Workplace Wellbeing And Mental Health

Workplace Wellbeing and Mental Health for B2B Marketers

Overview

This skill covers practical strategies for B2B marketers and marketing leaders to manage their energy, establish healthy boundaries, regulate stress, and build sustainable daily routines. All practices are sourced exclusively from Exit Five podcast guests across 7 episodes. No general wellness advice has been added — every recommendation traces back to a named guest and episode.

Managing Communication and Notifications

Treat communication tools as scheduled tasks, not continuous streams. The core principle across multiple guests is that constant checking creates a measurable stress response — even when the job itself is low-stakes.

• Batch email and Slack into two dedicated windows per day. Schedule two 30-minute blocks for email processing and treat them as tasks, not background activity. Keeping your inbox open all day increases context-switching and reactivity. (Source: Dave Gerhardt, Episode #160; Episode #295; Episode #298)
• Conduct Slack and email sweeps in the morning and afternoon only. Treat Slack like an inbox with defined review windows rather than a real-time notification stream. (Source: Dave Gerhardt, Episode #298)
• Recognize that continuous checking mimics a threat state in your nervous system. Even a low-stress job triggers stress responses when you check communications every few minutes. Limiting frequency allows your nervous system to calm down and improves both stress levels and creative output. (Source: Dave Gerhardt, Episode #234; Episode #295)
• Implement scheduled phone-free windows. Set specific times when you put your phone away completely — for example, after 5 PM until 7–8 AM the next day, or full 48-hour weekends. Track the impact on your stress and regulation. Consistency matters more than duration. (Source: Kara Hardin, Episode #160)

Decision-Making Under Stress

• Sleep on major decisions before acting. When facing a significant decision — especially one that feels urgent — delay action by at least 24 hours. Waiting reveals that most decisions don't need to be made immediately. This is particularly valuable for founders and leaders who feel pressure to respond instantly. (Source: Dave Gerhardt, Episode #298)
• Treat "sleep on it" as a guardrail, not a suggestion. When you feel an urgent impulse to respond or act — especially when emotionally activated — implement a firm rule to wait before responding. The stronger the urge to act immediately, the greater the need to pause. Stress responses make everything feel urgent; in reality, most things can wait 24 hours. (Source: Kara Hardin, Episode #160)

Physical Routines for Energy and Stress Regulation

• Complete physical exercise before 9 AM to establish a productive day. Structure your morning to include a full workout (45–60 minutes of weight lifting) plus a 3-mile hike, run, or walk before 9 AM. This creates early-day accomplishment, reduces anxiety, and makes the rest of the workday feel manageable by comparison. Requires waking at 5:30 AM and treating exercise as non-negotiable. (Source: Dave Gerhardt, Episode #298)
• Use running or physical activity as a primary ideation tool. When stuck on a problem, go for a run instead of grinding at your desk. Ideas flow more naturally during physical movement than while sitting. Capture ideas mid-run using a voice notes app. (Source: Emma Stratton, Episode #234)
• Use cold showers or cold plunges as a stress regulation tool. Take a 2-minute cold shower (set a timer) after exercise or as a standalone practice. Cold exposure creates a measurable stress-reduction effect afterward and serves as a time boundary — preventing you from lingering in a warm shower and becoming drowsy. (Source: Dave Gerhardt, Episode #295; Episode #234)
• Identify what brings you energy and schedule regular recovery time. Recognize that burnout is real and requires active energy management. Identify activities or environments that restore you (e.g., nature, exercise, time with friends) and schedule them regularly — don't wait until you're fully depleted. Build recovery into your rhythm, for example by taking a recharge day every two months. (Source: Tara Robertson, Episode #188)

Mental Practices: Journaling and Meditation

• Use freeform journaling instead of structured formats. Avoid rigid systems like daily gratitude lists or bullet journals if they feel forced. Write freely about what's on your mind, how you're feeling, and what's happening. If you're stressed or angry, write it out on paper to get it out of your body. Freeform journaling is more sustainable than following someone else's system. (Source: Dave Gerhardt, Episode #295)
• Write out frustrations on paper to release stress. When stressed, angry, or grumpy, take a piece of paper and write out everything making you frustrated. This is a temporary release mechanism — not a journal entry. The act of writing transfers stress from your body onto paper. Discard or destroy the paper afterward if you choose. (Source: Dave Gerhardt, Episode #234)
• Simplify meditation to sitting quietly for 10 minutes. Don't overcomplicate meditation with mantras, guided audio, or elaborate techniques. The core practice is simply sitting for 10 minutes. Each time your brain races to tasks or worries, gently return your attention to the present moment. This simple version is more sustainable than structured approaches. (Source: Dave Gerhardt, Episode #295; Episode #234)

