by Sheila Roames, CCE, Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions

What is Self-care exactly? I’ve heard this buzz word a lot lately, so I decided to dive into it and take you on this journey with me. Self-care is about loving who you are. It's about treating your wellbeing and happiness seriously. It's about looking after yourself. It's important for everyone because without wellbeing, we can't thrive. But it's especially key for leaders because they're responsible for their team in their respective departments.

Think of it this way, “only a full heart can give fully.” Anything less and you are short-changing not only yourself, but also those you serve as you are not showing up as your whole, magnificent, and complete self. How many times have you heard throughout your life, “You must take care of yourself, so you can help take care of others?” In other words, we must diligently practice self-care to be fully available to serve our team and our companies to the best of our ability.

Today’s leaders aka credit professionals need make time to take care of themselves mentally physically and emotionally. Being able to balance the challenges of work with the importance of self-care is one of the most important leadership qualities. Failing to achieve this balance is a strategic error and bleeds out into our teams and, unfortunately, the rest of the business as well. This is also where work-life balance is an important aspect of a healthy work environment. Maintaining work-life balance helps reduce stress and helps prevent burnout in the workplace. Chronic stress is one of the most common health issues in the workplace.

Self-care is essential, especially if you want to perform at your optimum level, particularly in our most recent times of pressure and stress. Practice self-awareness, set boundaries, take care of physical and mental (temper) health, give yourself kindness and extend kindness to others.

It's an awareness of knowing when to take a break so you can run faster with your teams to achieve your goals, rather than breaking because you've pushed yourself too hard. We often see on social media platforms today’s hardworking leader portrayed as a sleep-deprived, stubborn, borderline manic individual obsessed with the bottom line and neglectful of self-care, sound familiar? While some people today do fit this category, many do not. This stereotype can be harmful even if it’s meant to ridicule and dissuade this behavior.

When great leaders practice self-care, they can do more for teams, themselves, AND their employers. They can do more because they will have more energy to help the members of their team. With enough rest and restoration, leaders can prioritize their workload to set aside time for helping others, honing these crucial leadership skills. With a workforce committed to self-care, everyone benefits – and so does productivity.

Researchers have found a critical link between good sleep and improved work performance. I have been very guilty of this during covid by missing out on a good night’s sleep. The fact of the matter is missing out on a good night’s sleep consistently can lead to a loss of focus and increased irritability. When work piles up and deadlines loom, people often put sleep on the back burner. This is a big mistake. The importance of proper sleep can’t be overstated, especially in our industries. Effective leadership depends on maximum alertness. By sacrificing these precious hours of slumber, leaders are less equipped to react to challenges, prioritize tasks, and help other employees deal with stresses of their own. Conversely, getting proper sleep allows one’s mind to refresh, retain important information, and handle new problems as they come.

I have fallen into this trap so often along with many of my credit manager friends and associates who are always rushing from one place or task to the next. To keep things moving we are often guilty of skipping meals or grabbing the nearest, fastest option from the vending machine, fast food line, or microwave. While these choices may be convenient, they can do serious harm to one’s work performance.

There is a misconception in today’s world that leaders who practice self-care are selfishness leaders. It’s actually quite the opposite. By practicing self-care, leaders can do more for their employees. Have you ever wondered how you, the credit manager, can help your employees deal with stress? Start by sharing your own experiences of dealing with stress with your team by giving advice on your sleep patterns, diet, exercise, and other methods of stress reduction. By sharing your self-care methods, you set the tone that self-care is critical, and you set a great example for the rest of your team and those around you.

Something that I learned as a young professional is that “You can’t give what you don’t have.” If your bank account is empty, there is no money to give. If your “emotional bank account” is empty, you have nothing to give of value, as well. In fact, I have found that the more I attempt to give from an “empty account” the more irritable, impatient, and even resentful I become, which usually means I am much less impactful in providing the service I intend to give.

This week, I challenge all of us (myself, included) to take a serious look at our self-care practices and see where we can step up our game in the area of taking care of ourselves. Here are three practices I believe can help all of us in being consistent and effective in our overall self-care.

Make a List– Make a detailed list of the activities you enjoy doing. The key here is to list the things you actually enjoy. We all know that even though something may be “good” for us, if we don’t enjoy doing it, it won’t become a consistent practice in our lives. Some activities to consider – walks in nature, reading inspirational books, preparing healthy meals, gratitude journaling, adequate sleep, meditation, planned vacations, etc.

Schedule your Activities – That’s right, schedule your self-care. It is often the case that we do self-care practices AFTER we get everything else done. My question for you is, “How’s that working for you?” I can attest that “life happens” and unexpected events pop up with great frequency that can overtake our time and attention. When self-care becomes and “anchor” in your calendar, the chances of you taking part in your practices increases dramatically.

Practice, practice, practice – That’s right, self-care is a practice. It is something we do and continue to evolve into as time goes on. The key here is to be patient with yourself and be careful about judging yourself about whether you are doing in correctly, or not. Also, if you miss a day, refrain from beating yourself up.

Leadership in times of stress and change truly tests one’s abilities. Self-care should remain at the forefront during these times, for the sake of leaders, employees, and the business itself. To paraphrase a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt, “A leader is like a tea-bag-you can’t tell how strong they are until you put them in hot water.”

So, there you have it, my friends. Let’s commit this week to really taking care of ourselves. Let’s make self-care a priority in our lives so we can show up as the best version of ourselves to be the best Credit Professionals that we can be. Not just for ourselves but for our team that we lead and for our companies. The best way to do this is by first truly taking care of ourselves.