Life coach Nicole Glisson shares why self-care for business leaders is the pre-eminent practice to achieving mindful leadership needed to outlast troubling times.
It is common for leaders associated with a Type A personality to operate at a more urgent pace, demonstrate higher levels of impatience, have a more competitive nature, and associate self-worth with unlocking achievements.
Many leaders find the entire concept of self-care at odds with their image of an “effective” leader. They roll their eyes at the idea of meditation, mindfulness, chants, “anything that involves candles”, nature walks, and “slowing down”. Others trivialise taking time for themselves as an “indulgence” – a luxury they feel they cannot afford.
Studies have shown that leaders who prioritise self-care are more likely to become successful, make better decisions and show up for their people in a more positive and impactful way. Self-care at work is something that many leaders overlook. In the hustle and grind of the workplace, taking care of ourselves may quickly become the least of our priorities. Instead, we turn our attention toward making sure our teams and our bosses are satisfied.
Nicole Glisson, CEO/Founder at Nicole Glisson Coaching & Consulting, talks about how self-care enables leaders to be at the top of their game like a well-oiled machine, and how the lack of it can undermine our efforts over the long term.
“There’s so much research that shows that allowing ourselves to pause and become less entrenched in negative emotions such as stress, frustration and regret while creating mind space allows us to elevate our minds into the more expansive emotions, such as contentment and curiosity. Not only does that help us feel better, it also helps us to perceive the world around us in a different way, which could mean we become better at solving problems, become more creative and dynamic and communicate better,” says Nicole.
Once leaders start practicing self-care on a more consistent basis, they can begin to integrate it into everything they do. It is not so much about carving out time for self-care as it is about incorporating self-care into everything. Before reaching that point in your self-care journey, you can improve the ability to stay fresh, rested and feeling good by taking advantage of the tips Nicole shares in the video above.
