“I like to think that I’m someone who cares about the people I work with. But I’m not so sure I do. And when a crisis hits, I don’t pay attention to taking care of myself. After all, I’m a numbers guy. But I can see that needs to change.”
An entrepreneur whom I respect admitted this to me recently. I had just finished a presentation entitled Bounce Forward: Resilience Tactics at Work. The session addressed the topic of resilience and what leaders can do to build resilience during times of crisis. I talked about six important moves for leaders to make in times of adversity: Claim. Communicate. Care. Critique. Celebrate. (more to come!)
Adversity and Resilience
First what do I mean by these words? Well, here are working definitions that I like:
- Adversity: A state or instance of serious or continued difficulty or misfortune. (Merriam-Webster)
- Resilience: “Processes of managing pressure effectively across the team as a whole…that further strengthen the capacity of the team to deal with future challenges in adversity” and help them bounce forward.
We face adversity in personal spheres: Loss of a job. Furnace breaks down in the middle of a weeklong Arctic blast. Child care falls through. Flat tire on the way to an important event.
We face adversity in our professional spheres: Loss of an important client. Our business loses money for the third quarter in a row. The COO unexpectedly resigns.
And, of course, we face adversity on the national and global stages: COVID. Tech bubble burst. Recession.
These times put us in crisis mode. We sink, swim, or get in the lifeboat. We do everything we can to keep things afloat. Keep customers happy. Keep the doors open.
We also need to think clearly and critically, plan and imagine, solve problems and create new processes. We need to be able to imagine possibilities. We need to be willing to test out those possibilities, assess them, and redesign. In fact, as someone else in that session noted, in times of crisis we “Need to be able to think like designers.”
3 Reasons
So, if we need to do all that, then why worry about “taking care of yourself”? Well, because when we are under stress, our—
- Brain prioritizes basic physiological, safety, and psychological needs (in that order). Do I have enough to eat and drink? Am I far enough away from the lion? Am I safe inside this cave? Am I going to lose my job? Can I trust the team?
- Thinking becomes narrow and concrete. We focus on our own basic needs and the basic needs of our business. Where do we stand with accounts receivable? Accounts payable? Can we make payroll? How do we keep our clients informed?
- Attention, concentration, working memory, and cognitive flexibility become restricted. We hear ourselves say things like, “I just don’t know what to do,” “I’m overwhelmed,” and “We’re dropping too many balls.”
Until we feel secure that our physiological, safety, and emotional needs are met, our ability to engage in complex cognitive work suffers. Think Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
Just as our basic physical, safety, and emotional needs have to be met in order for us to think strategically and creatively, our ability to lead others depends on our physical, emotional, and mental health. There’s a reason that the airlines tell us that, in the case of an emergency, we should put our own oxygen mask on first before assisting someone else.
3 Tactics
So, what does it look like to put on your own oxygen mask first? Well, here three tactics to get you started:
- Maintain your physical health. If you have an exercise routine, keep it. If you don’t, start one, but start gradually. Don’t sign up for a marathon just yet. Take a 20-minute walk first thing in the morning or after dinner. Get rest. Eat well. Yes, the sugary or salty stuff tastes good, but it’s starving your body and brain of the nutrition they need.
- Take short breaks during your work time.* Go for a walk around the parking lot or down the hall. Stand up and stretch for three or four minutes. Fix someone a cup of tea. Empty out the trash. If you’re working from home, put in a load of laundry or empty the dishwasher.
- Stay connected. Higher powers of cognition depend on how we think and feel about the people around us. We need to experience connection and safety with others. You may feel so overwhelmed that you can’t enjoy anyone else’s company. But withdrawing and secluding yourself just digs you deeper into the hole. Choose your connections wisely—connections that are life-giving and supportive. This is not the time for toxic relationships.
You’re the Leader
Sure, there’s more to taking care of yourself in times of crisis. But these three basics are easy, first steps. As you tend to your own physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual health, you model good self-management for your team.
And as the leader, you set the tone.
*Check out these informative articles to learn more: For Real Productivity, Less is Truly More, A 90-Minute Plan for Personal Effectiveness, and Why Working 90 Minute Intervals is Powerful for Your Body and Job, According to Science.