When my friend Tommy sent me a Harvard Business article on self-care, I thought to myself “isn’t this an over hyped topic”. But reading the research, I have to agree that many of us, as leaders, hold the view that “it’s “normal” for him [the leader] to worry about his staff’s health but not his own; another shared that time for herself is considered “indulgent and lazy” by her extended family. Cultural, societal, and organisational factors also influence how leaders engage with self-care, from “we don’t do this in our culture” to organisational cultures that value what one client calls “strength and heroism” over self-care. Leaders also cite a lack of time and knowledge of what to do as barriers affecting their engagement with self-care.”
Often, as the quote indicates, we ignore self care when we really need to give ourselves the permission to look after our own wellbeing. If we have not been paying much attention to taking care of ourselves, rather than doing significant things to focus on self care, think small steady incremental steps instead. There is a danger that when we try to focus on doing big things to selfcare, we can end up holding an all-or-nothing attitude. That is not going to be helpful given busy work schedules.
Here are three areas we can take small steady incremental steps to help us self-care.
1) Look after your bodies. Rest - avoid late-night-early-morning routines. Exercise - this need not be intense but it needs to be intentional and consistent. One good idea is to incorporate micro-workouts into your schedule. 15-minute HIIT or pilates sessions, stretching and taking a walk after sitting for too long or using the stairs rather than taking the escalator. Eat well - not eat much but eat healthy.
2) Take care of how you feel - cultivate the ability to regulate emotions and the ability to relax. Start with being aware of what you feel. Then understand what it is that is bothering you. Talk about it or externalise it by writing or drawing it out. Looking at what you wrote or drew can often help us see ways to deal with things that bother or concern us. When our minds are less bothered, we can relax better.
3) Think about your relationships - how you give and receive support. Think about ways to collaborate more effectively. Often this is about communicating more clearly. Or it may be about clarifying things so that trust is built. More importantly, be optimistic and positive.
As humans, autonomy and choice are key to happiness. When our choices are rooted in doing things that give us growth and fan our passions, and we have the autonomy to pursue them, it boosts our energy. When that energy accomplishes the outcome we hope for, we get that dopamine boost which raises satisfaction with ourselves.
The research referred to is from “A Self-Care Checklist for Leaders”, by Palena Neale, Harvard Business Review September 27, 2024
#wellbeing #selfcare #leaders #managingmyself
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