When you’re a leader or professional today, it’s hard not to feel like you’re constantly on call. There’s always a new project to tackle, an emergency to manage, a crisis to avert. Amidst all this busyness and stress, how can you take care of yourself? It may seem counterintuitive at first glance but there are some key practices that will help improve your well-being and productivity. Self care is critical in our increasingly demanding work environments. This post is part of a series on self care for leaders we’ll be publishing here on the blog over the next few weeks!
My own journey to becoming a coach, however, was not without its challenges. As I reflected on my experiences and the stories of others, one core belief held me back from becoming the leader I wanted to be: “I don’t believe I am worthy.”
As a young adult transitioning into leadership roles in the corporate world, I struggled with this belief for several years.
Although I was well-qualified and open to new opportunities for growth and development, deep down inside me there was an underlying belief that somehow something was wrong with me—that maybe “this wasn’t something that could happen for me” or “it wasn’t meant for someone like me” or even “I wasn’t good enough!”
To start being more self-compassionate, try these simple exercises:
- Reflect on your life and visualize the things that are most important to you. What do you hope for? What is your vision of success? Write it down and keep this list visible in your workspace or home so you can refer back to it regularly.
- Give yourself permission to take care of yourself (and only yourself) by saying no when necessary. It may mean saying no to that evening out with friends or being honest about how much work needs done before leaving the office at 6 p.m., but knowing what boundaries are appropriate helps us feel less overwhelmed and stressed out by our commitments—and more connected with our values too!
Self-care is a critical competence for leaders and professionals today. The idea that we need to take care of ourselves first before others can be daunting at times but, if we embrace it, the benefits are immense: less stress, more energy and creativity, higher productivity, healthier relationships with loved ones—all leading to greater success at work and home.
Self-care is not a selfish act! It is not about taking time away from your family, friends, or co-workers. Instead self-care gives you the tools to be better at what you do and feel better while doing it.
If your goal is to be a better leader or professional then self-care should be at the top of your list because it will help with so many aspects of being successful in those roles.
When you practice self care consistently, you may start:
– Feeling more energized
– Having better relationships with others
– Being less stressed out
– Being able to focus better on tasks that need your attention
– Being happier
– Feeling more positive about life in general
– Having a greater sense of gratitude and appreciation for what you have, as self-care is not selfish! It’s good for everyone.
Burnout is a common problem in the workplace, and it affects women more than men.
A study by the Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO) found that women are more likely than men to experience emotional exhaustion and depersonalization (i.e., cynicism).
They also found that women leaders who put their health last were also most likely to experience emotional exhaustion and depersonalization as well as cynicism toward others.
The results of this study emphasize the importance of taking care of your own health, but it can be difficult to find time for self-care when you are focused on other priorities.
To counter this, many companies have started offering their employees opportunities to take classes and receive professional coaching to develop skills in areas such as mindfulness meditation or yoga.
Take time for yourself and see how your productivity increases and how much more you’ll be able to give of yourself to others.
Be compassionate towards yourself because beating yourself up doesn’t help anyone – certainly not you!
Self care is not selfish. It’s a critical competence for leaders and professionals today.
We live in a world where we’re constantly being asked to do more with less, but if we can’t take care of ourselves then we’ll burn out and won’t be able to do our best work – or even show up at all!
It’s important that you know it’s okay to say no sometimes so that you can recharge your batteries (and your relationships).
Self-care is about giving you the resources you need so that you can give of yourself to others with more energy and joy.
There is no one way to approach self-care, but there are some basic guidelines:
- Take time for yourself. This means setting aside time in your day, or planning it into your week, where you do something purely for pleasure. It could be reading a book, going for a walk by yourself or having dinner out alone—anything that gives you some space away from all the demands of life and work while still being enjoyable on its own merits.
- Recognize what makes up a good day—and then prioritize it! The point of self-care isn’t just sitting around doing nothing but watching TV; it’s about making sure your mind and body get what they need in order to function at their best during work hours as well as after hours when we’re not always available for ourselves. That may mean getting enough sleep (even if sometimes this means putting off those extra hobbies), eating well balanced meals (even if sometimes this means cutting back on office snacks), exercising regularly (even if sometimes this means taking a break from Netflix marathons), etc., etc., etc…
The benefits of self-care are clear: You’re more productive, focused on what matters to you and less likely to burn out. So how can we make it happen? First, find the time by scheduling in activities that help you recharge—even if it’s only 20 minutes each day.
Learning how to be physically and emotionally healthy is an important part of becoming a better leader. Self care can help you be more present for others, improve your mental health and mood, and increase productivity at work. The best part about self care is that it doesn’t have to be complicated; there are easy ways that anyone can practice this life skill. And when we take care of ourselves first, the people around us benefit too!
We hope you find this information helpful, and please feel free to share it with any women in your life who may need some extra support at work!
Leave a comment and share with me how you spend your Self-care time.