Let’s Chat Self Care for Leaders: Giving Yourself Permission

I’ve always had the “don’t ask for permission, beg for forgiveness” approach to life and work, but lately it’s been hard for me to give myself permission to take any time for vacation or even an afternoon brain break. 

Why is it that entrepreneurs are hard wired for the hustle and why is it so hard to break the habit of “time macho,” where one feels that overwork comes with bragging rights and that vacations are for the weak?

And then along comes the covid epidemic, which has added a layer of inertia to most business owners’ decision making process, making us feel like time off is off the table. Between pandemics , natural disasters and political drama, I am left constantly feeling like the other shoe is going to drop on my business and life, so I need to be hyper vigilant and not miss a beat.  If I’m honest, strategic decisions have also been hard to make because I do not know how long covid will keep us isolated.  

Whenever I share these feelings with colleagues, I learn that I’m not alone. That the epidemic has us all constantly living in fight or flight mode, engaging the amygdala part of our brain. Being in this state of fear about one’s future, it’s not exactly when we think it would be a good idea to take a break. But in reality, it’s the best time to take some time out! 

So how can we learn to give ourselves permission, to help us get back to living our highest best value at work, and practicing self-care? 

I’ve engaged two experts (Chad Harrigan + Laura Shook Guzman) as part of our Mental Health Snack series to have a candid conversation about self-permission and self-care to tackle this very topic. Join me for a mental health snack Wednesday, August 26 at Noon Central  - go ahead - do something good for yourself - I give you permission!