The question “Am I burning out?” may have crossed your mind a time or two in your professional life.  Why do I feel tired and sore so often?  Is my chest pain or racing heart stress-related?  Why does everything feel like an impossible burden?  Am I depressed, have a new medical condition, or burned out? 

Let’s start with the good news.  According to the latest McKinsey Women in the Workplace Report, Women’s representation in the C-suite is the highest it has ever been. Around 32% of top executive roles are filled by women.  Hooray!  This is vitally important to organizational performance. 

The report also reports that women working remotely during the pandemic reported less fatigue and burnout, more focused time on their work, and more ambition to seek promotion. Women found remote work empowering for career advancement while improving work and personal life balance.

Organizational culture and performance rely heavily on its C-suite and executive management teams. That is why more than $60 billion is spent globally on executive leadership programs. But while much money and attention are being poured into leadership programs, the value of executive health remains often overlooked.

It goes without saying that exercise is a powerful tool for health. Exercise levels directly impact health outcomes and longevity, and health professionals typically provide lifestyle counsel that “some exercise is better than none” or a recommendation to walk 30 minutes 3 days a week.

As a cardiologist and lifestyle medicine physician, it doesn’t take long for someone in social or professional circles to pin me on a recommendation for the “best diet.”

In traditional medical circles, there can be a discrediting attitude around the topic of mind-body medicine and the role of stress in physical ailments.

Whether it is the public, healthcare practitioners, or those in healthcare systems or organizations, it’s hard to find someone who isn’t lamenting a broken healthcare system and the need for transformation.