Leaders are often told their well-being should be a priority. Is this even possible?
“I’m torn on whether I want to become a senior leader. I see senior leaders working all the time, and they miss out on their family life. I don’t want to sacrifice that to take a leadership role. If I saw a better work life balance among senior leaders, I would be more interested in advancing.” Anonymous woman, under 30¹
When you’re in a leadership position with multiple responsibilities outside of work, it can feel like you always need to be “on”. That’s why taking care of your well-being can seem like a luxury you can’t afford.
Self-care is essential for everyone, especially for leaders.
Taking care of yourself is the only way you’ll be able to show up as your best self at work and in your personal life. This is even more true the older you get; once you reach your 40’s, self-care is not a luxury but a real necessity, especially if you want to prevent chronic illness, stress-induced disease or going from exhaustion to complete burnout. Even better, taking care of yourself will actually make you more productive and effective in both the short and long run!
Of course, there are some drawbacks to the “put your own oxygen mask on first’’ approach. It is hard to prioritize self-care when there are so many demands on your time and attention. It’s not always easy to know what self-care looks like for you, because it’s different for everyone. Even if you discover a few self-care strategies that work for you, it can be hard to sustain those habits unless you work and live in an environment that truly values your well-being.
I believe that self-care is only realistic when we can create a workplace culture that values everyone’s well-being.
The benefits of self-care are enormous.
Taking time for yourself can help you manage stress; improve your mood; make better decisions; be more focused and productive during the work day- so that you don’t have to catch up after hours; and help you prevent chronic illness. Self-care can also help you be more present and engaged in all aspects of your life, both now and well into the future.
Do you want to reach retirement exhausted and with a growing number of health issues? Or do you want to enter the next chapter of your life full of energy and vitality?
While it’s true that leaders face unique challenges when it comes to self-care, it’s also true that taking care of yourself is essential for sustaining your success without sacrificing your own health and wellness. But let me make one thing very clear: if self-care is challenging for you, it is not your fault.
In From Exhaustion to Balance you will learn about the common mistakes that organizations make in their approach to well-being, how these mistakes affect you as a leader, and how to create a work environment that supports your team’s well-being as well as your own.
Ginny Santos MSc. CEO, Well-being Advocate, and Adjunct Professor.
Sources:
1 Thomas, R., & Yee, L. (2022). Women in the Workplace 2022. Retrieved from https://womenintheworkplace.com/
