When Did Work Become More Important Than Your Health?

Beyond the Reps | What Pisses Me Off as a Coach

There's something I see far too often, and it genuinely pisses me off.

People who are incredibly capable, driven and disciplined in their professional lives, yet consistently put their own health at the very bottom of their priorities.

They'll work through lunch. Sacrifice sleep. Cancel training. Spend entire days sitting at a desk.

Not because they don't care about their health.

But because there's always something more urgent.

Another deadline. Another meeting. Another person who needs something.

And somehow, looking after themselves becomes the one commitment they're perfectly comfortable breaking.

When did neglecting your health become a sign of dedication?

We've made being overworked something to be proud of.

Think about how we talk about work.

"I've been flat out."

"I haven't had a day off in weeks."

"I've barely had time to eat."

These statements are often delivered almost like achievements.

We praise people for working ridiculous hours.

We admire those who are constantly available.

We treat exhaustion as evidence that someone must be doing something important.

But someone taking an hour out of their day to train, preparing proper meals or setting boundaries around work?

Suddenly, those things are treated as luxuries.

Or worse, selfish.

Apparently, destroying yourself for your career is admirable, but making time to look after yourself requires justification.

Make that make sense.

Your body doesn't care how important your deadline is.

Here's the thing.

Your body is remarkably good at compensating.

You can function on inadequate sleep.

You can get through a stressful week without training.

You can spend months neglecting your nutrition and still turn up to work every morning.

But being able to function doesn't necessarily mean you're functioning well.

Chronic sleep restriction can affect attention, decision-making, emotional regulation and metabolic health.

Insufficient physical activity and prolonged sedentary behaviour are associated with poorer long-term health outcomes.

And sustained stress, particularly when recovery is inadequate, can contribute to a range of physical and psychological problems.

These consequences don't always arrive as one dramatic event.

Sometimes they accumulate quietly.

A little less energy.

A little worse sleep.

More fatigue.

Reduced physical capacity.

And gradually, things that once felt easy start requiring more effort.

All while you're convincing yourself you'll get around to looking after your health when things settle down.

The problem with waiting until life gets less busy.

I hear versions of this constantly.

"Once this project finishes, I'll get back into training."

"When work settles down, I'll focus on my nutrition."

"I'll start looking after myself when I've got more time."

And sometimes that's entirely reasonable.

There are genuinely demanding periods in life where priorities need to shift.

I've experienced that myself, particularly running a business while coaching clients and preparing for bodybuilding competitions.

I'm certainly not going to pretend I've mastered the art of perfect balance.

But there's a difference between temporarily adjusting your routine and repeatedly treating your health as the first thing you're willing to sacrifice.

Because here's an uncomfortable question.

What happens if life doesn't magically become less busy?

What if there's always another deadline?

Another responsibility?

Another reason why next week would be a better time to start?

At some point, looking after yourself has to become part of how you manage a busy life, rather than something you only do when life stops being busy.

Your health supports your ambition. It doesn't compete with it.

I'm all for ambition.

I believe in working hard, building something meaningful and pushing yourself towards goals that matter.

But I don't believe professional success should require you to continually sacrifice your physical and mental wellbeing.

Resistance training isn't just about how you look.

Adequate nutrition isn't just about controlling your body weight.

And sleep isn't wasted time that could have been spent being more productive.

These things contribute to your ability to function, recover and maintain your health over time.

They're part of the foundation that allows you to keep showing up for the responsibilities you care about.

And no, I'm not suggesting everyone needs to train six days a week, weigh their food or live like a competitive athlete.

For most people, that level of precision isn't necessary.

But regular movement, some structured resistance training, reasonable nutrition habits and sufficient sleep?

Those shouldn't be treated as extravagant additions to an otherwise important life.

They should be part of it.

There's a cost to always putting yourself last.

One of the things that frustrates me most is how easily people justify neglecting themselves when it's in service of something else.

Their business.

Their employer.

Their family.

Their responsibilities.

And those things absolutely matter.

But so does the person carrying them.

You can be committed to your career without being permanently available.

You can care deeply about your family while still making time for your own health.

And you can be ambitious without treating exhaustion as a personality trait.

None of this means every week will be perfectly balanced.

It means recognising that continually sacrificing your wellbeing has consequences, even if those consequences aren't immediately obvious.

The takeaway

There's nothing wrong with working hard.

There's nothing wrong with having big ambitions.

And there will absolutely be times when work and other responsibilities demand more of you.

But I think we need to stop glorifying the idea that success requires us to run ourselves into the ground.

Because what's the point of spending years building a future if you're too exhausted, unwell or physically limited to fully enjoy it?

Your health shouldn't be the price you pay for your success.

And being too busy to look after yourself isn't the badge of honour we've somehow made it out to be.

— Kelly Greenslade
KG Performance

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