Fatigue affects us all. More than 43% of workers are reportedly fatigued. You are working longer hours, leading busier home lives and committing more hours on distractions from the stress of it all -binge watching Game of Thrones anyone?
There is a balance to life and it seems as though we are off center.
So, who is losing the battle for your time? Your faithful and reliable pillow. Surprise! In exchange for more waking hours, you are sacrificing sleep. On top of it all, the quality of sleep you do get is very poor.
How can you keep this up?
Enter Dr. Greg Wells
Dr. Greg Wells is a renowned health and performance physiologist. He has worked with many Olympic and World champions, enabling them to achieve success through ultra-high performance. He has written three best-selling books: Superbodies, The Ripple Effect, and The Focus Effect.
The Ripple Effect has been my go-to guide to my own physical wellbeing needs. His explanations on the necessity of sleep and his recommendations have been a game changer in getting the crucial rest I need. Dr. Wells’ The Ripple Effect is a book that I recommend to anyone looking to regain control of their health both physically and mentally. Dr. Wells believes that our mind and body are the same and that we need to stop thinking of them as being different. Health is health.
A conversation about stress, fatigue and leadership
Recently, Yves Doucet, CEO and co-founder of Dovico, had the chance to talk to Dr. Wells about all things health. During their insightful conversation, they honed in on the importance of stress management and how rest plays a huge role in that. They also speak about the role that stress plays in our ability to be an effective leader.
What I enjoyed most about Yves’ and Dr. Wells’ conversation is how they tied our fatigue to the elevated levels of stress and cortisol built up in our bodies. The more tired we become, the more stressed we get. Ultimately, when we’re stressed, it affects our ability to lead and control our emotions.
Fatigue enables stress and stress diminishes our ability to lead
Dr. Wells stated that one of the best things that a leader can do is to “give people the emotion that they need at the moment.” In times of high stress, rested and empowered leaders give followers the chance to express the emotion they need to convey. He cited the example of the bullhorn speech President George Bush gave the rescuers -and nation- on top of the rubble of the World Trade Center in the days following 9/11.
Being well rested is fundamental to being an effective leader. Even Dr. Wells admits that when he is fatigued, that is when he loses his edge to lead. Like most of us, when he’s tired he overreacts and ends up having to make rapid-fire apologies to try and fix his mistake.
With so many of us walking around as sleep-deprived zombies, you owe it to yourself to check out the video below. Reducing stress and increasing quality rest in our lives has to become our priority once again, and Dr. Wells gives us all the practical knowledge that will help put you on the path to becoming a restful leader at work and home.