Biz honchos' wellness mantra: Me time, music, walks, smiles

From work-life balance to work-life integration, corporate leaders share how they stay healthy in every way

In the last few years, the debate on work has swung between much is necessary. Should a workweek be 70-hour-long or is a four-day office routine more productive? Should we give work our all or seek work-life balance?

While there is no one right answer to these questions, the general consensus is that work and wellness have to go hand in hand. Incidents such as Zerodha Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Nithin Kamath suffering a stroke only reiterate this reality. India Inc leaders say that while stress is inevitable given the nature of their jobs, they all have their ways of ensuring their wellness.

"For me, it is [through] family, music, books and physical activity," says TV Narendran, managing director and CEO, Tata Steel.

When not on a plane, Narendran goes for at least an hour-long run or walk in the morning. During weekends or if he is travelling, he turns to books. Music, he says, normally plays all the time at home or when he is running or walking; the preference is for rock, jazz and Blues. He also plays drums, which he gets time for if he is in Jamshedpur over the weekend.

Jayant Acharya, joint managing director and CEO, JSW Steel, also turns to music to unwind, besides yoga, walks and theatre. "I generally alternate between yoga and walks in the morning," he says. "Usually, people take a break from physical activity on Sunday; I don't." Whenever there is an opportunity, he tries to catch a play or go to a music concert. Apart from this, he attempts to keep his weekend free at least two-thirds of it.