In today’s fast-paced and often overwhelming world, the importance of self-care cannot be overstated, particularly in leadership roles. Traditionally, leadership has been associated with decision-making, strategic planning and team management. However, an often overlooked yet critical component that can enhance a leader’s effectiveness, resilience and overall well-being is self-care. What if a demonstrated level of self-care was viewed as a requirement for the job? How could that impact team morale, health insurance costs, sick days, performance levels, etc.?
Common ways that s healthy practice of self-care can impact the workplace are:
- Reduction of Burnout: According to a report by Gallup, 76% of employees experience burnout on the job at least sometimes, with 28% saying they feel burned out “often” or “very often.” When leaders practice self-care, they not only safeguard their own mental health but also create a culture where team members feel encouraged to do the same. This can lead to lower turnover rates and increased productivity. Not engaged or actively disengaged employees account for approximately $1.9 trillion in lost productivity nationally.
- Improved Employee Engagement: Research from the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health highlights the correlation between leaders who practice self-care and higher levels of employee engagement. The study found that teams led by managers who prioritize self-care report a 60% increase in engagement and a 25% increase in job satisfaction. This demonstrates the ripple effect that a leader’s self-care practices can have on their team.
- Improved Organizational Well-Being: According to a study by the National Library of Medicine, leaders with more self-care also tended to report higher staff care, which related to higher employee staff care. In turn, higher employee staff care was associated with lower irritation, fewer psychosomatic complaints, and better overall health.
What Does This Mean for Leaders?
Cassandra Juniphant, founder of Ori Ara, a self-care company that provides traditional wellness for the modern woman, began her career as a successful senior HR executive. She explains that as she started down the path of a leader who prioritized self-care, she watched her career take off in a speedy and positive direction. “I 100% draw, not just a correlation, but a causation to my wellness journey. I had clarity of thought, emotional regulation and focus like never before. Make no mistake, self-care is professional development,” Juniphant exclaims.
Recognize your worth. Juniphant has nine pillars of health that she explores in her book, “The Body Ministry: A Playbook for Your Health and Fitness.” She explains that her first pillar is worth. “This is the foundation to everything and where you have to start.” If you don’t view yourself or your body as worthy of care you won’t prioritize it when faced with looming deadlines and meetings. This is about balancing the need to care for others with caring for ourselves. If you’re not willing to cancel a meeting with another person but you cancel on yourself regularly, it’s not a time issue, it’s a worth issue.
Build Your Competitive Advantage. Juniphant emphasizes that, “Your greatest competitive advantage in the current employment landscape is your health and wellness. When everyone has the same educational and levels of work experience, your health practices are what set you apart.” Each of us may be dealing with different physical abilities, access to health resources or even levels of healthiness. Some of us have children or parents to care for that take up much of our time outside of work. But each of us can implement a structured approach that prioritizes our well-being. This can start with better sleep habits, monitoring our self-talk and ensuring we are hydrating and then build from there.
Establish Boundaries: Leaders should set clear boundaries between work and personal life. This can include designated times when they will not answer emails or calls. By respecting their own boundaries, leaders set an example for their team, highlighting the importance of work-life balance.
In Juniphant’s newsletter, Holistic Hustle, that’s dedicated to women in corporate work environments, she highlights that we can’t continue to compartmentalize. If the only way to be successful is to lose sleep, neglect family and abuse our health, that’s no way to operate. She counsels, “In fact, if I knew that person was only succeeding at the cost of their health, I don’t know if they are a sound leadership choice. They could lose their temper, take things out on their staff or create a wave of burnout for themselves and others.” She goes on to illuminate that, “Your health and well-being practices should be a qualification for leadership because the first person you have to lead is yourself. We’ve all had those managers who don’t respect healthy boundaries because they don’t have that for themselves.”
