YOU MATTER!
3 Self-Care Strategies for Leaders During these
Adverse Times!
2020 has been a tough year, but, despite all the challenges that this year has brought many of us all across the world, I must say, there have been a lot of lessons that I have been able to learn as a leader this year!
One of those many lessons that I have learned this year is the importance of self-care. In effect, 2020 has taught me that self-care is not only important for my personal well-being, but in order to be effective at leading others and making a positive impact in the world, I have found that being intentional about making sure that I am mentally, emotionally, and physical well is equally as important too.
In a recent article published by Pepperdine University on self-care for leaders, Sundra Rice, the author of the article stated that it is estimated that stress-related expenditures impact companies at a rate of $200 billion annually (Stickle & Scott, 2016), and many leaders face stressful conditions on a daily basis due to excessive deadlines, substantial workloads, and financial pressure at work that affect organizations and their leaders (Oreg & Berson, 2015).
Subsequently, although there are several factors that can negatively impact the effectiveness of a leader, I have found in my observation that many emerging and seasoned leaders are unable to reach their fullest potential at times due to a lack of self-care. In a sense, at certain moments, many leaders are tired, burned out, emotionally drained, mentally check out, and have lost their passion for important causes because they have not intentionally taken the time to make sure they are mentally, emotionally, and physically well.
In a 2020 Harvard Business Review article written by Palena Neale on self-care, she affirmed this truth when she stated, “A healthy diet has been linked to better moods and higher energy levels. Aerobic exercise increases blood flow, boost both learning and memory. And, getting good sleep has been linked to increased focus, improved cognitive function, greater capacity for learning, and improved empathy.”
With all the challenges that have occurred in 2020, for this final leadership message of the year, I wanted to provide a few self-care tips that I have implemented as a leader over this past year that have helped me navigate through these adverse times.
My hope is that these self-care tips will be helpful for you and others as we continue to journey through these challenging times as leaders in 2020 and beyond.
Self-Care Tip #1
Develop A Daily Motivational and Wellness Routine
Each morning that I wake up, the first set of things that I attempt to do on a daily basis is exercise, eat a healthy breakfast, recite daily affirmations, take my daily vitamins, listen to inspirational music, and pray about the day. These simple activities not only get me focused and prepared for the day, but they help me get my mind, body, and emotions set for the day as well.
Consequently, even though these simple set of activities work for me, I have found that other sets of activities help others get focused, prepared, and empowered for the day. And, this is important to understand because in order to experience the positive results of this self-care strategy, it’s very important to reflect and develop the set of activities that work best for you on a daily basis.
Therefore, before you go into 2021, I encourage you to take time to reflect and develop a set of activities that you can implement on a daily basis to ensure that you are mentally, physically, and emotionally set to perform at an optimum level as a leader in the New Year.
Self-Care Tip #2
Schedule Time for Breaks and Rest
Before COVID-19, I would literally visit three Starbuck’s a day to do work. The reason why I visited three different Starbuck’s a day is because at certain moments throughout the day, I would take breaks to rest, relax, and chill from my daily activities or task by driving to a new Starbuck’s to do my work.
Although people are amazed when I share this truth with them, believe it or not, these fifteen to thirty minute breaks to rest and relax had a huge impact on my productivity and well-being as a leader. In essence, scheduling these short breaks or even naps at certain time throughout the day enabled me to become more fresh, focused, and productive in my work as a leader.
Essentially, you may not be able to visit three Starbuck’s or take a nap during the day, but you can schedule strategic moments throughout the day to rest, relax, and take time away from your daily activities or task to ensure that you are refreshed and focused at all times.
Self-Care Tip #3
Participate In Things That Energize, Empower, and Inspire You
Each year, I look forward to attending conferences, meeting with my friends and family, and engaging in great conversations with people that provide me with energy, empowerment, and inspiration.
For me personally, this is a form of self-care because it provides me with the energy, empowerment, and inspiration that I need at various moments throughout the year as a leader to overcome various challenges within my life.
Even though there may be other things that energize, empower, and inspire you, my hope is that you will identify those things that provide that type of value to you so that you can be refreshed and strengthened to do the incredible work that you were destined to do in the world.
In closing, although there are so many other self-care tips and strategies that can be implemented to help us all lead more effectively through these challenges times, my desire is that these three self-care tips will help you reach your fullest potential and make a greater impact as a leader in 2021 and beyond.
Also, if you would like to learn more about additional self-care tips and strategies, please feel free to click ‘Wellness Virtual Master Class’ to watch a session that myself and other incredible speakers did on the subject matter earlier this year!
