How CEOs can use holistic therapies to manage stress

According to WHAA and UOW’s ‘2015 Health Profile of Australian Employees’ report, the average Australian worker is stressed, overweight, unfit and has a cholesterol or blood pressure problem. This statistic is worrying in itself—but for CEOs and leaders the risk of developing these health problems is even higher. A 2010 CEO Health and Wellness study by Apollo Life, CEOs have a 58.97% risk of developing cardiac problems due to stress, inactivity, poor diet and lack of sleep. But why is this?

Role models under constant pressure

CEOs and leaders are the key drivers of ideas, communication, implementation and change within their organisations. In any industry, CEOs are the catalyst for transformation and innovation. They are role-models who oversee both internal and outsourced teams; liaise with partners and stakeholders; and maintain transparency across the board, upholding an authentic brand. In essence, CEOs and leaders are under constant pressure to perform to a high professional standard. If you’re a CEO, you will know that this inevitability impacts your personal life—especially your emotional, psychological and physiological health and wellbeing.

Statistically overworked

If you’re a CEO or leader, you’re a game changer for your organisation and your industry at large, meaning you’re consistently faced with high-stake situations. Due to this highly pressurised work environment, a CEO Institute study found that CEOs and leaders are statistically overworked, stressed and at greater risk of developing ill health. This is where holistic health therapies can help.

Holistic therapies not only assist in reducing stress, but boost all-round health and wellbeing.

Holistic health practitioners treat you as a ‘whole person’, taking into account your health, genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors and searching for the deeper cause of the problem, rather than providing ‘band-aid’ solutions.

Therapies such as Naturopathy, Float Therapy, Remedial Massage and Chiropractic provide rejuvenating healing, using gentle, drug-free methods. These are ideal for stressed, overworked or unwell CEOs and leaders.

Naturopathy

Naturopathy is a form of natural medicine that restores health and wellbeing in the long-term. It’s based on the philosophy that the body has the inherent ability to heal itself. It uses a combination of herbal medicine, homeopathy, nutritional advice, flower essences, iridology, massage and other therapies. Naturopaths are trained professionals who treat people of all ages for a broad spectrum of conditions, from high blood pressure to IBS to skin conditions. It’s ideal for CEOs and leaders as it takes into account all contributing factors to your health, rather than prescribing quick-fix medication.

Float therapy

For CEOs suffering from stress and anxiety, Float Therapy offers the ultimate deep relaxation. Float restores balance and calm to the mind and body by setting you afloat in warm, shallow, densely salty water. Inside the Float Room, you experience sensory deprivation, as there are no lights or sounds. This allows you to sink into a deep meditative state, while experiencing complete weightlessness. Floating measurably reduces blood pressure, heart rate and stress levels. Old injuries and aches (especially backache) experience relief, as floating promotes blood circulation. Just 1 hour of floating has the restorative effects of 4 hours of sleep.

Remedial massage

Massage can provides rejuvenation for stressed CEOs and leaders. Remedial massage is the systemic manipulation of soft tissue to heal and soothe the body. It promotes healing by boosting circulation and blood flow to muscle, connective tissue, tendons, ligaments, nerves and the lymphatic system. As you relax, your heart rate and breathing slow down, actively lowering your blood pressure and stress hormones, with an overall therapeutic effect.

Chiropractic

Chiropractic boosts mobility, vitality and endurance for overworked or physically injured leaders, stimulating self-healing in the body. It focuses on the relationship between psychological structures—particularly the neck, spine and pelvis—and functions, as coordinated by the nervous system. If nervous system pathways are impaired in the body, imbalance and malfunction can occur, resulting in illness or injury. If you’re experiencing aches and pains from sitting down all day, or suffering from old injuries, Chiropractic can provide both short-term and long-term pain relief. Through gentle, hands-on adjustments, Chiropractic soothes concerns from neck and back pain to migraines and low immunity.

CEOs and leaders need to prioritise stress management by embracing holistic health therapies. By restoring balance through Naturopathy, Float Therapy, Remedial Massage and Chiropractic, you can maximise your productivity at work and in life, opening the gateway to better business performance.