How are you supporting yourself?

25 Sep

Written By Michelle Bihary

This week I am drawing upon a case study for my thoughts as I know it can be helpful on this topic of burnout and self-leadership. If this resonates with you, please feel free to connect and reach out via my LinkedIn and share your own experiences.

Who is Sarah?...

Sarah, a dedicated leader in healthcare, who spends her days ensuring her team is well-supported and thriving. Despite her dedication to uplift others, Sarah finds herself feeling increasingly exhausted, disconnected, and burnt out.

How Sarah is feeling…

Sarah feels distraught due to significant budgetary cutbacks that are looming in her service. She is concerned about the wellbeing of her staff and their clients and aware of the broader economic pressures that everyone is facing that contributes to an even greater demand for their services.

Sarah is very worried about staff morale and that employees may depart, leaving big gaps in the workplace. The pressures are feeling relentless.

This story is all too common. The challenging then is intensified for those of us who prioritise the well-being of our colleagues while neglecting our own self-care.

The impact to Sarah and those around her…

Supporting yourself as a leader is critical to sustainable success and well-being. When leaders fail to prioritise their own needs, they risk burnout, reduced effectiveness, and ultimately, a negative impact on their teams.

There is also a great personal cost. What happens when we go home gutted and empty? What impact does it have if we have little left for ourselves, let alone the loved ones who eagerly await our time and attention?

Research from the World Health Organisation indicates that burnout is a significant occupational hazard, especially in high-stress fields like healthcare. According to a 2021 study, 52% of healthcare leaders reported experiencing symptoms of burnout, highlighting the urgent need for self-care practices (source: WHO).

What can Sarah be doing?...

There are ways to address this, to take small steps to shift this challenging cycle. Firstly, we can consider some key mindset shifts:

1. Not blame yourself - it is not your fault that organisational demands have escalated almost beyond what is humanly possible.
2. Prioritising self-care is not selfish; it's essential.
3. Sustainable leadership requires a balance between supporting others and oneself.
4. Effective leaders model healthy behaviours, including self-care.

Are you in Sarah’s position? If so - You are the lighthouse

Think of yourself as a lighthouse. Just as a lighthouse must maintain its light to guide ships safely to shore, a leader must take care of themselves to effectively guide and support their team. Without maintenance, the lighthouse dims, leaving ships to navigate treacherous waters alone.

Every lighthouse needs care and maintenance. Ignoring our self-care leads to burnout, diminished capacity to lead, and a toxic work environment. Leaders who fail to support themselves can inadvertently create a culture of overwork and neglect, causing team morale and productivity to plummet.

To achieve sustainable self-care as a leader, consider the following steps:

1. Assess Your Needs: Regularly evaluate your physical, emotional, and mental health needs.
2. Set Boundaries: Establish clear boundaries between work and personal time to ensure you have adequate rest and recuperation. Don’t go home physically and take your work home in your head.
3. Delegate: Trust your team with responsibilities to avoid overburdening yourself.
4. Seek Support: Engage in professional supervision and peer support to navigate challenges.
5. Self-Reflection: Incorporate regular self-reflection practices, such as journaling or mindfulness, to stay attuned to your well-being.
6. Join one of my self-leadership programs: If this resonates with you, think about joining my Self-Leadership program or Thriving Professional Women. The feedback from these programs is loud and clear.

“Joining TPW has been one of the best things I have ever done.” - Kim, participant 2021

“I cannot recommend Michelle’s Thriving Professional Women 10 month mentoring program highly enough. It has been a privilege to share, reflect, learn and grow with other like-minded women under Michelle’s wise guidance.

Michelle is so generous with her time and knowledge, and the support and open sharing of the group reinforced the learnings of each session. I look forward to applying what I have learnt into my leadership role as I strive to operate ‘above the line’. ” - Jennifer Gay Team Leader

Please reach out if we can support you further.

Further insight

Here's an article you might find helpful, click the button below to learn more.

Global estimate of burnout among the public health workforce: a systematic review and meta-analysis