Indostar Capital CEO's secret to a healthy mind: Music and math puzzles

Indostar Capital CEO R Sridhar's fitness regimen is pretty simple. Brisk walk and few stretching exercises followed by home cooked vegetarian food.

"Since the lockdown started in March 2020, I am doing exercise within my building premises. I prioritise breathing exercises and diligently take fluids like coconut water and fresh cold pressed juice to keep myself hydrated. I am also very disciplined when it comes to timeliness and quantity of food I take. I would prefer the dal roti or idli sambar as against anything exotic whenever I have a choice. I strongly believe in the theory of staying hungry both literally and conceptually," he says.

Regimen
Sridhar is an early riser – generally up by around 5 am. He starts his day by drinking water with mint and cucumber to feel energised.


"This is an essential routine for me. Then I do a combination of brisk walk every morning and a few stretch routines to be fit for the day. Post the lockdown, instead of getting up at 5 am, I get up around 6 am and follow my regimen. Working from home has had its ill effects in terms of reduced physical activity (no commute), easy access to food (being at home) etc., so I walk within the house during my work calls also. Also to augment my exercise routine, I practice guided mediation to bring a semblance of spirituality into everything I do," he says.

Food fad
Eat when you are hungry, eat homemade or fresh food and eat till you are roughly 80 per cent full. "This will ensure that you don’t feel lethargic after meals and can maintain your productivity. I am not overly particular about my diet, but I eat healthy and simple home cooked food. I focus on eating smaller portions. A varied diet also helps the body meet its nutrient needs, which are essential to sharpen the mind. I eat a lot of fruits and greens. It helps that I prefer eating these naturally, and not just for health reasons," he says.

Despite having a sweet tooth, Sridhar consciously choose sugar free desserts and his scheduled coffee and green tea are also with sugar free and without any additives or sugar.

"Even though the lifestyle of a CEO is encumbered by many work related pressures and commitments, I make it a point to eat on time and finish my dinner by 8 pm latest," he says.

Mind map
The key to keeping one’s mind and body healthy lies in meditation, simple diet and music. Music has taught Sridhar new ways to look at things and analyse each situation differently.

"It also helps me to unclutter my mind, which allows me to be more creative. My liking for Carnatic music has its roots to my formative years, where I was exposed to concerts when I worked part time in a cultural association in Chennai as an office assistant to augment my meagre family income. This exposure made me a connoisseur over the years in that exclusive Carnatic music space. I built on this liking to convert it into a passion and today I am the proud possessor of one of the best archives of quality concerts of stalwarts which have been curated and indexed by experts," he says.

His interests also include love for Mathematics as a subject and the game of cricket.

"I don’t lose an opportunity to watch a game (live in the stadium in the past) or on TV (Lockdown). I also like calling up my friends and colleagues regularly. Another thing that give me great peace and happiness is acts of benevolence and giving back to society and local communities. I have had the privilege of having great mentors in my formative years like R. Thiagarajan, founder of Shriram Group and V. Shankar, Chairman of Shanmukananda Sabha, Mumbai. Both my mentors inspired me to always give back to the society, which I now do via multiple trusts focused on education, medical and wedding for the poor as well as patronizing fine arts," he says.

Sridhar prefers home cooked simple vegetarian food. But music and mathematics puzzles help exercise his mind and keep it sharp.

"I have loved Mathematics as a child and both Mathematics and music are similar in a way – both symmetrical with an enjoyable rhythm to them. I understand the importance of a healthy mind, and channelise my energy with some meditation sessions also. I generally meditate every morning. It’s a great start to the day," he says.

Soul safety
Just like our bodies need food and energy to thrive in this world, music acts as food for the soul rejuvenating it, filling it with energy and vitality.

"Music is fun, relaxing, motivating and energizing. Apart from this, Meditation keeps my soul healthy. It also energises my mind and fills me with positive, happy thoughts. I also understand the importance of work life balance and spends adequate time connecting with family members and close friends, whom I have known for many many years. Taking ahead my profound interest in music, I have recently launched a separate YouTube channel “Carnatic Connect”, in which some of my prized concert collections are periodically uploaded for the world to listen free of cost," he ends.