Holistic Health for Leaders: thriving from the inside out
As a leader, your energy sets the tone for everyone around you. But let’s be real—juggling responsibilities, decision-making, and constant problem-solving can leave you feeling drained. This is all made even more complex if you don’t have robust health as a foundation to hold you through the complexities of leadership. To lead effectively, you don’t just need stamina—you need true, vibrant health. That’s where a holistic approach comes in.
The Power of Balance
Holistic health focuses on nurturing the whole person: mind, body, and spirit. Leaders often push themselves physically and mentally, but how often do you pause to check in with your emotional and spiritual well-being? These are the foundations of clarity, resilience, and vision—the very traits that make a great leader. I’ve often found in my work with leaders and entrepreneurs that when our physical health is wobbly, our visions, clarity, and grit become wobbly and unreliable. Some of the most common concerns my clients who are in leadership roles come to me for help with include low energy, poor focus, low quality sleep, burnout, and all the downstream symptoms that come from that (ex: hormonal imbalances, feeling uninspired or unproductive, and more).
The Root Causes of Low Energy, Poor Focus, and Burnout
Feeling constantly fatigued or mentally foggy isn’t just a sign of being busy—it’s often your body signaling that something is out of balance. Here are some common culprits:
Nutrient Deficiencies: A diet low in essential vitamins and minerals—like magnesium, B vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids—can sap your energy and impair brain function. Processed foods, quick snacks, and caffeine may save time but leave you running on empty. Nourishment is foundational to any plan for my leadership clients. This includes finding a nutrient-rich diet that is whole-foods based that works well for them. Food is meant to fuel you and give you energy, not leave you feeling drained, tired, and unable to get through your day. If you are struggling with this, make sure to incorporate protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates (mostly veggies!) with every meal.
Hormonal Imbalances: High stress levels trigger a cascade of hormonal shifts, particularly in cortisol, your stress hormone. When cortisol remains elevated for too long, it can lead to adrenal burnout, poor sleep, and leave you feeling like your body is actively working against you. Cortisol gets such a bad rap on the internet these days, but the truth is— it’s not the villain. We need cortisol to get us up in the morning, focused and ready for the day. Unfortunately, chronic stressors (whether intrinsic or extrinsic) impact the body’s ability to make cortisol in a healthy pattern. Digging into what’s causing elevated cortisol can help save you from the brink of burnout, when cortisol is often too low. Do a quick lifestyle check: do you navigate more stressful events than you feel like you can handle? Do you feel like you’re drowning in responsibilities without the resilience to meet them? Eliminate what can be eliminated (I understand that’s a tall order these days!), nourish your body, and do what you can to create space in your days. One of my favorite quick stress-busting techniques that nourishes the parasympathetic nervous system is alternate nostril breathing. It takes just a few minutes to get you back into a calm, focused state.
Chronic Inflammation: Poor gut health, often caused by processed foods, sugar, food sensitivities, environmental factors, or nervous system dysregulation can trigger inflammation that drains your energy and clouds your focus. Completing a food-lifestyle- symptom diary can help get you clarity on potential culprits for you. Take a simple calendar and write down your meals, beverages, snacks, and track symptoms, energy, feelings, aches/pains, etc. Do this for at least 2-3 weeks, then look at it with an objective eye. If you notice you feel more tired after eating a certain type of food- that could indicate food sensitivity or blood sugar dysregulation! This is one tool I use with my clients for gathering data specific to them. When you have unique insights on your specific situation, solutions can be tailored specifically to you.
Lack of Restorative Sleep: Deep, restorative sleep is when your body repairs itself. Leaders often sacrifice sleep to meet deadlines, prepare for big meetings, or simply trying to get just one more thing crossed off the to-do list. But sleep deprivation is stealing energy from tomorrow and can lead to brain fog, irritability, and decreased productivity. This is also one very fast path to burnout. If you’re having problems sleeping, investigate why- are you feeling anxious at bedtime? active mind? body not feel tired? There are endless root causes and investigating your specific root cause helps us identify the solution that will work best for you.
Emotional Stress: Unresolved emotions and chronic stress take a toll on your mental and physical health, leading to anxiety, overwhelm, and yes, eventual burnout. It’s not uncommon for my clients to be experiencing a physical symptom that ultimately stems from an emotional root. Often, these are very innocent and simply need to be brought to the surface to be processed. Sometimes, deeper emotional stagnation can occur, impairing our physical wellbeing. I love referring out to practitioners who specialize in this to help my clients find peace.
Disconnected Living: Spending too much time indoors, disconnected from nature, or tethered to technology can sap your spirit and leave you feeling ungrounded. Have you felt this yourself? In today’s screen-obsessed world, we’re often disconnected from natural rhythms and our body pays the price. While we may not be able to completely avoid screen time, I do recommend cultivating as much of a natural rhythm as possible. Get outside in the sunlight (no sunglasses!) for a few minutes every morning to make sure you’re getting full-spectrum light in your eyes. Aim for a 10-15 min walk outside after meals for better blood sugar balance. And get back outside if you can, around sunset. Bonus points if you stop using overhead lighting inside when the sun goes down!
Feeling Uninspired: if you’ve ever felt uninspired in work and life, you’re not alone. This can leave you feeling listless/aimless or even lead to low moods. Strategies for navigating this I use with my leadership clients include: 1. Nourishment. too often nutrient deficiencies are actually masquerading as low mood, lack of inspiration, low energy and more. Nutrients are the number one lab I check & correct with every client. 2. Create. This may sound silly, but it’s true. When we’re feeling disconnected and uninspired, it often means we’re not tapped into the creative life-force energy that every one needs (whether they recognize it or not). I encourage every client to get their hands dirty, try something new, and create for the sake of creating (sometimes challenging for perfectionists!). Whether it’s painting, pottery, writing, or rearranging furniture in your office- anything goes when it brings new, fresh energy and encourages you to create.
The Holistic Edge
Taking care of yourself isn’t just self-care; it’s leadership care. When you identify and address the root causes of low energy, poor focus, and burnout, you unlock your full potential. By embracing holistic health, you show up with vitality, resilience, and a clear vision for the road ahead.
Remember, a thriving leader builds a thriving team. When you prioritize your well-being, you’re not only setting yourself up for success—you’re creating a ripple effect that inspires everyone around you.
If you want to dive deeper with your own health, holistically, schedule a free consult below. I love helping small business owners, people in leadership roles, entrepreneurs, and heart-centered/purpose-driven people fortify & optimize their wellness so that they can continue to create great things in this world.