{"id":111496,"date":"2023-12-08T14:13:12","date_gmt":"2023-12-08T21:13:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leadershipcircle.com\/?p=111496"},"modified":"2023-12-18T19:01:29","modified_gmt":"2023-12-19T02:01:29","slug":"using-self-care-to-become-a-more-effective-leader","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/leadershipcircle.com\/en-au\/blog\/using-self-care-to-become-a-more-effective-leader\/","title":{"rendered":"Using Self-Care To Become a More Effective Leader"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]\n

Self-care is having a moment. According to one study<\/a>, 97% of Americans believe it\u2019s important to make time to care for themselves. That\u2019s good, because more than half of those survey respondents felt burnt out in 2023.<\/h4>\n

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When I\u2019m having a really crappy day, I turn to YouTube and pull up a video of the outtakes from a sketch<\/a> of John Oliver and Cookie Monster delivering the news. Or one of a flash mob performing a version of \u201cDo Re Mi\u201d at Central Station<\/a> in Antwerp. Or one of the other 200 videos saved to my \u201cRainy Day\u201d playlist. If the situation is dire, I camp out on my couch for a marathon of White Christmas, Noises Off, <\/em>and Joe vs. the Volcano<\/em>. And if I need the nuclear option, I hop in my car, brave the traffic on I-5, and make my way to the coast. There, I put my feet in the cold sand, breathe in the scent of the Pacific Ocean, and stand in awe of Haystack Rock, which never fails to remind me that I am but a speck of dust in the grand scheme of things.<\/p>\n

If you would ask me what I do in terms of self-care, these are the things I would tell you. But I would be a very poor example.<\/p>\n

You see, my modes of self-care are all reactionary. Notice how I started off with \u201cWhen I\u2019m having a really crappy day\u2026\u201d Not \u201cTo keep myself healthy\u2026\u201d or \u201cTo make sure I can show up as my best self for my team\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Like me, so many people see self-care as the spa treatments, personal indulgences, and compulsive compensations that make up for the all-too-common ways we overextend ourselves. I\u2019ve worked overtime every day for a week, so I\u2019m getting a massage on Saturday. I\u2019ve been so busy doing laundry and packing lunches and carting kids from one activity to another, and I need a break. I\u2019m spending the weekend at a hotel with a pool and no cell service.<\/p>\n

But is this really the best way to care for ourselves?<\/p>\n

Defining Self-Care<\/h3>\n

Self-care is simply care\u2014the care we often instinctively show others but deny ourselves. It\u2019s checking in to see how you\u2019re doing, making sure you\u2019re getting enough rest, and offering yourself some compassion in the midst of a challenging time.<\/p>\n

When done in a healthy way, self-care isn\u2019t the reactive indulgence of the overworked and under-resourced. It\u2019s not a quick reprieve or a temporary fix. Self-care is the proactive prioritization of intentional acts that ensure long-term well-being.<\/p>\n

What Self-Care Might Look Like:<\/h4>\n