Bajaj Allianz General Insurance MD & CEO on why he tries to smile a lot

Smiles are a mood-lifter, says Tapan Singhel, whose wellness matra includes not leaving tasks pending

In the last few years, the debate on worklife has swung between how much is healthy and how 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. 

In an email interview with Aathira Varier, Tapan Singhel, managing director and chief executive officer, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, draws attention to the power of a smile. Edited excerpts: 

 

Given your intense and demanding schedule, how do you maintain work-life balance and deal with stress?

I love what I do, so it does not put much stress on me; however, work-life balance is crucial to maintaining overall well-being. I love spending my free time with my family; I also invest a lot of time meditating, enabling me to care for my emotional and mental well-being. 

What do you do specifically for your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing?

I try to smile a lot, even when I don’t have a reason to smile; this changes your mood and uplifts the mood of people around you. I practise yoga and meditation in various forms for my emotional and mental well-being. Spiritualism is one thing that I find pretty intriguing; I keep reading and exploring different spiritual philosophies. 

Also, what are the things that you do not do for precisely this reason? It would be great if you could give some examples of how you incorporate wellness in your routine.

I have observed that stress stems from the anxiety of not knowing what to do and having many pending tasks. To counter this, I finish my work for a particular day on the same day and do not carry forward my tasks. Also, I ensure I am well-prepared for the day, which means spending extra time reading various reports or briefs. However, despite our best efforts, we may feel stressed out occasionally. To manage such situations, I close my eyes and take a few deep breaths, and this helps reduce my stress level exponentially. Also, as and when time permits, I go on walks, which gives me time to spend time with myself.