Physical wellness put Nick Jonsson on the road to mental recovery

MODERN work culture encourages executives to project success and achievement when, in fact, thousands of us are suffering in silence and denial. This was true for me too, and it became a serious issue that I faced a few years ago. As a company executive, I was under a huge amount of pressure, both on a personal and at an organisational level, which led me to a mental crash. It took a tonne of courage to finally be honest with myself and to seek help.

I started by focusing on reviving my physical wellness. But I knew that to sustain doing so, I could not do it alone. The universe brought me Todd Gilmore, a fitness coach, who has become a good friend. It has been said that the first step is always the hardest, so to have my coach as an accountability partner really helped me a lot.

We started with the basics: walking, then easy jogging, and added light cycling. We then extended the distance and timing of the workouts. We tracked my workouts with a fitness tracker watch and a heart-rate tracker to monitor my progress.

After learning the basics, I become more obsessed with keeping myself healthy. I started doing corrective exercise, conditioning, and strength training with a personal trainer at Levitise, which ensured that my body is holistically capable of managing a heavy exercise workload.

Then I cycled outdoors a few times a week. I typically go with some of the local cycling clubs or with my mental health support group, which also has a cycling chapter. It is my favourite exercise as it brings me closer to nature and helps me make deep friendships.

Today, I also run two to three times a week, 5-10km each time, and I have commenced swimming. I belong to a swim academy and with them I swim one to two times a week for an hour each time. In all, I spend around 12-14 hours per week exercising.

These activities have naturally led me to race in triathlons. I am currently training for Ironman Sweden which will be held in Sweden in August. The race includes a 3.8 km swim, a 180 km bike ride, and a 42 km run all in one day.

Exercise keeps me fit, healthy, and alert. I can feel and see a huge difference in my work performance when I am in great physical shape. I am constantly attentive and can also deal with high stress and challenges. My whole outlook is positive and great results follow.

Fortunately, I have managed to maintain my fitness routine throughout the pandemic. The only thing that has changed is that I cannot travel internationally, and many races have been cancelled. Until the pandemic, I participated in a few races each year with my triathlon club in Singapore named FIT (Friends in Triathlon).

Fitness is so important to my wellbeing and has played such a vital part in my recovery that I have dedicated a chapter to it in a book I recently released, called Executive Loneliness. I call this chapter of the book "Exercise: The Real Happy Pill" because exercise releases natural endorphins that make you feel great.

Exercising with peers is the best part of the experience. It is an issue close to my heart because I believe that without our physical wellbeing and support from our friends, it is impossible to get mentally well.

Training at a high level and ageing have their challenges as well. I am 46 years old, and competing in an extreme sport like the Ironman triathlon takes its toll.

Keeping a balance is super important. I have made sure that I have not burned out from exercise since my last mental crash in 2018, and I am proud to say that I have now had a three-year strike with a great fitness routine. To keep my health and sanity, I will continue to sustain this lifestyle.

• Nick Jonsson, 46, is managing director of EGN Singapore. He is dedicated to raising awareness and eliminating the stigma around the phenomenon of executive loneliness.