Two Ways to Lead Mindfully and Avoid Burnout

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.

Bingham Consulting Professionals LLC

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