Eat Your Ice Cream!

Trust me, a doctor said it.  You can stop reading now… or read on to learn about a little nuance in that statement…

We are all looking for sensible ways to take care of our physical and mental health.  We are also looking for ways to make sure that our financial health is in good shape, too – or at least we should be.  We don’t think enough about how much our financial well-being is tied to our physical and mental health.

For employers and HR professionals, income protection for your workforce isn’t just a benefits checkbox — it’s a financial safety net that activates when life becomes unpredictable. An employee who gets sick or injured doesn’t just face a health issue; they also face a financial challenge, often without warning.

As we talk about our approach to wellness, it’s important to recognize that the same simple logic applies to protecting workers when the unexpected happens. Now — about that ice cream…

Health – Are We Doing It Wrong?

Let’s face it, we’re a little obsessed with optimization. Whether it’s at work or at home, we’re always looking for ways to do things faster, cheaper, or with less effort. That’s not a bad thing overall… but it’s possible to take it too far.

Our health, both physical and mental, might be one of those places to investigate.  Efficiency may not always be the right answer. It’s possible that the pursuit of perfect health can be part of the problem.

Paleo. Keto. Cold plunges. Sleep trackers. Fasting windows. Superfoods. Supplements. Each promises a little more control over the one body we have.  And there are certainly scientific principles behind all of these things – and like most things in life, none of them are silver bullets.

Dr. Zeke Emanuel, a renowned physician who has served as Department Chair of Bioethics at the National Institutes of Health, redefines wellness with this idea: sometimes the healthiest choice is to enjoy ice cream. Whenever someone offers me that advice, I listen.

Perfection vs. Practice

The global wellness industry is huge, and it thrives on quick fixes. It promotes structure, certainty, and solutions. But much of what’s marketed as “wellness” focuses on restriction and deprivation rather than a sustainable approach to your health.

The wellness industry thrives because people struggle to stick with a lifestyle based on a narrow view. We eagerly try the latest wellness trend, and it works for a while! Then we get tired of it and fall back into old habits… only to try a new wellness trend. Hopefully, this one will succeed. You get the idea.

Dr. Emanuel says to get rid of all that.  And… eat your ice cream. His point is that habits are more likely to stick when they are enjoyable and recognize life’s natural messiness. Continuous self-denial and strict routines require willpower. And willpower, as psychologists have shown, depletes over time.

Why Moderation Works Better Than Obsession

Behavioral science shows that the more rigid and punitive a routine, the more likely people are to abandon it.  Sounds obvious, but it’s a sneakily challenging thing to admit in practice.

Diets that promise “no sugar ever” or “perfect sleep every night” often create a boom-and-bust pattern: compliance for a few weeks, burnout, then return to old habits.  Contrast that with goals like “live mostly well, enjoy life,” and you get something people can actually practice over the years instead of days.

Think about exercise.  People who view workouts as punishment tend to quit faster than those who enjoy movement – dancing, hiking, sports, or even long walks with friends.  Pleasure doesn’t eliminate discipline; it anchors it.

Health, in this view, is not a project to finish; it’s a relationship with your body and your life that you cultivate year after year.  The aim shifts from perfect metrics to sustainable behavior – not because perfection is unattainable, but because it often sabotages itself.

The Long Run

Building a healthy lifestyle takes commitment and consistency.  And those things rely on your willingness to stay committed and consistent.  Things that make you miserable will not sustain.  (And are probably not great for your mental health)

This applies not just to our health but to your work too.  If you chase perfection, every imperfection feels like a threat. If you embrace moderation, imperfections become moments to learn, adjust, and continue.

And it takes good leadership to be wise enough to know this difference, too. Are we rewarding perfection or improvement?  Are our goals founded in consistency or the quick “fix”?

Like all of us, I can get into ruts.  Sometimes I try to fix my mental health with too much ice cream (it works really well for about 5 minutes). But I feel my best when there is balance in my life – when work is busy, when family life is full, and when I have some ice cream.

I hope you can find balance in your life. And if you wobble, it’s ok. We all do. Get balanced and be nice to yourself.