Leadership can often mean handling a lot of plates that are simultaneously spinning in the air, all with the expectation that anyone of them could drop at any moment.
Every job comes with its unique set of stresses, but a leadership position can often pile on even more stress, as you now not only have your job to think about, but the well-being and work of all of the people you oversee. With this in mind, and with 2020 increasingly falling into our rearview, I wanted to take a quick look at how to mitigate unneeded stress and reclaim some sanity for many leaders.
Breaks
This one sounds like a no-brainer, but as you schedule your day, make sure you schedule breaks! Walking is huge for mental health, creativity, and well-being, and taking time away – even if it’s 10 minutes – is huge for your overall productivity. You may feel a bit lazy at first, or even too overwhelmed to take a break, but everyone has 5-10 minutes, and, in the end, it’s absolutely worth it.
Delegation
Many leaders struggle with this, but learning to delegate is of utmost importance. This isn’t just important for your mental health, but delegating tasks actually builds a sense of accomplishment in the people around you, and one of the roles of a leader is to foster greatness in the people around you, and the people working for/with you.
Morning Schedule
You’ll hear a lot of people talking about this lately, but a morning schedule is actually huge for removing stress and reducing burnout. Why? A lot of times, the burnout we’re experiencing is not from what we’re doing but the way in which we’re doing it. Completing tasks in a hurried and rushed manner often leads to burnout and added stress. By waking up and having some personal time in the mornings, and by planning your day out, you help bring clarity to your mind and focus to your day.
While far from exhaustive, I hope the above list helps you find some sanity and peace of mind in these interesting times.