Why You Are So Tired as a CEO and The Effects Long-Term

It doesn't matter how much you sleep as a CEO. It is how much you get up that matters. Why are You So Tired as a CEO? In addition to the effects of tiredness in general, being tired as a CEO can lead to more errors- both in your business and personal life. Tired CEOs can also be prone to drinking too much or cheating on their spouses. These issues add up quickly over a year, resulting in colossal sums of money lost for the company and distress for their families and friends.
Why are you so tired as a CEO?
It is probably a question you've asked yourself more than once as a CEO and one that we're going to answer for you.
As a CEO, it's easy to fall into the trap of overwriting hours on your calendar. We have to admit that it happens in our office quite frequently. Knowing full well that there's zero chance of getting through all of these tasks, we force ourselves to try anyway. The fact is, we're tired, and it's our fault. We don't lose any sleep because we're thinking about the meeting rather than completing the task at hand.
1. Long Hours
Anyone who works in a busy office or on the road understands how tough it can be to stay awake and how long-term exhaustion takes its toll. CEO jobs usually carry a big responsibility to get things done because they have the power and resources to change everything around them.
If you are constantly exhausted and don't feel like you are getting sufficient sleep, it may be time for a change. There are many different ways a CEO can become exhausted. Some of the most common causes include:
- It is in too much demand.
- The constant pressure to perform and keep up often wears you down.
- You do not have enough freedom to make decisions based on your priorities and commitments that are not directly related to your job.
- Engaging in too many activities simultaneously and never being able to break free.
How CEOs' work environment affects their health and well-being. Social media has made it easier for people like us to know each other worldwide, which has forced us to update our status according to our perceived popularity constantly.
It has given us the impression that we are not allowed to be bored and that everything is more important than our own lives. The social pressure from friends and colleagues who tell us "what we are doing" is highly unhealthy and causes us to focus too much on superficial desires instead of finding or pursuing what we care about.
We often choose projects, businesses, or other activities to achieve recognition. Projects like these create a lot of stress during their execution. However, the reward for this work is usually a concise term high but with many expenses like time management, money management, and administrative support.
It may not necessarily be harmful to seek recognition and attention, but it should not become your leading cause of motivation. To obtain it, you need to be very careful with the things you do. The most crucial point is to remember that what you do determines how you feel, which can often be disastrous for your health.
2. Constant pressure from management
According to the statistics, every CEO in the United States spends 21-43 hours per week working in an office on top of their everyday life responsibilities, which is approximately one-third of their time.
Constant pressure from management makes them feel pressured to perform better than last year or month, making them constantly lose focus from everything else around them. The usual irony is that they feel like they don't accomplish anything even when working more.
On the other hand, another statistic shows that CEOs who work fewer hours per week achieve better results than their colleagues who work more than 60 hours. It also makes them focus more on what's important and, at the same time, reduces their stress level.
3. Getting Enough Sleep
It is strongly recommended to get between seven and nine hours of sleep each night. However, many CEOs do not get enough sleep every day because they constantly work or travel very long distances.
Worst, they sometimes manage to catch up on their sleep by spending the weekend sleeping in the office or catching an afternoon nap during a business meeting. It is a big mistake because it doesn't allow them to completely recover from the working week and achieve optimal performance levels during the weekend.
There are many ways of getting enough sleep each night:
- Sleep at least seven hours each day at night according to your body's natural circadian rhythm.
- Take a power nap if you are stressed or feel very tired. A power nap is a short rest period that allows your brain to refresh itself, especially during periods of high activity and physical or mental stress.
- Sleep early or on the weekends to compensate for the fatigue accumulated during weekdays.
4. Not Setting Limits on Work-Related Responsibilities
CEOs have many responsibilities like managing their staff, organization goals, obligations, and personal duties that they must attend like family vacations, birthdays, and other private events. They may even have more work than they can handle with their team members alone.
It is why we recommend setting a limit on the amount of work you accept and prioritizing it as follows:
- Help family, friends, and staff as much as you can.
- Accept only those activities that are best for your company or organization.
- Leave all other tasks and priorities to other people.
5. Giving up Too Early with Difficulty Tasks
One of the CEOs' most common mistakes is giving up too early with complex tasks like new project launches, organizational process changes, and team motivation strategies. It causes them to feel frustrated and sometimes depressed because they see some projects give up before their deadlines, even if they were very close to reaching their goals.
The solution to this problem is to simplify complex tasks into smaller bite-size chunks that can be more efficiently executed by you and the rest of your team.
