What are some ways leaders can encourage employees to prioritize self-care?

Leaders need to “walk the walk” of self-care and also speak about it. We all try to navigate stressors in work/ life and there is no 50-50 balance. We can be experiencing 70-30 one day, 90-10 one day, and 60-40 the next. By sharing why it matters, vulnerable examples even, collectively you can start encouraging each other to take action. Leaders can support their team further by understanding what self-care looks like during low & high periods of stress. Share what tools are in your toolbox, what you want to try out, and how your self-care changes without letting it go out the window 100%. Because unfortunately our healthy habits/ foundation of sleep, exercise, nutrition & self-care often take the first hit when we are stressed.

As a leader, I firmly believe that one of the most effective ways to encourage self-care is to embody it ourselves. Our actions set the tone and example for those around us. When we prioritize our own health and happiness, demonstrating a proactive approach to managing stress and achieving work-life balance, we create a ripple effect within our team. Few ways to model self-care are 1. Encouraging the teams for tea/coffee breaks 2. Going for a lunchtime walks as a team 3. Emphasizing the importance of activities that bring joy and fulfillment outside of work 4. Fostering a positive environment by appreciating the efforts of our team 5. Celebrating success both big and small.

Modeling self-care in a systemic way that builds trust with open conversation and mutual humanistic struggles gets people opening up about how they handle stress. Communication and stress tolerance or level of resilience is the main area your employees have trouble with, will determine if they can ask for help or support or just stew in problems until they become worse. I like a system of daily reporting on at least one "glimmer" a positive pleasant happy moment and one "trigger" one difficult moment each person had through the day. (More details on how can follow). Knowing that everyone goes through these experiences including yourself and can create the open attitude to mental health and self care that you lead by a willingness to listen.

Modeling good self-care is a good first step. It is a company responsibility to provide the opportunity. If a company is just paying lip service to ot. People may not take the time to do it for themselves and may burn out.

Creating an organisational culture where self-care is discussed and modelled by leaders is key. Also, leaders who talk appropriately and authentically about their own struggles and journeys out of chronic stress or burnout inspire their followers to be reflective and realistic.

Leaders may create a supportive environment by fostering a workplace culture where open communication about stress, burnout and self-care is encouraged. Collectively we can start encouraging each other. Also, implement wellness programs that include activities like yoga, meditation, fitness classes, or mindfulness sessions. My two cents..

Self-care isn’t just about setting a boundary against work. It seems that we only talk about it that way. Self-care in my case is creating a life that sustains my high energy, inventor, IP driven self into developing the best products in the CBD and cannabis space, and driving research forward. It means believing in myself enough to drive a 15 year old emerging med tech company with severe barriers to entry to meet real problems in populations in great need. It means taking oneself seriously, honoring your own contributions by putting total commitment into your own work. Another perspective that I hope is helpful, especially to other driven women out there. Breaking Through, My Life in Science by Katalin Kariko I highly recommend.

Someone once said, "what you do is so loud, I can't hear what you say". It is easy to pay lip-service to wellness when all is good and dandy. The commitment to wellness is seen when the deadlines pile up and the resources are dwindling in the face of mounting needs. Health is the underlying assumption of all achievements. We should be seen both to do and promote this truism.

It’s true that it’s important for leaders to model healthy boundaries and behaviors. But also let’s not forget that leaders too are human. You may struggle with self care and boundaries as a leader. If this is the case, you don’t need to turn into a self care superhero overnight. Nor should you put on a self care show. Another option is to be vulnerable about your challenges, and do the inner work that will show genuine progress over time.

A leader's behavior sets the tone for the entire team. When leaders prioritize their own self-care, it sends a powerful message: personal well-being is crucial for professional success. This isn't just about taking occasional breaks or using vacation days; it's about consistently demonstrating a balanced approach to work and life. Whether it's openly discussing their own strategies for managing stress, stepping away from the desk for a lunch break, or openly supporting mental health days, leaders who practice what they preach in terms of self-care create an environment where employees feel empowered to do the same. This approach not only boosts morale but also enhances productivity and fosters a healthier, more sustainable work culture.

Flexibility is all about trusting. By means of simple actions your team members really are able to gauge how and what you think about them. It may mean remote work, part time work and also no work on some days to recharge and reboot. Only a trusting and caring leader can demonstrate this.

