It’s mental health week. If you’re like me, you definitely need more hours in the day, probably use the word “busy” to answer the “how’s it going?” small-talk-question, and there’s a strong possibility that you feel overwhelmed. All leaders need self-care. When people focus on our physical and emotional wellbeing we are more productive at work and we build stronger connections in our communities. Here are five simple recovery tactics for your wellness plan.
Go to sleep
We should sleep for around eight hours per night, but most adults get less than seven and are by definition sleep deprived. According to Popular Science’s Claire Maldarelli, “…if you are sleep deprived then it takes you longer than a weekend to get back to baseline. And no one’s figured out how long it actually takes.” The point is that there is an exact science to sleep. So why do so many of us think that we can manage with less? Going to bed at more or less the same time every night, waking up when your body tells you to, and removing all non-sleep, non-relaxing things from your room (like your phone) will help you get better sleep and enhance your wellness.
Meditate
When I hear stories about presencing and mindful leadership and meditation they conjure up images of a zenful former team member named Jeff, gongs and robes (sometimes in the same image!), and make me think of things not getting done. In fact, being more thoughtful, listening more deeply and taking time to focus actually helps work get done better and faster because distractions like phones and email are more easily ignored. In our age of distraction listening might very well be the most important skill that leaders can develop.
Try some short meditation activities – I’m talking three minutes or less – or kick off your next meeting with mindfulness breathing because teams that practice mindfulness get along better.
Form positive habits
Adam Grant’s podcast taught me that simply leaving your phone on your desk while you work decreases productivity – I’m talking about it just being there; no touching, texting, podcasting; just sitting there, distracting you. Ariana Huffington has become famous for her very deliberate sleep rituals. Before creating rituals that enhance your wellness it’s important to understand your triggers.
For example, when I get writers block I often look up from my screen and around my desk searching for inspiration and – BAM! – there’s my phone. Four minutes, seven texts and a hilarious RT later I am more distracted than ever. It’s only been two weeks, but since I’ve formed the habit of keeping my phone in a drawer I am plowing through work at least 20% faster.
When I’m nearing the end of my work day I take off my shoes, which has become a fun signal to folks on my team because of it is a unique non-verbal cue for conversations to wrap-up and I also wear fantastic socks. Finally, while I don’t take baths before bed like Ms. Huffington, my bedtime ritual, even when interrupted by kids, is device-free and involves books and reading.
Reflect with intention
Reflecting on our experiences with positive intention enhances learning, wellness and focus. My preferred method for reflection is journaling because writing slows down my brain and the act of putting pen-to-paper represents a commitment to the action. Focus on what makes you feel gratitude because the act of doing so releases dopamine through your brain, which is an awesome catalyst for healthy recovery during at the end of the day. When I help others reflect I love to ask great questions that inspire cool stories, processing of problems or lessons learned. Even if the questions are as simple as “what did I learn today?” or “what’s one good thing that happened today?” the impact of answering them every day (or close to it) will result in a sustained positive shift in your wellness.
Think in minutes
It’s an assumption that any of what’s written above takes a lot of time to achieve. Building habits and rituals takes a lot of time and effort to sustain, but the actual thing might only take seconds. For example, if I am feeling overwhelmed then I will take a step back from my screen and meditate for three minutes. Congratulations! You just took a micro-break! The human brain can, at best, sustain 90-straight-minutes of effective productivity – after that it’s a race to the bottom no matter how much coffee you drink/inject. Taking short breaks throughout the day makes everything better.
Taking control of your mental health means focusing on your physical health, too. Again, this needn’t take a lot of time. The simplest thing that you can probably do to combine exercise and work is to have walking meetings for 20-30 minutes. The combination of fresh air and a change of scenery not only makes folks feel better, but it is also a proven method for inspiring creativity, too. And if you want to do some micro-exercise with your family and friends, literally just walk around the park, hit the dance floor or bench press your child. When you break apart your recovery plan into simple, micro-activities everything is much more manageable and your increase your chances of experiencing positive wellbeing.