Following on from the Women in Leadership conference in Wellington, where our session focussed on “the leader as a role-model of self care in the modern world of work”, we wanted to provide more information if this is of interest to you.
Recent blog posts about resilience wellbeing that may be of interest:
Emotions at work matter
They’re signals for how we’re doing, what we’re needing and a great advantage to role model the management of and priority of feelings in the workplace, but why?
Because when we feel good, those desired feelings like supported, encouraged, inspired, energised (to name but a few), we enjoy our work more. Our experience of working with others and the outputs we make are all better too. Our engagement, motivation, productivity, collaboration, problem solving, creativity and decision making all improve when we experience more of those “desired feelings”.
On the contra, when we’re feeling undesired feelings like unappreciated, alone, afraid, anxious and blocked, all of those will reduce what? For some of us we will leave that job and go somewhere that feels better. Some will stay and try to make improvements. Others stay and do nothing, possibly the worst option for both ourselves and our employer. Especially for our own mental and physical health. And the longer we stay in that environment, the more engrained we become, we forget what it can feel like to be in a place and a role that brings out the best in us, or changes we could make to our work that would help us to feel good and function well.
Often this comes back to our key areas of focus for resilience – perspective, optimism, and gratitude. Growth mindset helps us to look for what we can do, what we can change and how we just haven’t got there “yet”, while empathy and emotional intelligence impact how we interact with those around us and in turn how we work with our colleagues. Being able to notice and label how we’re feeling, knowing what impacts how we feel and what can help shift us from one feeling to another will strengthen your emotional intelligence and your/our interactions/behaviours with others.
So as a leader role modelling self care, and knowing what this looks like for you, here are some questions to help prompt your wellbeing plan:
How do I feel when I’m at my best?
What is it that’s happening when I feel that way?
How did I feel in my favourite job? What was it that lead to those feelings?
How do I feel when I’m not at my best?
When are you not at your best, what are the things that lead me to that place? Suggestions;
Anniversaries
Particular situations or people
Being under pressure
Lack of sleep or rest
Taking on too much
Deadlines
Conflict
Lack of clarity or changing goal posts
Failure or rejection.
The list goes on.
What do you notice changing? Are there signs you’re going from one place to another? Do you notice when it’s happening?
What helps you to move back to your best? Some suggestions;
Connecting with a someone who listens or coaches you
Moving your body
Writing things down
Getting out in nature
Spending time with family or friends
Being with animals
Reengaging with a hobby/favourite activity
Rest or sleep
Getting in the kitchen
Being playful
Meditation/mindfulness
We will all have different things that work for us, don’t compare or judge to what works for others, play around and find what serves you best. Leading by example, others will see it and feel they can do it too.
For people to prioritise self care at work the culture needs to accept and even expect it. That means the environment we work in, the leaders we work with and our team, all have a shared expectation and understanding that self care is not only OK, it is essential. For ourselves to thrive, but also for our team and our organisation to be successful, we can prevent errors, increase our output, bring new ideas and have the energy and brain space to perform when we look after ourselves. So it’s actually good for business.
When people feel judged or minimised for prioritising these activities they will stop. So as leaders we can both model the behaviour but also encourage it in others and support the behaviour we want to see. So consistency in that messaging is important, even when we’re busy and deadlines are looming – working harder and longer will not give us the results we’re after.
Our best ideas usually come when two things happen:
We have the brain space for new connections to be made, often alone in an environment that isn’t out desk or a meeting room.
We move our bodies, sitting still is not how we were designed and so solving problem, being creative or innovative best happens when we can move our body and new connections in our brain can be sparked.
Remember to engage in those happiness chemicals to counter the stress hormones, with a dose of DOSE:
If your current workplace doesn’t support any of what we’ve talked here, how can you create an alliance of people who understand, and can lead from the top to create a culture that will bring the benefit for individuals and the business? It should be a win win for everyone, not at the sacrifice of the business productivity or the individuals health and wellbeing. Start the conversations, challenge the thinking, have the evidence to back up the new ideas and ask for permission to play and try new things to show how it can work.
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