When we think about some of the most stressful jobs in the world, we might think of careers like doctors, police officers, or lawyers. But someone we might forget has a wildly taxing job is Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
At 80 years old, Dr. Fauci works harder than most people we know. In his career, he has served seven presidents throughout as an epidemiologist and has been there to help manage all of the health crises in the world—from HIV/AIDs and Ebola, to the COVID-19 pandemic. The man rarely has a day off—in fact, he said in April that he hadn’t had a day off in 14 months.
So how does a man like this stay as healthy as he does? He recently sat down with The New York Times to share some insights on how he puts his wellness first.
First off, he exercises daily. Dr. Fauci has been a runner most of his career, and even at 80 years old, he makes fitness a priority. “Exercise is really important,” he said. “I think that the fact that I’ve been a marathon and 10k runner over the last multiple decades has been very important in my staying fit, looking fit, and feeling fit.”
He may not run as much as anymore, but he says he still makes time for a power walk. “I try as best as I can to get those walks every night,” he said.
Another tip? Don’t let basic needs like sleep and hydration fall by the wayside. “In the first surges that we had in the late winter-early spring of 2020, I got so involved in the urgency of the situation that I was not sleeping more than four hours a night. I wasn’t eating. I wasn’t drinking water,” Dr. Fauci explained.
He says that after his wife talked some sense into him and told him to focus and slow down, he now is able to get five or six hours of sleep a night—which is much better than four!
Dr. Fauci also always makes sure that he has a goal in mind, and doesn’t stray too far from it. “You’ve got to focus on what your mission is, what your goal is, what your mandate is,” he explained. “If you let those other things distract you, you’re not going to be as efficient.”
His last tip is to enjoy yourself—but not in excess. That’s key. “Take care of yourself, get some reasonable sleep, don’t get overcome with stress, [eat] a good diet; no excesses, don’t smoke, don’t drink too much. Enjoy life, but don’t do things to excess,” he explained.
Do you practice any of Dr. Fauci’s health tips already? If not, are you going to implement any into your daily life?