Leaders should set clear boundaries between work and personal life. This can include designated times when they will not answer emails or calls. By respecting their own boundaries, leaders set an example for their team, highlighting the importance of work-life balance. Juniphant highlights that, “Burnout is not just a symptom of workload. Burnout is a symptom of employee health. As a company, if you want greater productivity, creativity and innovation they will need to invest in supporting their employees’ health.”
Health is a macro and micro perspective skill builder. A critical skill that all leaders need to develop is the ability to focus in on the micro of the work and then pull back to the macro of a global economy, and then connect it back to their scope of responsibility. The agility that requires is reinforced in a comprehensive health and wellness practice. Juniphant emphasizes that, “It’s not just about diet or losing weight. It includes movement, rest, sleep, setting healthy boundaries, engaging in activities that bring you joy, etc. It’s also the capacity to navigate the focus on self while connecting to how we engage with others.”
If Self-Care Is So Important, Why Are So Many of Us Bad At It?
Erica Lewis is the head of Learning & Development and Talent Acquisition for Community Medical Services, behavior health company dedicated exclusively to the Opioid epidemic and help individuals move through recovery. “Many of the habits we reinforce to help people get well are the very things we all should be doing to commit to the practice of self-care.
Understand that it’s not about a question of laziness. She goes on to explain that, “We often make the mistake of viewing a lack of discipline in this area as a sign of laziness. But many of us have a flight, fight, freeze or fawn survival instinct that may cause us to avoid engaging in certain activities, such as new habits, places and people.” To help their patients adopt new habits, they focus on execution and ownership. Instead of getting caught up in shame or guilt around not doing something, we invite them to just own their choice and say, “I chose not to do that today.” She emphasizes the importance of recognizing our power of choice in situations vs. feeling powerless and focusing on external factors that got in the way. Yes, things come up and situations change, but then we make a choice.
Don’t go it alone. Lewis shares that we often make the mistake of falling down a path that starts with isolation, which can lead to a feeling of powerlessness and then eventually forms into resentment. “Workplaces can go beyond yoga during lunch breaks and develop standard operating procedures that individuals, leaders and support functions can follow to reinforce the importance of self-care and the daily practices that enable that on the job.”
Check your mindset. Do you have a life view that you are on your own in life? If so you may be creating situations that lead you to isolation, powerlessness and resentment. Lewis warns, “When you have a scarcity mindset, you will not view the world as a place that you can have what you want. People then tend catastrophize. It’s the all or nothing mistake. If one thing is off, the whole thing is off. Instead, we need to embrace life’s messiness and imperfections.”
Organizations need to help co-create an environment that enables self-care. This includes creating psychologically safe workplaces for their employees. This means it’s safe to ask for help or share concerns. Second, they should invest in developing their leaders to support themselves and their teams to incorporate self-care into the way they work.
Make it part of the dialogue. Lewis recommends leaders check in with their team regarding how they’re nutrition, hydration, rest, mindset, etc. She uses a two-word check in that asks others to check in with themselves and share two words that describes how they are doing. It’s simple but it helps individuals center in their own body. “And if they say something that it’s clear they are struggling, I simply say, tell me more and provide space for them to talk through what they need to. We don’t have to be health coaches, nutritionists or life coaches. But leaders can do a quick wellness check to demonstrate that this is a priority,” explains Lewis.
Lewis calls out that, “We need to end the practice of leaders feeling the pressure to present something that is not real. We are all human and therefore, require rest, safety and space to not be perfect. That includes those in leadership positions.”
Juniphant reminds us that, “Whatever it is you are looking to do in life, whether that’s driving your career, taking care of your family or anything else that is your calling, it needs you to be healthy.”
Incorporating self-care as a fundamental leadership competency is essential for creating resilient leaders who inspire and engage their teams. As research supports the benefits of self-care both personally and professionally, leaders who prioritize their well-being will not only thrive but will also cultivate an environment where their teams can prosper. By setting an example through intentional self-care practices, leaders can pave the way for a healthier, more productive workplace culture. Embracing self-care is not just a personal benefit but a strategic leadership choice that can redefine the success of organizations in today’s challenging environment.