How a Spring “Break” Can Create Success
Springtime is just around the corner! With the warmer weather and longer days, our environments are shaking off the winter chill and being reborn – why shouldn’t that apply to you as well? As a busy leader, it is just as vital for you to make time and space for your own rejuvenation, especially if you are beginning to feel any of the tell-tale signs of burnout, which according to the American Psychological Association, is approaching an all-time high across all professions.
Spring Breaks Aren’t Just for Students!
We don’t mean to say that taking a whole week off from your responsibilities to frolic on a beach somewhere is the way to go (but you can always dream!). What we mean by taking a spring “break” is to intentionally allow time, space, and resources away from work for self-care beyond the day-to-day things that you might do to help you maintain a work-life balance. As springtime marks the turn of seasons, it is a natural time for the kind of regrouping that can set you up for success in the months to come.
Benefits of Taking a Break
Increased creativity - creativity has a way of striking when we are pulled away from our routines or environments. So, even if you have a healthy work-life balance, sticking to the same routine for very long can stifle creativity. Taking healthy breaks gives you a chance to consider “how things can be” instead of focusing on “how it always is.” If you’ve ever had a great idea while in the shower or on a retreat, that was your creativity seizing the opportunity!
Increased inspiration – as a leader, you likely spend most of your time inspiring others instead of being inspired. Taking a break allows you to find what inspires you about your industry. You can take in information, have informal meetings with other industry leaders, or do whatever you need to do to remind yourself why you do your work and what you love about it.
Increased morale – by showing your team the importance of taking deliberate rest, you set a powerful example that hard work is rewarded and that you value a workplace culture where self-care is essential.
Increased productivity – that taking a break can increase productivity runs counter-intuitive to how many people were trained to work. However, research increasingly proves that helpful breaks result in more productivity than a nose-to-the-grindstone workplace culture.
Improved health and lower incidence of burnout – in the past, rest for leaders was recommended only after burnout reared its ugly head. However, by then, it’s often too late; the damage is usually done and recovering enough to return at full strength takes a long time. Working at high intensity for extended periods leads to chronic stress, which can lead to disease. Ultimately, your health is what matters most.
It is not a groundbreaking discovery that taking time to rest results in increased productivity and higher morale, but for many of us, it is still challenging to press the pause button.
It takes time and practice to learn how to listen to our bodies and minds to know when to recharge and when to push through. That’s why at Leadership Delta, we are dedicated to helping leaders such as yourself develop the skills to practice balance.
Today’s leaders have a tremendous opportunity to normalize self-care in the workplace and set the example for generations of leaders behind them. Success can, and should, be equally defined in terms of how we care for ourselves and each other as it is by how we grow our business.