Lessons from a Heart Attack
Do more with less has been the mantra since the “Great Recession” struck in 2008. Employers have come to expect more out of the employees that are remaining on staff, not realizing the toll they are extracting from them. With more time spent at work and less time to practice healthy habits, the health risks will only increase for the individual and the company as time goes on. So what can we learn from the heart attack my friend John suffered and survived?
Proactive vs. Reactive – Everyone is at risk for health problems, even those that appear healthy on the outside. Prevention is the best course of action.
Fuel the body properly – In a conversation afterwards, John indicated: “There are so many bad dietary choices available these days and it’s a real challenge to avoid them.” And he’s right. Nutrition plays such an integral part in the health equation, but it is difficult who to believe and what to choose when it comes to the right foods. Invest in meeting with a nutritionist to help put you and your family on the right path and give your body the nutrients it needs.
Make time for health check-ups -When was the last time you and your family members had an annual check-up with a doctor and a full blood test? Employees get caught thinking they don’t have time to go to the doctor’s office as they feel fine now. It is these regular visits to the doctor that can catch problems before they turn into something big. Further, employers should encourage employees to take the time for these preventive services. Rather it be missing 3 hours than have them missing work for a full month lying in a hospital bed.
Knowledge is Power – Many of the assessments provided today only skim the surface of the overall health of the individual and give a false sense of security. More in depth blood testing can provide better insight and catch issues such as hormonal deficiencies before they lead to larger problems. From a cost and health stand point, it is much easier to work to prevent a health problem than it is to react to one.
Assess workloads – Human Resources/Executives/Mangers need to be aware of their employee’s stress levels and like a good coach: know when it’s time to restructure workloads. Stress management and mindfulness programs are low cost ways to reduce stress and increase productivity.
Health and wellness is counter-intuitive – The more you prioritize it and practice it, the more you will get from it. The more it slides down the priority list, the more likely it will come back in a detrimental way.
John’s words of wisdom: “Unless you have equity and can bequeath it to your family, your next to last paycheck will have already been deposited so your last and final job probably won’t matter much to you when you’re dead. That said, hopefully you enjoyed your career and all the time you put into it. Otherwise, all that time spent was pretty much a waste. Fortunately, I’ve enjoyed mine immensely with all the challenges it’s presented.”
Investing in ourselves is the best investment you can make. When we prioritize our health below everything else, at some point, things will go wrong. You and your company have a choice: Invest a little more time and money now on healthy habits and programs or risk it and pay more in lost productivity and increased costs with health problems in the long run by skipping these habits. What choice will you make?