The Power of Mental, Emotional & Spiritual Fitness
by Calodagh McCumiskey
Recently, I worked with a group of HR managers to plan their wellbeing programmes for 2026. We looked at the different pain points they’re facing in companies ranging from 23 to 2,000 staff. We reviewed the challenges their wellbeing programmes could address -what’s working (and what isn’t) for their people and for the organisation - and we looked at global trends in the sector. Of the seven themes we explored, one stood out above all: mental, emotional fitness - and how a focus here can prevent so many of the issues currently draining leaders, teams and performance across Ireland and around the world. I added spiritual fitness as I think it is often a concept that is overlooked and very misunderstood.
Just as physical fitness supports physical health, mental, emotional and spiritual fitness when strengthened steady attention, regulate stress systems, and align behaviour with values and purpose - and support how we function, work and grow each day.
Mental fitness: builds focus, clarity, cognitive stamina, flexibility and strengthens decision making
Emotional fitness: builds awareness, regulation, motivation, healthy expression, and relational agility.
Spiritual fitness: involves living in alignment with core values and a meaningful “why”; a sense of connection (to self, others, nature, or something bigger) that provides inner steadiness, hope and direction.
When these capacities are weak, the symptoms show up everywhere: poor productivity, lack of focus, fractured relationships, reactivity, less-than-optimal decision-making and innovation, rising overwhelm and a lack of purpose. When they’re strong, everything else gets easier - relationships strengthen, communication improves, people recover faster from stress, and productivity and innovation soar.
What the data is telling us
This isn’t just a hunch; the wider evidence shows that:
Workers’ stress, anxiety and burnout are trending upwards across industries and countries. A 16-country AXA–Ipsos study reported by Euronews this year found 1 in 3 people aged 18–75 live with at least one mental-health condition. Mental-health-related sick leave now accounts for 27% of all sick leave - up four points from 2023 - with sleep problems, trouble concentrating and decision fatigue widespread. Young adults are particularly affected.
(Source: Euronews, 27 March 2025)Healthcare workers are in crisis. A WHO/EU survey of 90,000 nurses and doctors found 1 in 3 are depressed; 1 in 10 reported passive suicidal thoughts in the last year; 44% are experiencing acute stress and 37% anxiety, with frontline staff at higher risk. Working conditions are worsening mental health.
(Source: Euronews, 10 October 2025)From 2019 to 2023, global average EQ scores declined by 5.54%; the world has entered an “emotional recession” characterised by low wellbeing and high burnout.
(Source: State of the Heart 2024)Loneliness remains a serious drag on health and performance. In 2022, the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre found 20% of Irish people felt lonely most or all of the time, compared with 13% across Europe (Berlingieri et al., 2023).
What investing in “mental, emotional & spiritual fitness” does
Invest here and you see compound returns: clearer decisions, less stress, fewer rework loops, healthier relationships, better collaboration and more consistent momentum and meaningful connection.
Why this matters even more now
We’re operating in a world where the pace of change is accelerating and innovation cycles continue to compress. With AI reshaping roles, workflows and expectations, people are processing more inputs and making more decisions with less certainty. Without a deliberate focus on mental, emotional and spiritual fitness, cognitive overload, stress and loneliness will continue to rise - and performance, judgement and relationships suffer. Strengthening these capacities is central to sustainable high performance - and it will also make for a happier workplace and world.
Four personal habits that move the needle
1. Quality sleep
One third of adults in Ireland sleep less than six hours a night; globally, about a third are sleep-deprived. Most of us need 7 to 8 hours. Sleep is the number-one performance-enhancement tool (apart from preparation). Treat it as essential.
2. Quality recovery
Time outdoors, hydration, deep relaxation, and real downtime matter. Even 2 X one-minute breathing practices a day make a big difference. Good recovery fuels clarity, emotional regulation, and overall wellbeing. Scrolling isn’t recovery - it adds to stress!
3. Boundaries with tech
You don’t need to check your phone every time it pings. Stay off your phone for the first and last hour of the day for one week and notice the difference. Two clients tried this initially for a week; after four days they were amazed by how much calmer and more present they felt. One month on, they’ve kept it up.
4. Spiritual fitness (purpose, values and connection)
Each morning, finish this sentence: “What truly matters today is…”. Choose one action that honours it. In the evening, do a 60-second values check: did my key decisions align with my top two values? If not, plan one adjustment for tomorrow.
Three things organisations can do now
1) Resource leaders and managers first
Invest in managers’ mental, emotional and spiritual fitness. Run targeted training, map stress bottlenecks and fix them at source. When managers are mentally, emotionally and spiritually fit, teams stabilise - and performance improves.
2) Build psychological safety and purpose in.
Make connection and candour the norm. When people feel safe to connect, learn, grow, and challenge, quality and outcomes improve. Link work to purpose and focus on “Values in Action”.
3) Smarter email, communications, and meetings
Adopt simple protocols that protect time and energy while keeping communication clear, kind, and fast: email clarity rules, appropriate focus norms, and meeting hygiene (clear purpose, tight agenda, right people and finish early).
If you’d like support to strengthen the mental, emotional and spiritual fitness of your people, we deliver talks and workshops that blend stories, science, and practical tools leaders can use immediately - tailored to your needs, context, and goals. Contact us
