Looking After Ourselves

One recurring theme in my recent conversations with senior leaders is the importance of self-care.We’re all dealing with various forms of loss and uncertainty.

The phrase I keep repeating is, “The only certainty we have is uncertainty.” While many people thrive on change, few truly embrace ambiguity, especially when it pervades almost every aspect of our lives.

Challenges Leaders Face

As leaders, we’re confronted with numerous challenges:

  • Handling Restructuring: Navigating the necessary restructuring processes, especially after multiple rounds of economic downturns, is tough. We know the impact on someone’s life when making them redundant, no matter how logical the decision.
  • Valuing the Remaining Workforce: It’s easy to inadvertently focus more on those leaving the organization than on those staying, which can make the remaining workforce feel undervalued.
  • Flexible Decision-Making: With less time to analyze everything, we must make quicker decisions.
  • Managing Childcare: Both for ourselves and others, the rise in cost but also lack of options for working parents

Despite these challenges, as the oxygen mask theory suggests, we need to look after ourselves first.

Practical Steps for Self-Care

You might ask, “That’s all well and good, but what can we do about it?” Here are some practical steps:

  1. Planning: Many leaders have become reactive rather than proactive. Several have taken little to no holidays and haven’t planned much time off either. Despite the challenges of canceled holidays, we all need a break.
  2. Daily Rituals: Hybrid working can make it difficult to build routine. Some of us move less without the walk to the station or around the office. Establishing a beginning or end-of-day ritual can help. For instance, I use music, like specific tracks, to mark transitions. Some find scents, like candles, balancing and evocative. Rethink your daily schedule to include thinking time and avoid checking your iPhone first thing in the morning.
  3. Health Pillars: My coach emphasizes key pillars to health: hydration (not wine), nutrition, relaxation, exercise, meditation, and sleep. If you need further thoughts or strategies on these, feel free to reach out.
  4. Life Balance: Consider the key elements of your life. The Wheel of Life can be a pragmatic tool to ensure your ‘soul is fulfilled.’ You can contact me for a free downloaded version of this.

Embracing Intuitive Coaching

Intuitive coaching can guide us through these challenges by:

  • Healing and Recovery: Providing a space to explore and release emotions and traumas from the pandemic.
  • Reconnecting with Purpose: Helping individuals rediscover their passions and align their actions with their deepest values.
  • Building Resilience: Empowering us to develop inner strength and adaptability for future challenges.
  • Enhancing Relationships: Improving communication and understanding to foster deeper connections.
  • Embracing Change: Encouraging openness and flexibility to see change as an opportunity for growth.

As we navigate ourselves through life, remember that it is for living. Intuitive coaching offers the support and guidance we need to move forward with confidence and clarity.

By being intentional with these simple steps, you can create a positive work culture that will inspire your team to thrive and enjoy themselves too.