Why Self-Care is Critical for Leaders and EDI Professionals

There is so much happening in this moment, from the continued challenge of working and living through a pandemic to our ongoing efforts for racial justice to the rise in workplace burnout.

It continues to be such a hard time for leaders — and equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) professionals, in particular!

We are trying our very best to ensure that people from across cultural communities who experience bias don’t fall through the cracks while also trying to manage our own mental health and wellness. If you are an EDI professional who is finding this moment to be especially difficult, know that you're not alone!

We’ve been working so hard over the last year to bring to light the continued inequities in our workplaces, while juggling heavy events happening around us daily — from mass shootings that disproportionately impact BIPOC to geopolitical events that connect back to colonization — it’s not surprising that so many leaders are experiencing diminished mental health.

I’ve shared this quote from Audre Lorde many times before: “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” One of the most important things you can do for yourself in this moment as a leader or EDI professional is to take care of yourself. Now is the time to prioritize self-care as a tool for managing your mental health and wellness.

For us to show up and keep making an impact, we need to be doing our best, which means engaging in strategies that keep us at our best. This is why I say that self-care is social justice work. Self-care is EDI work.

As we move through Mental Health Awareness Month, I’ll be holding this sentiment in my heart in the ways in which I take care of my own health. I hope you’ll do the same by taking time to revisit your self-care practices. As a staunch self-care advocate, trust me when I say it will have a real impact on your wellness and on your ability to do EDI work.

Finally, I want to send love and solidarity specifically to people from Black and Asian communities. Know that myself and the team at bci are here with you, we are committed to fighting the fight to interrupt anti-Black and anti-Asian racism and we are sending you lots of love and positive energy during this difficult moment.