Continue remote work arrangements even post Covid. If the world went on for 2 years without meeting, we should not revert to more than 50% in the office. I believe a hybrid solution probably works best. My teams meet weekly virtually, and once a quarter face to face. As one of my ex bosses told me, I trust you, that’s why I hired you.

Define work hours. When I started my career, I received permission from my manager to work from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Pacific Time, so I could contact media on the East Coast before their deadlines and beat the afternoon traffic when commuting home. What are the “core” business hours of your company? When is your team expected to be available? Is it 9-11 a.m. and 1-4 p.m., for example, and other times are flexible so team members can make personal arrangements? What are the expectations for working on nights and weekends? Our profession isn’t 9-5, but I’ve witnessed a lot of people burn out because they believe they’re supposed to be available all day, every day. Is that true? Discuss this with your team.

Here's what I learned about promoting flexibility for self-care: Embrace Flexibility: At Noble House, we implemented permanent Work from home. It wasn't just about working from home; it was an understanding that personal time is as crucial as work. Lead by Example: I made it a point to talk about my hobbies or time spent with family openly. When leaders openly prioritize self-care, it sets a tone. Encourage Boundaries: We had a policy - no calls after 6 PM. It sounds small, but it gave everyone permission to unplug and recharge. Remember, a well-rested team is a more productive team.

Allowing employees the flexibility in setting their own schedule can have enormous impact on their overall productivity due to better well-being, and satisfaction, thereby, elevating a team's efficacy.

Cultivating a culture of flexibility begins with awareness. Flexibility is the ability to quickly adapt to changing or unexpected circumstances. Leaders can develop their team flexibility by first developing their own awareness and attending skills; for example tuning in to listening to their employees' input or needs; being mindful of current challenges, or goals and trying to meet them; becoming aware of your own communication style and that of your team (meeting teammates where they are at); approaching from a place a curiosity and seeking input from stakeholders often. By attuning we can become more situationally aware and in turn increase capacity for flexibility so that we can be responsive to whatever situation we find ourselves in.

Flexibilität des Einzelnen endet dort wo diese das Handel anderer beeinflusst. In der Gruppe können Alternativen vereinbart werden, wenn diese durch die Mehrheit der Gruppe beschlossen werden. Die Führungskraft sollte für einen Ausgleich der Interessen sorgen.

Promoting flexibility is key for employee thriving. The catch is there also needs to space for the employee to leverage that flexibility. For example many in workplaces offer unlimited flexible time off, but with such high workloads and an “always on” culture such that employees end up taking less vacation. Flexibility is one great step. But in and of itself it’s not sufficient. Also needed are: space for autonomy, and clarity of expectations.

By emphasising results over rigid schedules, my team possesses the autonomy to manage their time in a way that suits them best.

Honesty and trust between a team enables flexibility to be a pleasure to be given. As part of the team the leader may need some flexibility so why not all. It will hopefully create a stress free team who can open up and talk and share.

One thing I’ve found to be a tremendous differentiator in how effective mental health and well-being resources are is how inclusive they are. Do you have a mental health vendor that is accessible for those who learn and think differently; that has providers who actually represent the demographics of your organization; and the meets the true needs of your people AND their families? These are some of the nuances that make a tremendous difference.

"Can you name a resource that you wish you had more of?" When asked this question, most busy professionals will say, "time." Well-meaning companies tend to outsource one-off wellness workshops that contain potentially life changing information, but lack systematic implementation. By providing the resource of time (e.g. in the form of a scheduled self-directed wellness block during the workday), companies empower teams to develop their self-care and stress management skills without other obligations competing for their attention. Only when wellness is built into a company's ethos via daily prioritization can we expect lasting change that spans team-wide.

I believe that employers need to provide specific and targeted support to the leaders and managers within their organisation. This approach benefits everyone in the organisation and can reduce stress and burnout.

Once we understand what a person wants and needs from their organisations well-being support, it is a lot easier to create an offering which will bring about impactful and meaningful results. As an organisation it's important to understand how two serve the masses but also create flexibility in your offering to support individual wants and needs.

This is our provider business model in part. Building a inhouse culture of management support for employees. pickaveterantotreat.com

Partager des conseils de gestion du stress en entreprise est une bonne chose mais est-ce vraiment suffisant ? Qui n'a pas eu son shoot de stress ? Mais a quel moment la ligne est franchie ? L'acmée atteint. Quand les entreprises invitent des conférenciers psychologues sophrologues ou autre pour sensibiliser alerter donner des clés, oui. Mais alors qu'est ce qui fait que cela ne fonctionne pas. Est-ce que quelque chose manque ?

