“Jet lag is a choice.” – Taylor Swift
You bet your ass I found a way to mix a Taylor swift reference into my writing! This Iconic (and lighthearted) line came after Superbowl LVII, when Taylor who flew straight from a 4-hour show in TOKYO, was on field excited and energized to celebrate after watching Travis Kelce take home the big win in LA.
I love it because it nails how we navigate the “business of business” while trying to make time for wellness. If the queen of global domination can play back-to-back stadium shows, negotiate billion-dollar deals, and still protect her health and recovery practices, then let’s be honest: the rest of us truly have no excuse.
And yet, here we are.
Yawning through meetings. Crashing at 3 p.m. Injecting caffeine directly into our veins. “Forgetting” to eat and drink water, and rolling our eyes when someone dare to suggest we “get some rest” (as if we don’t have an empire to run).
I get it. The executive mindset is always chasing the next win. But here’s the truth: the two most overlooked drivers of your performance are sleep and hydration. So when you say things like “I’m too busy to sleep”, honestly, you don’t sound busy. You sound reckless. (Don’t worry friend, I have your back!)
Sleep and Hydration are the number drivers of success and longevity in every area of your life. This isn’t fluff. This is Operational Strategy for your body and brain. Let’s break it down.
The Problem: Executive Fatigue is Everywhere
Executives love optimization. Schedules. Teams. Quarterly results. But personal optimization? Often overlooked.
The result? Brain fog, poor memory, mood swings, slower reaction times, and questionable decision-making that trickles down to entire teams. As we all know, success starts with good leadership, and leaders aren’t prioritizing wellness and recovery, their teams won’t either. If you want your team to reach New Heights (another TS reference – im on a roll today!) it starts with YOU.
And let’s be clear tho, this lack of personal wellness prioritization is not your fault. It’s cultural conditioning. Exhaustion has been glamorized as a badge of honor. Grind culture told us that fatigue = commitment. But in reality, fatigue = dysfunction, and dysfunction = profit loss.
The Cost: What Fatigue Really Costs
Here’s where I try to speak your executive language: numbers.
Stress: Lack of sleep spikes cortisol and leads to increased inflammation. Stress related illness racks up $190 billion annually in U.S. healthcare costs (HBR, 2015)
Absenteeism: Employee Absences are rising each year. Sick days, mental health days, or just “I don’t give a damn” days, cost Canadian companies about $4000 per employee per year. (Circadian, 2025)
Presenteeism Employees who are at work, but mentally checked out costs 7.5x more than absenteeism (Circadian, 2025)
Sleep-deprived leadership: Teams rate their leaders 13% less inspiring and see a 7% drop in productivity in just one week in a Harvard study from 2016
When you add it up like this, it’s obvious that fatigue isn’t a personal inconvenience. It’s a material financial risk.
But here’s the flip side: investing in recovery, quality sleep, smarter hydration, and structured stress management (hello gym memberships!) delivers an immediate ROI: clearer decisions, better leadership presence, and stronger more inspired teams.
Are you seeing the pitch yet? It’s not about the cost or time it takes to prioritise your wellness, it’s about the cost of NOT!
** Disclaimer: I did not start writing today with the intention of hard selling my readers, it genuinely just happened this way . . . because the facts are facts!!
The Solution: Sleep + Hydration
Think of sleep and hydration as the foundation of your executive wellness playbook. They impact:
- Energy and clarity
- Emotional regulation
- Stress response
- Inflammation and recovery
- Weight balance
- Longevity
Without these, no diet, workout, or supplement stack will save you.
Hydration Basics
Dehydration is sneaky. It doesn’t simply make you thirsty, it shows up as brain fog, fatigue, joint pain, moodiness, and sometimes can even be the cause of weight gain (we’re reaching here a little bit, but it’s all related).
Most Executives I meet love to tell me they are drinking “enough” water. And most of them are wrong. Easy rule: Aim for at least half your bodyweight in ounces daily.
Something else my clients love to tell me is that they “can’t” drink more water in the day because then they will have to go to the bathroom every 20 minutes. So here’s another easy rule: If you are running to the bathroom every 20 minutes, you are NOT hydrating, you are flushing. What your body actually needs to hydrate is water AND minerals/ electrolytes so that your cells can absorb water.
Let’s not over complicate it. Drink a full glass of water when you wake up, and another before each meal. Go buy yourself some sugar free electrolytes to mix into your day (Check out my current favs HERE) . Keep a water bottle within arms reach at all times. If you see it, you will sip it, and you will be surprised at how much extra water you actually consume!
Sleep Hygiene Basics
Think of Sleep like your Brain’s boardroom. Sleep is where your brain processes decisions, stores memories, recovers from the strain of the day and where your emotional regulation ability gets locked in. The best possible thing you can do for yourself in any context (performance, business, relationships, parenting) is learn how to establish and protect a sleep routine.
Some of my favourite recommendations from my own life, high performers I follow, and the biggest sleep experts right now are honestly, surprisingly simple:
- Go to bed and wake up at the same time everyday (yes, that includes weekends)
- Keep your bedroom COLD and DARK
- Avoid screens and dim the lights an hour before sleep (sounds like the perfect opportunity to connect with, maybe even make out with, your significant other . . . BONUS!).
- Cut caffeine after 2pm
- Avoid heavy meals 3 hours before bed
- Add a Magnesium L-theronate/ Glycinate supplement to your routine (Link to the one I currently love HERE).
To take it to the next level, try adding in a Cold Plunge and Sauna . . . or get a Podium membership and use ours! The heat helps your body relax, the cold resets your nervous system, and together they prime you for deeper, more restorative sleep. I personally love the cold plunge in the mornings and the Sauna at night. On a weekend, when I have more time, I love to do them both in cycles, Nordic Spa Style!
Actionable Routine: What You Can Do Tomorrow
Here’s your bite sized checklist:
Get morning sunlight: Sets your circadian rhythm and boosts energy naturally.
Hydrate properly: Use electrolytes or mineralized water. Sip throughout the day.
Cut caffeine after 2pm: Protects sleep quality.
Eat dinner earlier: 2–3 hours before bed. Protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs.
Wind Down Routine: Dark room, lower the temp, sub pillow talk for screen time
Lock in your bed + wake up time: Even on the weekend
Magnesium L-theronate/ Glycinate: Take it before you crawl into bed
This is not “self-care fluff.” This is performance hygiene that will keep you crushing goals and bringing in the dough. You’re welcome!
Stop Running on Fumes!
Running yourself into the ground doesn’t make you a stronger leader. It makes you a liability.
If you want a sharper brain, clearer decisions, and an inspired team, start with the basics: sleep and hydration. Then level up with a gym membership and professional wellness coaching (Hi!).
Come Try Podium’s cold plunge and sauna as part of your recovery-focused sleep routine. Or let’s work 1:1 to build you a personalized executive wellness system that fits your reality, not just theory. We can also set up an intervention for your entire team if you are looking for a creative team building activity . . . I’ve got you!
The bottom line here is that fatigue isn’t a badge of honour, It’s a business liability.
The fix starts with better sleep and smarter hydration. You control both!
“Jet Leg is a choice” – Taylor was right! And so is fatigue, and so is what you chose to do about it!
