yet change is hard and it can be hard to stick to new habits. Give yourself a few months to experiment with different habits — and re-assess periodically.