Todas as maneiras de incentivar o autocuidado são válidas, nas empresas onde atuei percebi um modelo que parece funcionar muito bem: fornecimento de recursos e modelo de gestão. Os recursos podem ser definidos a partir da cultura organizacional e o modelo está nas condutas dos gestores. Interessante foi em uma dessas empresas que atuei, onde a maioria dos colaboradores eram pais e mães e muitos se mostravam aflitos com os cuidados e às vezes a distância dos filhos, a liderança média contratou uma palestra com o título Pais Imperfeitos. Nessa palestra além de aliviar a aflição dos pais, mostravam como era possível proporcionar mais qualidade de tempo com seus filhos. Com certeza essa ação diminuiu o estresse nas equipes.

If we want to encourage self care in our workplaces and communities, we need to show our employees that self care is valued, and then give them the resources to do so. A living wage is self care. Quality health insurance is self care. Employee Assistance Services are self care...or rather, all these things allow a company to show their employees that they matter, and then give them the flexibility and the resources so they can care for themselves!

Es necesario priorizar la experiencia sobre la teoría, el hacer más que el hablar acerca de… sobre todo cuando se trata del auto cuidado. Si se va a ocupar media hora o una hora del tiempo en el trabajo, que sea para llevarte estrategias y desarrollar competencias relacionadas con el auto cuidado.

Creating a SAFE workplace enhances employee well-being: S - Supportive Communication involves open, empathetic dialogue, fostering psychological safety. A - Acknowledgment of Individual Needs requires understanding diverse motivations and challenges, promoting inclusivity. F- Flexibility in Work Arrangements, like remote work and flexible hours, supports work-life balance. E - Encouragement of Healthy Boundaries, advocating for time-off and disconnection from work, prevents burnout. This holistic approach integrates self-care into the workplace, benefiting both employees and the organization.

A psychologically safe environment where employees feel comfortable and confident in speaking up around best practice, workload, values and direction is critical to increasing engagement, job satisfaction and retention. Additionally, creating space for employees to be vulnerable abut the challenges and struggles they have will foster a positive work culture.

Here's what I've learned about encouraging self-care in the workplace: Lead by Example: I once cancelled an important meeting to attend Athrv's performance. This showed my team that personal life matters. Regular Check-ins: Asking about their weekend plans can make a big difference. Promote Flexibility: Allowing flexible hours helps employees manage stress. Recognize Efforts: A simple 'thank you' can boost morale immensely. Fostering a positive culture isn't just about policies; it's about everyday actions that show your team they are valued beyond their work output.

To develop a culture of any sort, it is important to note what are your values. Every organization, team and individual can benefit from analyzing a few key aspects of its identity. Ask yourself, your employees and your organization, what is your mission? What is your vision? What are your values? Having a positive culture means seeing leaders, organizations and teams at all levels living the values out loud. By identifying your personal and organizational values, you can also recognize when your teammates act upon and meet their own! Recognize their efforts and accomplishment to continue building on this feeling of collaborative efforts, positive team culture and continued growth.

Als Führungskraft muss ich authentisch und verlässlich sein. Wenn eine Führungskraft sich das Vertrauen seiner Führungskraft erhält und gleichzeitig das Vertrauen seiner Mitarbeiter überwiegend sicher sein kann, kann man von einer positiven Kultur sprechen.

Creating a workplace culture that values and promotes self-care is pivotal for the well-being of employees. Leaders can encourage this by actively endorsing breaks, promoting a healthy work-life balance, and appreciating the efforts of individuals. Cultivating an atmosphere where employees feel supported in taking care of their well-being fosters a positive and resilient team. Additionally, initiatives such as wellness challenges, mindfulness sessions, and team-building activities can further enhance this culture. By prioritizing and modeling self-care practices, leaders set a powerful example that reverberates through the entire organization, creating a space where individuals thrive both personally and professionally.

Check In with your team members clearly demonstrate that you care and this time for 1-1 is important. Nothing to beat an In person session be it over Coffee or a Walk across the floors. This is the Me time that your team member can have to ask you any Q or tips that may also not essentially be task or activity related.

Here's what I learned about self-care in leadership: Check-In Regularly: During COVID times, we began a ritual and asked every team member "How are you really?" These weren't about work progress, but personal check-ins. Model Self-Care: I always shared my own practices, like walking during lunch. It showed it's okay to take breaks. Remember, a well-cared-for team is a productive team!

