Paul Calver. Founder Wellbeing Strategist

Helping founders 🚀 their performance by optimising their wellbeing and automating their workflows | Sleep Advocate | Workflow Optimisations & Automations using AI Tools | Sleep, Stress & Nutrition Coach | iOS Engineer

Most professionals over 40/50 are more tired, wired and distracted than they expected to be.

I help them change that.

As a 57‑year‑old trainer, certified health coach and iOS developer, I work on one problem from two angles:

• Coaching: 
Helping 40/50+ professionals improve energy, sleep and strength with simple, evidence‑based habits.

• Product: 
Building humane apps like Sunlock (sunlight before screenlight) and PRSNT (presence on demand) that protect focus instead of stealing it.

Across both, the goal is the same: protect the health, attention and performance of people in the second half of life, using the philosophy of “fundamentals over fads”.

Founder, Coach and Developer

Upgrading the Wellness Operating Systems of individuals and companies 😉
Sleep, Stress Management and Nutrition coaching.

1:1 Wellness Coaching, Group Coaching, Sleep Coaching, Wellness Webinars, Lunch & Learns, Employee Wellness Programme Consulting

Paul Calver

I am a sleep neuroscientist, adjunct professor at IE Business School in Madrid, lecturer at St. Gallen and IMD Business Schools, keynote speaker, and internationally recognized authority on sleep. I have been named by Thrive Global as one of the top 5 sleep experts in the world. I advise corporations around the globe on sleep, performance, and well-being. I support CEOs and decision-makers worldwide to help them get the best out of themselves, their teams, and their organizations.

I began my career in sleep during my Master of Neurosciences degree, studying the effect of sleep on cognitive performance at the Netherlands Institute of Neurosciences and Harvard Medical School. I studied the effect of sleep on the brain and performance as a Fulbright scholar during my Ph.D. in Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley before making a switch to a corporate career at McKinsey & Company as a management consultant.

Now, I design science-based corporate sleep programs including sleep assessments and I host workshops and webinars. I have shown a great impact on every corporate client: reducing sleep debt by 53%, decreasing stress by 25%, and improving productivity by 20%. Separately, I also support companies as a boardroom advisor, educating their workforce on sleep and creating science-based sleep content for product and marketing purposes (videos, blogs, and podcasts).

My work on has been featured in HBR, the McKinsey Quarterly, The Wall Street Journal, TIME magazine, The Atlantic, Forbes, BBC, and many others. I regularly appear in the media: talk shows, news & radio shows. I hosted a Max Masterclass on prime-time tv and online videos for the Huffington Post with millions of viewers.

I am a wife, mother of 2, and passionate about finding ways to improve sleep and performance through small tweaks in our lifestyle, such as exercise, nutrition, light exposure, and relaxation techniques. 

I am based in Lucerne, Switzerland but work with companies across the globe.

Contact for inquiries: info@elsvanderhelm.com

Els van der Helm

It’s my birthday 🎂!! Excited about turning 𝟰𝟮 today.

I’ve noticed that with every passing year, I care less about the number. I care more about how I’m living each year.

I actually started celebrating last night, with a birthday dinner with a few of my closest friends.

Not one of those “𝘥𝘢𝘺-𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦-𝘭𝘦𝘵’𝘴-𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵-𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭-𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵” parties 😆. You know me 😁.

Instead, it was one of those evenings that reminds me how lucky I am to have people who’ve known me for so long.

I've been thinking about this more recently.

As my five-year-old is currently in a phase where he keeps asking how old I’ll be when he’s 10… or 40… or 80.

He’s trying to figure out whether I’ll still be alive.

It’s a bit morbid 😅. But also strangely touching. It’s the first time he’s realizing that life isn’t endless.

And it’s made me even more aware of the balance I want to strike:

👉Living in a way that gives me the best chance to grow old and stay healthy—so I’ll still be around as long as possible—while also fully enjoying my life right now.

So…

To balance out the late-night dinner, I kicked off this morning with an outdoor exercise class with a friend.

In the rain. At 4 degrees 😅.
I'm committed 😃.

Tomorrow, I’ll head home to celebrate with my husband and kids.

Thankfully, my kids believe my birthday is actually on Sunday.

So I get to celebrate multiple times!

Another year. Another candle. And thankfully, another chance to invest in the future AND live fully.

Here’s to 𝟰𝟮 ✨

Dr Els van der Helm

Anyone else find the first week back after vacation harder than expected?
Here are a few science-based ways I manage the transition.

Even after a relaxing break, that first week back can feel off. Not because your break wasn't relaxing, but because your circadian rhythm is adjusting.

I was reminded of this earlier this week when I hosted an early-morning webinar, which meant making sure my own sleep-wake rhythm was back in sync.

Vacations often shift 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 we sleep, move, eat, and see light, even if we don’t cross any time zones. 

The good news: your rhythm adapts quickly when you give it the right cues.

Here are 𝟱 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 to ease the transition:


1️⃣ 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 
Move your bedtime and wake-up time by ~15 minutes per day. 
If it takes you more than 30 minutes to fall asleep, pause and hold that time for a day or two.

2️⃣ 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 
Early daylight is the strongest signal for shifting your rhythm earlier.
Open the curtains right away. Sit outside, take a short walk, or have your coffee in daylight—even 10–20 minutes helps.

3️⃣ 𝗗𝗶𝗺 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 
Darkness in the evening allows melatonin to rise.
Close curtains and dim lights earlier to help your body get sleepy.

4️⃣ 𝗔𝗱𝗱 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗲 (𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗶𝗳 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲) 
If you want to shift your rhythm earlier, morning exercise works better than evening workouts.
Doing it outdoors gives you a double boost: movement 𝘢𝘯𝘥 light.

5️⃣ 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗮 𝗯𝗲𝗱𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 
Back at work, time flies by. A reminder to start winding down—even 15–30 minutes—helps signal your brain that it’s time to sleep.

One last thing: 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀, even on weekends. 
That’s what stabilizes your rhythm fastest.

If this week feels a bit off, don't worry. 
You’re just recalibrating.

What helps 𝘺𝘰𝘶 most when getting back into a routine after time off?

taplio

The Battle

Paul Calver

Els van der Helm

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreEls van der Helm's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Paul Calver

Els van der Helm

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Els van der Helm's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreEls van der Helm's LinkedIn Performance