Taking Care to Take Care

For some people, a drive to work is almost compulsive, and working endless hours feels like self-care. These folks are often referred to as "workaholic" or "type A" personalities. For better or for worse, these employees are often promoted quickly within their fields. Then these same intense employees end up managing people who have many strengths and talents valuable to their job. Unfortunately, teams suffer high turn over and decreased output when supervisors do not encourage employees to practice self-care as a tool for both health and job satisfaction.

Stellar managers create work cultures that value the importance of employees taking time to decompress. The "type A" managers often need coaching on HOW to cultivate self-care into the workplace. Here is a good place to start:

* Practice what you preach. Model what taking two daily fifteen-minute breaks and a lunch away from your desk actually looks like. Set your timer. Then make it happen. It will feel uncomfortable and annoying at first. Power through the discomfort.

* Get curious about your team members. What are their outside interests and hobbies? Encourage and incentivize outside activities that promote physical and mental health: paying for gym memberships or team building exercises that allow them to share their hobby with the team--drawing, yoga, hiking, singing, etc..., fund a lunch walking club.

*Provide a variety of tools for self-care at work: time management, communication development, stretching or breathing exercises, to name a few.

The bottom line is that stellar managers take care to take care--of themselves and their team.

Contact jess@thomkeconsulting.com to help you and your team create a culture of self-care at work.

#management #selfcare #communication