Regular check-ins are a cornerstone of fostering a workplace that prioritizes self-care. Leaders can create an open and supportive environment by consistently checking in with team members about their well-being. These check-ins provide an opportunity for employees to express their needs and challenges, ensuring that their mental and emotional health is acknowledged and valued. Leaders can also use this time to share resources, such as wellness programs or stress-relief initiatives, tailored to the individual needs of team members. By demonstrating a genuine interest in the well-being of employees, leaders contribute to a culture where self-care is not just encouraged but embraced.

Regular check-ins for self-care helps hold us accountable. The check-ins can be informal and random or even part of weekly meetings. Making self-care a priority will increase follow through. This includes open conversations about self-care; not just passing closed questions, like "hey, did you take care of you, today?" Show interest and be supportive in the process.

I absolutely agree that the work environment needs to have a level of fun. People don’t want to show up to work and be bummed out. And laughter has been shown to reduce stress. (So has music!) You want colleagues to become friends, so that they look forward to seeing each other every day. This isn’t hard to do… It might be a simple as allowing music to be played in the background. Encouraging people to take lunch breaks and breaks together and gather and talk. By reducing the overall stress in the office there are many benefits to the workers health. They have lower blood pressure, better, weight management, better sleep, less anger and frustration, and overall better moods, showing up to work!

I make it a point to inject lightheartedness, sharing anecdotes or encouraging team members to share funny stories. Embracing a culture where humour is welcomed helps alleviate stress and creates a sense of camaraderie!

Fun and humour is a high value of mine, and an essential ingredient in coaching CEOs and Coaches. There are three levels of ‘play’ in respect to how one goes about their work: 1. Play to not lose (defence) 2. Play to win (attachment) 3. Play to play (fun & lightness) I know which I prefer!

Leaders can take a critical look at their personal impact on employee wellbeing. If employee self-care is important to them, then reflecting on the ways they are responsible for environments that alleviate or amplify pressures, strain and demands on staff might help address root causes. This is the next step in the development of a moral, responsible, ethical and sustainable approach to leadership and workplace culture. Leaders can help by looking beyond short-term fixes that target the results of problems, and towards reducing or eliminating the causes of pressures that staff are having to cope with in the first place (eg. workload, wage pressures, toxic & disempowering culture, workplace incivility, micro-management, inflexibility).

A big issue that I've noticed through working with senior leadership is that they are often excellent managers, and mediocre leaders - highlighting a gap in quality leadership training/coaching/mentorship. Leadership is not just about managing teams—it's about nurturing an environment where every individual feels supported in their journey towards personal and professional well-being.

Removing barriers to well-being and self-care is an important step for leaders to grasp. Self-care doesn't have to cost massive of time and money, it simply needs to be something which fills someones cup, is intentional and gives people a mental pause in their days, weeks and months.

In addition to all the ideas shared in this article what is really important is to create psychological safety for people to feel safe, to open up, share and talk about their issues. Psychological safety is directly related and result of the culture of the organization, where people are valued, there is a growth mindset, there is accomodation for mistakes & failures, relationships are valued over results. Every meeting needs to start with focussing on the person before moving to their tasks. Check ins are about people and their feelings , but most often leaders focus on tasks. When the culture cares & values people and sees people first the people in the culture also start emulating self care.

Führung als dauerhafte Aufgabe sollte abgeschafft werden. In den 1990er Jahren arbeitete ich erfolgreich in einem ergolrejchenden wachsenden Unternehmen. Ich wurde als Führungskraft durch die Geschäftsführung für die Dauer von zwei Jahren ernannt. Doch musste ich dafür auch eine mehrheitliche Zustimmung in geheimer Wahl aller meiner mir zugeordneten Mitarbeiter bekommen. Die Prozedur wiederholte sich alle zwei Jahre. Wurden die Mitarbeiterinteressen über die des Unternehmens verfolgt, stellte die Geschäftsführung mich nicht mehr auf, im umgekehrten Fall verfehlte ich die Zustimmung der Mitarbeitenden. Das schafft eine besondere wertschätzende Kultur.

Community involvement! Contributing to a larger cause provides a sense of purpose and fulfilment, enhancing overall well-being.

An important consideration is personal values. Knowing what is most important to us can help prioritize where we put our time and energy.