What it means to be a healthy leader: check out a self-care checklist for leaders

Despite the considerable increase in attention that the media has given to issues related to care, resilience and well-being, many leaders still face difficulties in adopting self-care practices.

There are several reasons, both personal and structural, that some leaders face barriers when trying to prioritize self-care. The emotional work involved in leadership, in itself, is exhausting. Cultural, social and organizational factors also influence the way leaders take care of themselves.

How can we integrate self-care with adopting and modeling resilient and sustainable leadership? Transforming behavior starts with changes in mindset. So you can implement tactical strategies to make these ideas a reality.

Prepare for success

Before you begin the process, set yourself up for success by adopting a mindset that allows you to give yourself permission to extend care and empathy to yourself.

If you are not currently taking care of yourself, ask yourself, “why?” What stops you from taking care of yourself? Allow yourself to practice and model what it means to be a healthy leader in your organization.

Meet yourself where you are

If this seems strange or uncomfortable, start by leveraging what you already have at your disposal. Use your regular checkups to assess your health, identify improvements in diet and exercise for when you travel, or use your next team meeting to identify areas where you can ask for help and support from others.

Avoid thinking about all or nothing

It is not possible to go from a zero level of self-care to total acceptance of everything at once. This is a dynamic process, full of ups and downs, and that is completely normal.

Follow the example of colleagues

Many of my clients observe (with admiration and frustration) the willingness of others to prioritize self-care, setting limits, and taking time off, including mental health days. Follow their example. Get inspired by other self-care ideas that might be effective for you.

Prioritize slow and steady

Identify one or two small changes you can make this week and commit to implementing them regularly.

Find a partner who helps you take ownership of the process

If you’d like to take time to grow but are struggling, identify a trusted colleague or family member who can remind you to set aside time for reflection or learning something new.

Celebrate and savor

Congratulate yourself for any effort you make. Consider ways you can prolong or enjoy those moments of creation, satisfaction, or connection a little longer before moving on to the next task on your list.

Your checklist

Now that you’ve adjusted your mindset, what follows is a simple checklist that covers five essential elements of your self-care.

Take 15 minutes once a week to reflect on your health in each of these five areas, assessing what is working and where you may need to increase or decrease efforts to make improvements.

1. Body Budget

You expend energy when you move your body, replenish this energy when eating, hydrating and resting, and reduce your “expenditure” when you relax. Other factors that impact your energy and the quality of your life on a given day may include unexpected events, an especially intense workload, or moments of stress.

Remember, you have an energy budget that is affected by your diet, stress, exercise, and sleep. Evaluate your exercise, sleeping, and eating habits—both at home and while traveling—by assigning them a score from 0 to 5. Then look for ways to improve your score.

2. Emotional health

I use a simple ABC framework to help leaders process strong emotions:

A – Be self-aware. What happens when you experience intense emotions? Can you access your most creative thinking and problem-solving skills in this state?

B – Build your intelligence base. Dig deeper. What is behind this great emotion? Reflect: “How can I be clearer about what I am feeling or what I observe in others to get a more accurate understanding of what is happening?”

C – Communicate. What conversation do you want or need to have? And with whom?

Another important component of well-being is the ability to relax. Research indicates that spending time in nature, having human contact, petting your pet, and practicing gratitude are excellent ways to relax.

3. Relationships and collaboration

We are a social species, and leadership is closely linked to relationships and community, which makes it essential to be an example of positive interactions and collaborate with purpose.

Think:

What type of collaboration do you want to model as a leader? How can you make this easier?

What kind of relationship support do you want/need? (For example, a coach, therapist, mentor, challenge network, support circle, etc.)

What relationships do you want/need to get rid of?

How do you want to connect with your loved ones?

4. Choice points

The research is clear. As human beings, we crave autonomy, which involves making choices. In fact, a study revealed that autonomy and the ability to make choices are fundamental to happiness. We can take control by creating more opportunities for choice—moments when we recognize that we have the choice to decide. This may include deciding whether to ask for help or face a difficult conversation. We can further empower our choices by becoming intentional about the relationship between our decisions and our goals and values.

How can leaders create healthier choice points?

Ask yourself: what limits could benefit your well-being right now?

Identify three tasks you can delegate to optimize your time management and offer growth opportunities to your direct reports.

Take advantage of technology. If time is a concern, take stock of how you use your time using a simple method, such as writing down how you spend your hours over the course of a week or using a time tracking or productivity app.

Invest in your personal development. Training, coaching, practice, and the use of online organizing platforms help develop your skills and confidence in delegating tasks, tracking progress made, and ensuring accountability.

5. Growth and nutrition

Neuroscience shows us that learning improves the neuroplasticity of the brain, remodeling its structure and improving its functions. Creativity also builds neural networks, stimulating and improving the brain. Meditation also influences neuroplasticity, improving memory and well-being.

What would it be like if you set aside time for yourself every week to do something with the sole goal of nourishing yourself? For some, this might mean learning a new language, playing golf, cooking, painting, building something, or developing a spiritual practice.

Growth and nutrition help keep our body’s budget balanced and make us more well-rounded individuals and leaders.