Too often leaders are so focused on looking after their people, they neglect to look after themselves. Self-care rituals are not selfish, they are critical for leaders to be able to serve their people over the long haul.
In some of my Dare to Be Great leadership workshops I ask the participants to reflect on and write down their self-care rituals. I use the word rituals intentionally as rituals are important to you and are also non-negotiable. Rituals are things you are intentional and deliberate about doing.
Self-care rituals can be about nutrition, physical activity, sleep, mindfulness, reading, hobbies, time off or any other ritual that enhances your physical and mental well-being. To look after your people most effectively, you first need to look after yourself.
Leaders are role models and modeling the importance of self-care rituals is one of the many roles of an effective leader. If your people see that you prioritize self-care, it will be easier to convince them to make self-care a priority.
When I ask people to write down their self-care rituals some people just stare at their papers and never write anything down. Others are done after 30 seconds, and others are still writing after 5 minutes. I am not worried about the last group. I am worried about the first two groups.
What are you doing to create self-care rituals so you are not left staring at your paper struggling to think of what you can write down?
Remember that leadership is a choice and a journey, and it starts with you. Choose well, keep learning, and enjoy the journey.
Brian Willis
www.daretobegreatleadership.com
Register yourself, and your team for the Dare to Be Great: Strategies for Creating a Culture of Leading online workshop to get everyone on the same page regarding leadership and culture. If you are interested in hosting a live Dare to Be Great workshop reach out to me at info@daretobegreatleadership.ca.