6. Having a Negative Attitude
A study found that pessimistic CEOs are 21% more likely to die during the study period than their positive colleagues. It happens because having a negative attitude causes us to secrete cortisol, which is a hormone associated with excessive stress and high blood pressure.
Numerous studies show that CEOs who have a positive attitude live longer, healthier lives, and their businesses perform better in the market. The secret to finding a positive attitude is to think about everything more optimistically.
7. Do Not Realize Your Potential
Another common mistake made by CEOs is that they do not realize their organization's potential. It causes them to feel frustrated and makes them give up too early on projects that could have been successful instead of completing them.
By letting your team know your expectations and aspirations, you will gain everyone's trust and buy-in quicker because your team members are inspired by what you have achieved in the past.
8. Letting Stress Control Your Life
According to the statistics, 63% of US CEOs admit feeling stressed and having difficulty coping with it. It is not surprising because CEOs deal with tons of stress in their daily lives.
One way of minimizing stress is maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly. However, it is equally important to avoid taking your work for granted because this can cause you a lot of stress and make mistakes that usually have negative consequences.
CEO Position Long-term effects
Many long-term effects can happen to the CEO of a company due to a lack of sleep. According to research, they range from increased chances for error and decreased productivity and expertise, which could lead to their company failing. They did some surveys on CEOs and found out that they're sometimes not as bright when they haven't been sleeping well.
Errors in decision making
When a CEO does not get enough sleep the next day, he will have decreased cognitive ability, which can cause him to make some poor decisions at work. It is essential for a CEO or any manager to be able to think clearly and make intelligent decisions for their company's good. It could result in bad business deals and maybe even layoffs, leading to its downfall.
The lower level of expertise
Another negative side effect is that the CEO will not be able to maintain his level of expertise in his field of work. If he does not get enough sleep, he will not be as focused and motivated to study new ideas or try new things for the company, which would ultimately cause him to be less knowledgeable than he was before.
Employee attrition
A CEO might be tired because they have too many things going on at once. If the CEO has a lot more on his plate, he might not be able to sleep well. He will also not be getting enough rest, leading to a lack of productivity and work output. It would lead to many employees leaving the company, which is essential in whether a company will succeed.
The Increased amount of stress
If the CEO is tired and stressed out, it could lead him to be more stressed about his job and other things at home. It will make the CEO more irritable and even unhappy with his career. It could result in him making more mistakes, which could lead to a loss in the company's profits and eventually its failure.
Decreased creativity
Sleep deprivation could cause a CEO not to be as creative as before. A lack of sleep can lead to decreased cognitive ability, preventing the CEO from thinking of creative ideas while he's at work. He may have more trouble with new ideas and innovations for his company and may also have problems coming up with good business plans and strategies.
Tired CEOs Lower IQ
On average, CEOs who don't get enough sleep have a lower IQ than CEOs who sleep well. It could be due to lack of stimulation from lack of sleep, which will cause the CEO not to be as focused and motivated as he was before. It could cause him to make more mistakes, eventually failing his company.
Low energy level
Another usual side effect of no sleep is low energy levels. An unhealthy lifestyle can lead to less energy or even low energy even when a CEO is well-rested. It will make it harder for him to think clearly and be as productive as he was before, which could cause many problems for his company.
Cognitive impairment
Sleep-deprived CEOs usually have lower cognitive functioning than CEOs who are well-rested. It is because they are not as motivated and focused, which can prevent them from performing well in their jobs and thinking more clearly.
Increased chances of being depressed
Researchers have shown that sleep-deprived CEOs are 12% more likely to become depressed than those who get enough sleep. It could be because lack of sleep causes mood swings, leading to CEOs being more frustrated and unhappy with their jobs. It may make it harder for them to deal with problems at work and cause them to be less able to focus on tasks that need attention.
Difficulty reacting quickly
Sleep-deprived CEOs may also have trouble reacting quickly to issues that could affect their company or their decisions at work. It could even cause them to make bad decisions and not be as creative as he was before.
Less motivation
A lack of motivation is another typical side effect of lack of sleep. CEOs who are well rested will be more motivated and enthusiastic than sleep-deprived CEOs. A lack of sleep can also lead to decrease glucose levels in the body, which can affect a CEO's willpower and motivation to get things done, which can cause him to make more mistakes.
Increased chance of health problems
Sleep deprivation can lead to many adverse health effects, such as obesity and high blood pressure. It will strain the company's health insurance, leading to higher insurance premiums and more money spent on medical bills.
Parting Words:
We hope this article helps you become a better CEO by avoiding the mistakes above. We would love it if you shared this post with your network so more people can learn from it.
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Written and Published By The Strategic Advisor Board Team
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