It is encouraging to know that we live in a day and time where major companies like Apple, Google, Nike and Time Warner all have meditation rooms and Wellness programs for their employees. Clearly, they want to show some kind of commitment to nurturing the whole self as employee stress levels climb.

While these are all important additions to workplace culture, they all require people to acknowledge their need for it and go on their own. As Leaders, we can find ways to bring it to them and make it part of the way we work.

Here are 5 ways to do that:

1. Make self-care a priority in your own life. Your co-workers, team, bosses and employees can tell when you are overwhelmed and stressed. When you take care of yourself and make it clear that it is a priority, it starts to show. People start to know the times that you keep sacred for your self-care routines. Your changes become visible and your work and interactions are positively affected. You model it for everyone around you.

 

2. Make workplace interactions stronger by taking the time to care beyond the usual “how are you?” That phrase is so hollow and fake when it comes out of most people’s mouths. The truth is it’s just something we say without really caring about the answer. In fact, most of us don’t wait for the answer and why should we? We already know the answer, “I’m fine.” Be the leader that encourages those you work with to say how they really are, things like tone and body language are often giveaways for what’s really happening with others.

 

3. Establish an opening ritual at all meetings. An often neglected part of self-care is fulfilling the need to belong. Belonging at the workplace can and should go beyond job title and position. Opening up opportunities for team members to get to know each other beyond their work assignments nurtures their sense of belonging. Doing a go-around question like: one thing we don’t know about you or that would surprise us or that you are proud of outside of work can help people see another side of their teammates.

 

4. Impromptu celebrations are a wonderful way of boosting morale and self-esteem, both important elements of self-care. Whether there are big accomplishments like a huge project completed or small ones, or Kianna made it to yoga class three times a week for the entire month, find ways to celebrate! Not everything has to be planned.

 

5. Encourage setting self-care goals, small ones and do check-ins on them. Not all check-ins have to be formal, they are great conversation starters when you see people at work. There are teams that share information with each other about the different ways people are taking care of themselves. People share articles, tips, recipes, videos, quotes or just words of encouragement and motivation. Making sure that there is no judgement when people fall short or don’t even begin. As the leader, you set the tone for letting people know how self-care improves work productivity and relationships and then keep motivating them to get started or stick with it.

In my work, it is the leaders who understand the close connection between loving and taking care of themselves and work happiness and productivity that do best when conflict arises. A leader who can access calm and reason quickly will always be at the forefront of leading well. Self-care can take you there.

Have you developed your self-care plan? As leaders we are needed, so let’s take care of ourselves.

Take the Leadership Assessment Quiz here to find out how healthy or unhealthy your team is.