How we prioritize well-being in busy seasons
Back in November of 2020, I wrote a post about a book I had just finished called It Doesn’t Have To Be Crazy At Work. It was our team’s introduction into the idea of a “calm” company: an organization that respects boundaries, requires people to unplug and recharge, and prioritizes the well-being of everyone on the team, all while sustaining reasonable growth and building a successful company.
That book was the catalyst for so many amazing conversations and changes in our culture. It caused us to slow down and be intentional about setting calm revenue goals and deadlines, and it helped us take steps to proactively keep burnout at bay.
One of the best examples of what this looks like in action is when we created our Human Leadership Program. Knowing that this program attracts hundreds of people and knowing that it takes a lot of time and energy to produce, we asked ourselves what it would look like to make hosting this program feel calm. What would make us look forward to such a busy time instead of dreading how busy it might feel? What would help our team feel supported so that we aren’t drained and depleted by the end of it?
That’s where we got the idea of our self-care day and self-care budget. We decided that after each two-day Human Leadership Program, everyone on the team is required to take a self-care day, and we each have a budget to go along with it.
We know that self-care means something different for each of us, so instead of mandating what that day looks like for everyone, we empower each person to decide how best to spend their time. The only requirement is that whatever it is must help the person feel recharged and refreshed. For me, it often looks like getting a massage and spending some time at the spa. For others, it looks like getting their hair done or going out for a nice dinner. The important thing is that we each have the freedom to take care of ourselves in the way that means the most to us.
Over time, we began to expand on that self-care budget and give each person additional funds for the week in order to make life a little easier. When you think about a program that keeps us on Zoom from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. for two days in a row—not to mention the hours of meetings leading up to the program to prepare—you realize that it not only affects those on our team, but also our families. For example, we might miss out on dinnertime, or we might not be able to help our spouses as much with the kids. If we are doing something at work that is having a ripple effect on our families, I believe that the least we can do is make life feel a little easier for everyone. Just like our self-care budget, we don’t mandate how this additional budget for the week is used. We allow each person to decide how to use it in order to best support them. Often, it looks like going grocery shopping or ordering lunches, dinners, and snacks for the week.
What’s so interesting about this to me is that now everyone—not just those on our team, but our families, too—looks forward to Human Leadership Program week. What could have easily become something that left us feeling depleted has become something that makes us feel cared for and supported.
For me personally, I’ve tried to take these learnings and apply them to my life outside of work, too. The end of the year is always the busiest season for me: Since October, I’ve been traveling every week and will continue to do so until the end of the year for speaking events and holiday travel. If I don’t prioritize my well-being and caring for myself, I know it will take a toll on me. I’ve been intentional about pre-scheduling at least one self-care activity per week through the end of the year, which is something that helps me feel recharged and fills my cup. The activities could be an evening walk, a massage, getting my nails done, or going to the movies. So now, here we are in mid-November, and I’m feeling centered despite being so busy. The best way I can describe it is that I feel like I am loving myself well.
As we head into a busy holiday season and end-of-year deadlines, I want to ask you the same question we often ask ourselves as a team: How are you taking care of yourself? What can you do to make this season feel more calm?
My advice: Look at your calendar and block out time for at least two self-care activities over the next two weeks. It doesn’t have to be something that costs money; it could simply be some alone time to read a book or an afternoon to yourself. Whatever it looks like, protect that time like it’s your job—your well-being, happiness, and energy depend on it.
The point of life isn’t for it to be a constant sprint. That isn’t human, and it isn’t sustainable. We aren’t meant to be machines, just going and going and going. If we want to show up as the best version of ourselves in the busiest of times—and even in the not-so-busy ones—we have to fill our own cups before we can even consider pouring into others’.
You matter. You deserve it.
You hear me?!
Big hugs,
