10 leaders share how they prioritize well-being

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Juggling work and family while still making time for yourself is no easy feat — but a leader who prioritizes healthy boundaries not only for themselves but their team can make all the difference.

As it stands, burnout continues to be a national concern: Over half of employees have reported feeling burned out this past year, and 37% reported feeling so overwhelmed it impacted their ability to do their job, according to the National Alliance on Mental Health. Notably, managers are the hardest hit, with a higher rate of burnout over entry-level employees at 54% versus 40%.

In other words, leaders owe it to their team and themselves to prioritize their well-being. EBN is celebrating 10 Excellence in Benefits winners who do their part to promote work-life balance and wellness. They are transforming their work culture for the better. 

Read more: Professionals reveal their favorite wellness benefits

Regardless of their approach, one theme is clear: Leaders lead by example. Their employees know they can care for themselves because their leaders take the time to do so, too.

"I am completely transparent about healthcare appointments, vacation, mental health days, prioritizing family time and even just taking lunch," says Celine Cannizzaro, head of health and wellness at Geico. "I encourage my team to be like me. I lead by example, and I'm thankful that my team is fully able to follow my lead."

Leaders across industries, from companies like Geico, Cision, Guild and more, share their philosophies around wellness and how they bring balance and boundaries to the forefront of their company culture.

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Celine Cannizzaro

Head of health and wellness at Geico
"As a leader in health and wellness, probably the most important responsibility is to demonstrate to your team that our health and well-being come first. Work can always wait. We cannot perform unless we can take care of ourselves."

Read more: Workers are feeling the mental strain — employers must help
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Libby Culpepper

Director of people operations at Guild
"Transparency is key, so I ensure my calendar reflects my appointments, kid pickup and drop off schedules and more, demonstrating to my team that it's okay to prioritize my personal needs."
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Melissa Danielsen

Co-founder and CEO of Joshin
"It's easy to let self-care take a back seat while building a business and being a parent with ADHD. But I know that when I prioritize my mental health, I show up better for everyone — my team, my family and myself." 

Read more: 6 tips for minimizing stress
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Jason Lee

Chief of Chime Enterprise at Chime
"I prioritize my well-being by taking time off! At Chime, we embrace a holistic approach to self-care, including unlimited PTO and dedicated 'take care of yourself' days. This approach aligns with my belief that we bring our best selves to work when we have sufficient time away from work."
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Yvette Marsh

Assistant VP of talent management at LSU Foundation
"I fully embrace practicing what I preach. When we adopted mental health leave for our staff, I knew the importance of not only communicating the offering via our employee handbook and emails but also through leading by example. By taking mental health days myself, I show our team that prioritizing mental well-being is not just acceptable, but encouraged."
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Faith Primacio

Director of global benefits at Cision
"Setting boundaries between work and personal life is crucial. It ensures that I have the time and space to recharge and be fully present for my family. I want my children to see that taking care of oneself is not selfish but necessary for overall well-being."

Read more: Employers can shift the dialogue around men's mental health
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Will Sealy

Co-founder and CEO of Summer
"I am currently acquiring another company and working on several major company initiatives, and I was tempted to cancel a recent vacation as a result. But for my own well-being, I inevitably decided to take the vacation and had a very relaxing long weekend. And nothing bad happened! It was worth it! I recharged and now feel infinitely more focused and effective."
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E Lawrence Smith

President and wealth planning adviser at ELS Vision Wealth Management
"Each member of our team places vacations on the calendar for all to see. Everyone is free to spend time with family. When our team shares their team goals in our quarterly meetings, there must be a personal goal as well, and we hold each other accountable."
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Ralph Spagnuola

Partner at Nava Benefits
"Honesty with yourself is critical — how are you doing, and how are those around you?  It takes building a plan together to create an environment for work and home where everyone can succeed."

Read more: How managers can combat stress in the workplace
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Kristen Wittenborn

Associate benefits director at Shure Inc.
"On days that I'm in the office, our team makes a point to step away from work to have lunch together and to continue to build healthy relationships. On days that I'm working from home, I block my lunch hour to go to a yoga class or take a run, if time allows. Taking care of yourself allows you to better take care of others."
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