Mental Health is a Necessity
Stop treating it like a luxury you can’t afford
Go hard or go home. You can sleep when you’re dead. Burn and churn. No pain, no gain. Burn that midnight oil. Nose to the grindstone. You only live once.
Heard some of these?
While originally intended to motivate leaders, these phrases, when taken at face value are concerning.
No one can be expected to always push their limits, never sleep, be constantly in pain, live life to the fullest and somehow still be a good leader. It’s also best to keep your nose far away from that rotating abrasive grindstone. One wrong step and you’ll lose precious layers of skin.
These obviously can’t be life mottos for leaders. Good leaders do not work as hard as possible for as long as possible, simply pushing through. That is a myth. In reality, leaders need to take very good care of themselves because they bear a much larger load than most. They are held responsible for the success of the business, the culture of the company, the metrics behind the profit, and the maintenance of the vision. They are also, often held responsible for how their staff and clients are feeling about life in general.
It's not an easy gig.
To be successful, leaders must be healthy as a whole person. They cannot work around the clock, neglect sleep, skip exercise, eat garbage, ignore their personal relationships and still be good at leading others.
Unfortunately, mental health in the life of a leader is often an afterthought. It sometimes takes a mental breakdown and the house burning down for leaders to stop and consider how to begin to take care of themselves.
Steve Baue, CEO of Employee Resource Center, coaches leaders toward health in their lives as a whole. “If I’m going to show up as a good husband, dad and leader, I need to invest in myself,” he says. He reminds leaders that they cannot pour into others if they have an empty bucket. Baue left corporate America after working around the clock and burning out. He discovered a passion for mental health, and now leads two different businesses in the field. “Mental health is the missing piece in leadership.” He says, “We are so conditioned to go, go, go that we forget we’re a whole person. What happens above the brow, affects what happens below.”
He offers a few tips on how to prioritize mental health:
Set the company culture.
If a leader rests, takes care of his or her body, observes limitations and fights for time off, other employees will too. On the flip side, if a leader is constantly grinding, always available, pushing limits and ignoring common warning signs like fatigue, anger and illness, the culture will reflect that.
See a counselor like you see a dentist.
You don’t have to wait until you have a mental breakdown to see a counselor. They can be seen quarterly, like a dentist or general practitioner and for simple sessions that can be characterized as check-ups. A counselor can also keep you healthy by offering simple mental health suggestions, pointing out red flags, and generally supporting your health endeavors.
Invest in yourself.
You invest in others. You need to invest in yourself. Don’t neglect is. Hire a business coach, take time off, set boundaries with your phone and email, exercise and eat well, sign up for that leadership development workshop. These things don’t just happen, you must fight for them.
Begin some practical healthy habits.
Consider the following small and easy ways to promote mental health:
- Start your day with a short list of three things you want to accomplish, only three. Then congratulate yourself at the end of the day once they are accomplished.
- Stretch. Do this in the morning and during the day, especially if you are beginning to feel anxious or overwhelmed. Increased blood flow to your brain and other parts of your body helps overcome anxiety.
- Ground yourself by lying on a hard surface for a minute or two, the floor of your office will work just fine. Again, changing your position, increases your blood flow and regulates your nervous system.
- Walk during the day. Take a phone or in-person meeting outside for a loop around the building or down the block. You can also do this on your lunch hour.
- Practice gratitude. If you are feeling particularly angry or irritated about a situation, flip the narrative in your brain by listing things in your life you are grateful for.
At IOL, we know that no one drifts into excellence. It’s a choice and comes from intentionality in all areas of leadership including mental health. Taking care of yourself is not a luxury you can’t afford, it’s a necessity. Reach out and we can connect you with additional resources.
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This blog post is based on IOL podcast episode #171: Finding your unique leadership style & passion with Steve Baue. Check it out!
Author: Ashley Buenger
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