Daily Planning and Boundaries

• Write your next-day plan in a notebook before bed. Each night, write out three to four big things you want to accomplish the next day. This gets the plan out of your head and onto paper, allowing you to be mentally present at home and avoid ruminating on work. Create a clear boundary between work planning and personal time. (Source: Dave Gerhardt, Episode #234)
• Block one hour daily for learning and strategic thinking before work chaos begins. Dedicate 45–60 minutes each morning (or equivalent protected time) to learning, research, and strategic thinking before operational demands take over. Use this time for podcasts, books, industry research, or customer call reviews. This prevents skill atrophy and keeps you sharp on trends. (Source: Shane Murphy, Episode #173)
• Set explicit work hour boundaries with your leadership and commit to them. Establish a realistic maximum number of hours you can dedicate to work (e.g., 50 hours per week) and communicate this clearly to your CEO or leadership. Commit to signing off when family obligations arise without guilt. Seek leaders who value output and ideas over hours logged and who have empathy for your life stage. Acknowledge that checking Slack and having ideas outside work hours is normal — the boundary is about intentional presence and avoiding burnout. (Source: Jess Cook, Episode #321)

Energy Diagnostics and Job Crafting

• Use energy and regulation as diagnostic signals for work performance. Assess your mental readiness using two operational questions: (1) When you wake up, do you have enough energy to get through the ups and downs of your day? (2) Can you move throughout your day from feeling driven to reflective? Track what conditions produce high energy and the ability to shift between modes. Use this data to identify what you need — or need to stop doing — to maintain regulation. (Source: Kara Hardin, Episode #160)
• Practice job crafting: align work choices with your values and preferences within your current role. You don't need to start your own company to shape your work. Even within a larger organization, identify choices you can make to align work with your values: Can you adjust meeting times? Find time for coffee with colleagues? Negotiate project types? Understand where you are in your career, what you need as an individual, and make intentional choices that reflect those needs — without forcing yourself into someone else's ideal. (Source: Kara Hardin, Episode #160)

Where Experts Disagree

No disagreements were identified among the contributing guests on this topic.

What NOT To Do

• Do not check email and Slack continuously throughout the day. Constant checking creates a stress response in your brain that mimics a threat state, even when your job is objectively low-stress. (Source: Dave Gerhardt, Episode #295; Episode #234; Episode #160)
• Do not use rigid, structured journaling formats if they feel forced. Gratitude lists and bullet journals can become obligations that undermine the practice. Freeform writing is more sustainable. (Source: Dave Gerhardt, Episode #295)
• Do not overcomplicate meditation with mantras, guided audio, or elaborate systems. Complexity reduces sustainability. Sitting quietly for 10 minutes is sufficient. (Source: Dave Gerhardt, Episode #295; Episode #234)
• Do not act on high-emotion decisions immediately. The stronger the urge to respond right now, the more important it is to wait. Stress responses make everything feel urgent when it usually isn't. (Source: Kara Hardin, Episode #160; Dave Gerhardt, Episode #298)
• Do not wait until you're fully burned out to schedule recovery time. Burnout requires active prevention, not reactive recovery. Build recharge time into your regular rhythm before you hit a wall. (Source: Tara Robertson, Episode #188)
• Do not take a warm shower after midday exercise if you want to stay alert. A warm shower after exercise leads to drowsiness and lingering. A cold shower creates an energizing reset. (Source: Dave Gerhardt, Episode #234)
• Do not 'should' yourself into someone else's ideal of how to work. Job crafting requires self-awareness about your own preferences and the courage to advocate for them. Forcing yourself into a mold that doesn't fit your values or life stage is a path to disengagement. (Source: Kara Hardin, Episode #160)

Sources