Leadership starts with yourself. I personally believe that this is something a lot of people overlook when they think of a leader. But the reality is, you can’t lead other people if you are not capable of leading yourself first. Self-care is many things, but also one thing, all at the same time. Whether it is keeping procrastination levels under control, meditating or self reflecting, self-care is necessary for managing stress and helping us be present in our daily lives. I am someone who is always on the go. My mind never turns off, and I noticed that started taking a toll on my grades, friendships and overall quality of life. So I knew I had to do something. I knew I had to take my self-care into my own hands, except I didn’t know where to start. Self-care has so many manifestations! From getting a good sleep every night; to eating a healthy diet; meditating and exercising regularly; - it all seemed so obvious - but so essential to being happy, productive, and fulfilled at school and in life. This article by the Huffington Post put me on the right path to figure out where I needed more self-care in my life. But really, how does this all relate to leadership? Well, unfortunately, many high-achieving leaders admit that self-care is at the bottom of their to do lists. It’s so easy to make excuses when you’re busy. In short, taking care of yourself is part of our job. It isn’t optional. Paul Sohn explains, “If you really want to reach your full potential, you need to be at your best where you have the full mental, emotional and physical energy. And if you keep ignoring self care you’ll keep performing at a sub-par level.” Okay, so the point is: it’s important to work self-care into our lives, in order to become better leaders. But how do we do that when life just gets so busy? The first step, is to take a step back and recognize that taking a break isn’t selfish. It’s necessary for you to function at your best capacity and necessary if you ever want your team to grow. Then, you need to schedule time for self-care. Quite often you will feel that you have no time in your day for it, but, in all honesty, you need to make time. So, write a to-do list; start a bullet journal; write a note on your phone; however you keep track of your daily life, start making specific time for yourself. If you have specific time allocated for your self-care, you’re less likely to skip it. Now that all the importance of self-care has been established, here are 5 tiny ways to amp up your new found self-care routine:
With a small bit of attention to your self-care, the fog will lift. I can guarantee that you will feel better and see yourself becoming a better leader. Keeping yourself in tune will help you keep others in tune.
Emma O
10 Comments
Connor
12/5/2017 10:38:11 am
Definitely agree with how leadership starts with self-care. We never really hear much about that anymore, love this post.
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Christina
12/5/2017 10:40:58 am
I totally agree!! I rarely take time for my self because I'm so busy. I
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Makaela
12/5/2017 10:41:57 am
Really loved this blog and it relates so to me
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matthew
12/5/2017 10:45:18 am
this kinds sucks cuz its true and something i always forget to pay attention to. i agree that we all need to spend more time doing the little things that help us be a better leader and that we need to be our leader first.
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Georgia
12/5/2017 10:45:46 am
I relate a lot to this blog; self care is usually at the bottom of my to do list and I always lose sleep due to homework. I like the idea of cloud watching and I've always wanted to try it- it sounds peaceful.
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Janeva
12/5/2017 10:48:32 am
I am with you - self care should be a priority because if we don't take care of ourselves, how are we supposed to impact the world as leaders? Great topic - it really did open my eyes and motivate me to follow up on making time for ourselves!
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ella
12/5/2017 10:48:41 am
Emma I love this blog post! Everything is so true that if you keep all your worries and stresses in our head it will start affecting the things around us. Everything you wrote down I just love.
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donovan ross
12/5/2017 10:51:08 am
this blog... well it makes me to understand that things that are goals that look easy aren't as they seem, for instance i had a goal to lose weight it took a while to start it was hard i kept going off the diet but once i got the hang of it i actually lost about 17.5 pounds and i'm really proud of myself
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sophia ross
12/5/2017 10:53:07 am
even though this is a long article I believe this is very well written and relatable I need to take initiative with my own life instead of trying to take care of everyone around me.
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Jeff
12/6/2017 04:08:42 pm
Agree. I have colleagues who refuse to take vacation thinking they would be seen as lazy or they cite that they just don't have the time. You can't be at your best if you are sick and sickness can take many forms including stress and exhaustion. I just returned from a week solo vacation. When I told people I was travelling alone they couldn't get it. I needed time away from all of my responsibilities to rest, reflect, gain perspective and appreciate my life. You definitely need to take time for yourself before you can help and lead others.
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