I’m not big on New Years’ Resolutions, but one of my intentions this year is to cultivate greater mindfulness in my life.
Today, Staffing leaders are consumed with managing compliance, ongoing Covid concerns, staff shortages and more, running so fast that squeezing in a perfunctory hello to our teams is all we can manage before starting the day’s long to-do list. Living like this day after day is a recipe for burnout if we don’t intentionally care for ourselves.
One way to care for ourselves is to practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is cultivated through micro-breaks to stop, breathe, meditate for five minutes – whatever enables us to clear our heads and refocus.
Mindful leadership requires a commitment to focus and full engagement in serving others despite the endless tasks and distractions of the day.
Here are three ways to increase mindfulness on the job.
Create Space for Quick Breaks
In the hustle-bustle of our days, we often don’t give ourselves the breathing room necessary to be focused.
Pick what works best for you and schedule breaks for them on your calendar. After breaks, check in with yourself and you’ll find you’re better able to focus.
Practice Being Present for Your Team
I mean really present.
Multi-tasking is still revered in the corporate world despite proof that it’s impossible to do two unrelated tasks at the same time and do them well (google it!).
Multi-tasking is the enemy of mindfulness.
If you’re looking at your phone when you’re on a Zoom call, you’re telegraphing disinterest and you could miss something important. Try putting your phone on do not disturb when you’re with your team and look at the camera often.
Leading mindfully will help you manage your day with self-care, but it will also benefit your team. They’ll notice your increased focus and engagement, and they’ll model their behavior after yours with their own teams.
