| These last few months appear to be particularly difficult for everyone. Workloads are increasing, hiring in many cases is on hold and layoffs are on the rise. The clients I am working with are very worried about whether their teams are able to handle all of the projects on their plates, to such a degree that many of these managers are themselves taking on bigger workloads to ease the burden being placed on employees. The results are absolutely predictable: exhaustion, overwhelm and a whole lot of stress. I see your struggle. Leaders, managers and staff are battling genuine fatigue and the effort is taking a toll. One of the questions I’m being asked most consistently these days is, “How can I take better care of myself when there is literally no time in the day when I’m not booked or putting out fires?” An effective — and realistic — stress-management solution Have you ever noticed that when you get overwhelmed or over-stimulated you can’t think straight? This isn’t just human nature: it’s human chemistry. When we experience stress, our body starts to produce more adrenalin and cortisol, the hormones and neurotransmitters that our body releases to cope with real and perceived threats. Unfortunately, when we’re in the office we can’t run down the halls, yelling and waving our arms, to take advantage of what these chemicals are trying to offer us. (All bets are off when it comes to home offices. I may or may not be speaking from personal experience). What to do? First, don’t try to be perfect. Second, try this extremely effective but simple technique: • Carve out a minimum of 10 minutes for yourself to do anything you like — whatever you choose for yourself — and make sure you do it every single day. • Ask yourself each evening, “Did I do something for me today?” If the answer is no, then take 10 minutes and do that one thing. Do you remember “Stop, drop and roll?” When I was a child, this was what we were taught to do should we ever find ourselves in a situation in which our clothes caught on fire. Don’t run, waving your arms (see above) — that will only fan the flames. Instead, stop, drop and roll. This technique — carving out 10 minutes a day for yourself — is the mental, emotional and stress-reducing version of stop, drop and roll. By making yourself a priority every day, if only for 10 minutes, you are actively taking responsibility for your physical and mental health. Of course, this is just the bare minimum — feel free to take as much time as you need — but it can often be enough or serve a starting point. Committing to a daily stop, drop and roll practice The following are some techniques I share with clients to help them solidify a daily practice of taking time to take care of themselves: • Once a client has committed to taking 10 minutes per day for themselves, I ask them to send me a picture of what that 10 minutes will involve. It could be a photo of their meditation cushion, a rowing machine, a great healthy plate of food… you name it (literally: you name it, this is for you). To establish this daily practice, email yourself a similar photo, or print out an image and hang it on the side of your computer monitor, on your office door, or anywhere else you’ll see it regularly. • At the end of the week, clients send me a text updating me on how their daily practice went. To help yourself stay on track, consider a weekly entry into your planner or a physical or electronic journal or a habits app. • I emphasize that, while 10 minutes doesn’t seem like a lot, it is enough to create self-awareness and establish new neural pathways, which in turn help build a new, sustainable habit. Ultimately, one of my primary goals is to help my clients understand that while executive coaching is primarily focused on work issues — it’s not just about business and it’s not just about what happens from the neck up. Our entire minds and bodies need to be cared for. By having better physical and mental health, we can be more productive, experience less stress, and think beyond what is right in front of us. Are you feeling the heat? Then stop, drop and roll! |
