CFO: Senior-most executive responsible for financial control and planning of a firm or project.
There is no denying that a CFO’s work is hard and they need more hours in a day and more arms to keep all their balls in the air. Your concentration needs to be razor-sharp at all times and all the company projects revolve around your expertise.
Where does that leave time to keep your health in tip-top shape?
The lack of sleep and fast food binges take its toll on your body, mind, and eventually your soul. This, in the long run, limits the time you have to focus and finish your projects, as your body can’t keep up and affects your abilities. You need a contingency plan. Most CFO’s don’t have the time to eat well or work out. They work 36 hour days and on the odd occasion that they have a few hours off, they spend it resting or with their family.
Tweet this: How being in tip top shape makes you a better CFO
Keeping up this pace is a strain on any person’s mind, body, and life and if not addressed, will affect you in the long run. It has become a great stress point in the press about people dying or becoming seriously ill in the financial industry. Although it’s hard to hear, it does magnify the importance of staying healthy in your everyday busy industry. There is still time to make a difference.
A census was done in the white collar level of the Australian Construction Industry, to investigate the daily stress that their jobs entail. They were asked if they are fully aware of the health hazards they are exposed to with the growing presence of mental illness in their industry. As increasing amounts of workers are diagnosed with mental health disorders, occupational mental health has become an issue that has grown in importance over recent years. This emerging epidemic of mental health problems not only proves to be detrimental to the personal lives of the workers but also the economic productivity of the wider state. One report in 2016 claimed that mental health related absenteeism was costing Australia 6.3 billion annually, and this number is said to be growing each year.
It is also the job of the Construction Executive to be an example to the workers they are surrounded by every day. If you portray a healthy lifestyle your subordinates might follow your lead. According to statistics, the average construction worker is six times more likely to die from suicide than an industrial accident. Construction Workers are twice as likely to commit suicide than the average person in Australia.
Also interesting are these statistics from the American CFMA (Construction Financial Management Association). Health problems not only affects productivity , there are statistics that prove a fall in the economy.
“…in Construction also said suicide and suicidal behaviour cost the industry more than $1.5 billion a year.”
It the silent killer of the Construction Industry itself.
Some of the health factors could include gaining weight, Vitamin D deficiency and being constantly tired which makes you susceptible to any number of illnesses. You try to manage the pain by using prescription tablets, this, in turn, causes even further damage to your endocrine system.
‘CFO fit’ tips to keep your whole system in tune
The fact is, you will not be the fittest, healthiest version of yourself while working in the financial sector, but there are ways to make sure that you stay as healthy as possible.
Eat Healthy
The hardest thing to do, when you are stressed and tired, is to watch your weight. Resist temptation and rather eat a quick and easy healthy meal like the On-the-Go Meal plan, 17 High-Protein Snacks You Can Eat On the Go, Easy Diet Plans for People on the Go, 32 Healthy Meals You Can Literally Eat on the Go or Pack-and-Go Healthy Lunch Recipes for Work or even key to chaos Eating Clean On The Go: It’s All In The Planning
Sleep Well
It is imperative for any living breathing organism to get enough rest. You might not know this but we are part of that category. Yes! We are living breathing creatures, not robots that turn on when the work starts.
Sleep rejuvenates, it restores and gives you enough energy to take your day by the horns! It’s good for your body and your brain, but you don’t need a scientist to tell you that. Your constitution needs sleep. You might know it by the name slumber, nap, latency, dormancy, dose, rest, shuteye. No matter what you call it, you have to do it! Sleep better!
In this article by Alisa from Nestmaven she explains that your body has its own sleep schedule etched in your DNA.
“Science has shown that our sleep-wake schedules go beyond a simple difference in preference: Our optimal schedule is actually part of our DNA.” Alisa, Nestmaven
“If you find yourself feeling groggy and under-rested come the morning, it may be due to a conflict between your biological clock and your practiced daily routines. It’s possible that going to bed an hour earlier, or waking up an hour later, maybe just the shift your body is asking for.”
A few helpful references:
How Sleep Helps Work-Life Balance , Work-Life Balance Helps You Sleep Better , The Importance of Sleep, Sleep Better Tonight and Have Better Work-Life Balance Tomorrow , A good night’s sleep helps with job performance , Sleep More, Increase Your Workday Productivity
Exercise Enough
This is difficult and is a wish-list type thing for most CFO’s but going to the gym will make you feel better and make you more efficient. Join the gym near the office and go for a 20 minute run during your lunch break. How to Increase Productivity Through Exercise , 6 reasons why exercise can supercharge your productivity , How Does Exercise Improve Work Productivity?
You need to have a balance in everything you do, your life your work and most importantly your health. Finding extra time in your extreme work schedule is difficult. If you admit that you need a solution to help you cut time to make your day more manageable try our time-saving app, ProcurementExpress.com.
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