Climbing the corporate ladder takes hard work, determination, and patience. With each promotion comes more responsibilities, which in turn, means added expectations and pressure. As a result, employees can experience increased stress and a decline in overall health and wellness.

With that in mind, it is imperative that companies and their employees keep health and wellness at the forefront. To gain further insight into this space, KPMG first conducted the 2023 Advancing the Future of Women in Business Survey: Prioritizing Wellness as Leaders. Executive women across several industries were surveyed as part of the project.

Three hypotheses were explored in the survey:

  1. Despite a dramatic increase in expectations over the last few years, executive women prioritize their wellness to lead their teams and businesses effectively.
  2. Executive women have successfully learned to manage stress through mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness.
  3. Organizations must see each employee as a complete person whose whole wellness matters to maximize productivity.

Based on the survey responses, the 2023 KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit Report was able to determine a general consensus amongst executive women and outline best practices for leaders moving forward.

Compared to three years ago, 91% of executive women have experienced an exponential surge in stress levels at work. The leading causes are business and leadership pressures:

  • 71% attribute the changing demands from their organizations to this stress
  • 69% attribute this stress to an increased workload and requirements to “do more with less”
  • 58% attribute the stress to balancing these pressures with an additional burden of managing their team’s mental health and wellness

One of the executives noted, “Business pressures are significantly increasing, and we have fewer people and resources available. I have strong resiliency, but it is wearing down.”

This is an example of emotional labor, which is the process of managing feelings and expressions to fulfill the emotional requirements of a job. Executive women are expected to manage their well-being while taking on the additional stress of managing their teams’ mental well-being and burnout.

Prioritizing personal well-being is key to being a successful leader. In fact, 60% of executive women recognize their effectiveness as a leader is affected when their well-being struggles.

Another one of the executives noted, “Nowadays, I am more keenly aware of the toll of stress from all aspects of my life, reinforcing for me the responsibility I have to myself and others to keep my health and well-being a priority so that I can show up and be the best in all my varying roles in life.”

To manage these stressors, executive women have shifted their focus:

  • 79% of executive women say wellness has taken an increased importance in their career
  • 87% are intentional about giving themselves downtime, breaks, and boundaries
  • 69% have made sacrifices for the sake of their wellness

Prioritizing wellness can go a long way in achieving personal and professional success. As for being a successful leader, consider these best practices:

  1. Develop good habits. Create a routine that you can easily stick to. Prioritize a healthy diet with good food choices that give you fuel and energy. Make sleep a priority so your body has time to recover and rejuvenate. Incorporate daily movement into your schedule — even if it’s a simple walk to clear your head. Establish good habits for optimal health.
  2. Discover your non-negotiables. Determine the things in your daily life that are must-haves, the sacred things no one can touch in your schedule, and stick to them. The daily dinner with your family. The midday meditation session. The shorter meeting times. Set boundaries and enforce them. Give yourself the breaks you need.
  3. Create a mantra. A positive mindset leads to resilience. Positive affirmations encourage optimism during hardship. Create one sentence that you turn to for support and strength. Write it down and put it where you need regular reminders. (Check out some favorites from women executives at the end of this report.)
  4. Get control of your calendar. Don’t let your calendar control you. Schedule time for self-care. Schedule time to get out in nature. Schedule that vacation. Schedule the travel. Block time out of your calendar to do nothing. Take control.
  5. Limit negative influences. In today’s chaotic world, reduce how much negativity you consume. Choose news that uplifts and inspires you. Unfollow the social media channels that bring you down. Shutter the toxic relationships in your life. Cultivate healthy, positive relationships with those around you.
  6. Develop a mindfulness practice. Be comfortable spending some time with yourself. Try breathwork and feel the power of your lungs. Try meditation and feel the power of your mind. Try yoga and feel the power of your body. Share your practices with others and encourage them to find what works for them.