Knowing Your Numbers: Fostering a Healthy Career

“Knowing your numbers” is often talked about as a key attribute of the best business leaders. And no doubt a command of the P&L, cashflow and KPIs is really important. However, in the last few weeks I’ve been reminded that there’s another set of numbers we need to know.

When was the last time you had a “MOT”?

I rarely visit my GP. In fact I go so rarely they recently called me in for a health check. Just to confirm, at the every least, I am still breathing.

It resulted in a bit of a shock. My blood pressure was really high.

Now there can be lots of reasons for high blood pressure. Including the “white coat hypertension” sometimes caused simply by being in the doctor’s surgery. Which is why my practice nurse suggested I take an extended run of blood pressure readings at home.

The best £20 I have ever spent?

The challenge was getting access to a blood pressure testing machine. An expected 6-8 week wait on the NHS. So off I popped to Boots and bought one for just over £20. So cheap I don’t understand why I’ve never bought one before.

After a couple of false starts – it pays to read the instructions properly – I quickly got into the habit of checking my blood pressure several times a day. And it confirmed my blood pressure was far from what it should be.

Once you know your numbers…

You can do something about them. For me it led to a an analysis of what was going wrong…

During lockdown – when we were allowed out for just 1 hour’s exercise a day – I was running at least 30km a week. I was the fittest I’d been in at least 10 years. In the years since I’d let that regime dwindle. Allowing work to take back over.

All that running helped me shed 15KG in weight. 10KG of that weight that had slowly slipped back on since the pandemic.

And I’d slipped into some bad eating habits. Choosing what was quick and easy to prepare over proper meals.

A Healthy Career

So what’s all this got to do with career coaching? Well, for me, your health is a measure of how successful your career is. Your job can influence both your physical and mental well-being.

In my case sitting at a desk all day and not making the time to run was a factor. As was the ease of “snacking” when working from home.

Stress is a big factor too. And in my experience, the higher you go, the greater the pressure at work is likely to be. On which note…

Mental Health is Less Easy to Measure

Work can have a huge impact on your mental health. And sadly there’s no £20 device that will let you measure things like stress or anxiety.

As a coach I have seen the toll work can take on an individual’s well-being. Work can also bring great joy and a sense of self-worth and satisfaction. Which is the case often comes down to three key factors:-

Are you in the right job? A job you have the skills, knowledge and behaviours to do well.
Are you in the right culture? One where you feel a sense of belonging because it fits with your own values.
Are you with the right people? Not just your boss but your colleagues, subordinates and customers too.

When I meet people who are struggling at work – to the point it has become unhealthy – at least one of the above is usually at play…

At Chiumento we know that mental health can play a big part in the effectiveness of career coaching. That’s why we’ve invested in training our Career Concierges as MHFA accredited Mental Health First Aiders. This unique training ensures that we are equipped to support both your career development and your mental well-being.

Our commitment to integrating mental health support into career coaching sets us apart. By addressing both your career and mental health needs comprehensively, we strive to create positive outcomes every time.