Are you prepared to be a leader? Self-care, sleep deprivation, and forgiveness

The job of a leader is undoubtedly a hectic one. The list of hats to wear runs long, and so do the responsibilities. Yet, behind the tall image of a manager or a leader is an individual with the same basic needs as the rest of the world. To manage things better, you need to begin by managing yourself effectively. It is a sad reality that people often neglect their health and needs due to the pressure from work. This behavior has manifold negative repercussions. 

First of all, the health of the person will deteriorate. This can include several lifestyle diseases that are increasingly becoming commonplace. Further, the impact does not limit itself to implicit disorders. One can also suffer from physiological and mental ailments. 

Secondly, it is highly counterproductive. When you are overworking to achieve high efficiency and productivity, you aim to get the job done in the best manner possible. You try your best and work relentlessly for results. But, the critical question is – are you able to give your best when you are unwell? Unhealthy work habits reduce productivity and effectively create a hurdle in achieving the team’s full potential. Therefore, taking care of self and teams is extremely essential for managers.

Self-care includes many things. As the name suggests, it begins with yourself. You have to look at your needs and wants. The term self-care can mean different things to different people. The key is to figure out what it means to you. To do so, you might need to get into some experimentation and introspection to discover what matters to you. This will include things that help improve your physical and mental health.

However, to get the best results for your team, you will need to ensure that your team members are practicing self-care too! But before leading them, you need to begin your journey into self-care. To learn more about self-care for teams and managers, continue reading here.

Apart from major ailments, our habits affect us a lot too. Therefore, it is crucial to focus on them. Incorporating healthy habits is a part of a self-care regime. We often overlook the vitality of a total of 8 hours of sleep. However, the appropriate amount of sleep can vary among people. Undoubtedly, people frequently forgo a few hours of pleasant sleep in their search for balance in hectic lives. Long work hours rob us of the time to get other things done, and we compensate by sleeping less. 

However, have you ever noticed the impact of sleep deprivation? Continuous sleep deprivation over long periods harms your leadership capabilities and induces several health issues. If you are wondering whether you are sleep deprived or not – jump here to check out a few signs of sleep deprivation and get access to some simple solutions that you can adopt.

Moving further, wellness is not merely about the body. The mind carries equal, if not more, importance. Our minds are affected by numerous occurrences at work and outside. However, persistent issues can wreak havoc on our mental peace. Additionally, the impact on culture in the team is harmful too. Therefore, focusing on mental peace is also necessary when caring for ourselves.

Reaching the stage of mental peace may not come easy at times. You might face resistance internally too. But it is vital to generate productivity in a peaceful environment. However, there are a few obstacles to doing so. Nonetheless, as a leader or a manager, you must focus on establishing peace and harmony in the workplace. To do so, you will have to adopt the mantra of forgiveness. 

Forgiveness is the act of releasing the feelings of resentment, anger, or vengeance that you may be holding against someone. Holding a grudge takes away a lot of our energy. It prevents us from collaborating freely too. Hence, adopting forgiveness is the way to go for inner peace. Read here to learn how you can create a culture of forgiveness in your workplace.

Effective management begins with managing yourself and bringing out the best in you! It impacts our personal as well as professional lives. As a manager, you must take care of yourself and ensure that the team members also practice self-care. Also, you should remember to take care of your mind and body.