theceomagazine.com | 135ANANDA, INDIA
Located in the Himalayan
foothills overlooking the peaceful Ganges,
Ananda redefines lifestyles. Retreats include
traditional Indian wellness regimens focusing on
various mind and body techniques based on the
concepts and philosophies of yoga, meditation and
Ayurveda, the world’s oldest holistic healing system.
Ananda’s Stress Management Programme creates
positive changes, reducing and managing stress
and enhancing synergy in life through a
balanced approach. From US$520 a
night. anandaspa.comSHA WELLNESS
CLINIC, SPAIN
Sha is a pioneering wellness clinic
practising oriental disciplines and revolutionary
Western techniques to improve wellbeing. Located
in Alicante Province, the venue spans 5,000 square
metres overlooking the Mediterranean. WHO
recognises the location as having one of the world’s
best climates. Experts create personalised
programs to re-establish a harmonious balance
between body, mind and spirit. From
US$4,000 for a seven-day program.
shawellnessclinic.com/en/instead, the big part of their brain that gives them that
spark of originality shuts down.”
As a CEO who built and sold technology
companies, James Green lost that spark. In 2010, after
selling Giant Realm in New York, he lost motivation.
Describing his previous holidays as opportunities to
“work while being with my family in a pleasant
environment”, he took a year off to sail the Atlantic with
his wife and children. The voyage restored him, and
while admitting he needs stress to keep him sharp, as
CEO of Magnetic Media Online today he recognises
that too much blocks his imagination and productivity.
Founder of HuffPost Arianna Huffington is another
who redefined corporate success, launching Thrive
Global, a worldwide network aimed at revolutionising
the working culture from the top down.
Her now well-known wake-up call came a decade
prior when she collapsed from exhaustion and woke up
with a broken cheekbone and slashed eye.
“I asked myself, ‘Is this what success looks like?’
Our lives are fuelled by stress, while our relationship
with technology has made it harder to take time off and
recharge. So l made changes to my life: more sleep,
yoga and meditation, and less gadget time,” she said.
More companies are starting to react to the impact
of stress. In America, Johnson & Johnson has launched
a US$100,000 anti-burnout program for CEOs, which
involves participating in independent assessments on
work–life balance. In Germany, Volkswagen, BMW and
PMA have imposed bans on emails 30 minutes after a
shift ends, with Germany’s employment ministry
following suit; and France made the ‘right to
disconnect’ part of the country’s labour law.
“I know leaders who have made the disconnect a
non-negotiable policy,” says Taylor. “A principle of
resilience is to play hard and rejuvenate hard, and an
obvious element is to get eight hours of unbroken
sleep. If you’re not doing that regularly, you are heading
down a spiral towards that burnout. If you have good
connections, you are also more likely to stay resilient,”
he adds. “Organisations such as The CEO Circle and
The CEO Institute [in Australia] provide regular
get-togethers of peers to discuss issues. You will
struggle if you are not looking for connections outside.”Money well spent | INVEST