Oxygen Mask of Kindness | Normal | Mental Health in Leadership
Hello there! Welcome to my weekly LEAPS.
You’re receiving this email because you subscribed to my weekly Wednesday feature or our mailing list. Every Wednesday, I share 5 things using our LEAPS approach:
Learn: something new or an idea
Energy: an energy (good or bad) word and it’s meaning
Action: something to do
Processing: a question to consider
Shout out: something or someone that I want to celebrate or acknowledge
LEARN
Something Worth Sharing
Oxygen Mask of Kindness
Back in 2021, I completed a project based on kindness; I completed 2,000 daily acts of kindness (or to put it another way, 5.5 years). In the latter stages of the project I looked at a specific area of kindness: that of self-kindness. In particular I had become fascinated by the challenges we experience around receiving kindness and being kind to ourselves - and how much of an issue this is when it comes to leadership, parenting and being responsible for others, such as health-care workers and teachers.
This month is World Mental Health Day (October, 10th) and the theme is “time to prioritise mental health in the workplace”. When I saw the suggestions given by various mental health organisations, they all focus on managers and leaders supporting their people. This is certainly important and something I agree with, however from my own experience, that of many clients and extensive research over 5.5 years, it made me ask myself this question: “what about those that need to help others?”.
Most of us are familiar with the flight attendants instructions during their safety briefing: ‘put your own oxygen mask on before helping others’. As Maya Angelou said:
“Nothing will work unless you do.”
This is such sound advice. You can’t help anyone if you’re not well enough yourself. You can’t support someone with burn-out if you are suffering from burn-out. How a leader - or person in a position of responsibility for others - looks after themselves sets an example for everyone.
The learn this week is possibly more of a reminder - to put your own oxygen mask of kindness on yourself before helping others, even that of your parents, partner, colleagues, and children.
ENERGY
An emotion or energy; a stand-out word / s
Normal
This word became a very well-used word in 2020 - the ‘old normal’ (pre-pandemic) and the ‘new normal’ (post-pandemic). But what is the meaning and origins of ‘normal’?
The word is from classical Latin NORMA meaning "rule, pattern, made according to a carpenter's square". ‘Normal’ is the things we measure and compare against - which seems odd in many situations. We can accept and slip into the comfort of normal, even if it’s not positive. I come back to my friend Brian Solis who states, in his new book Mindshift, that we perhaps need to consider No Normal!
ACTION
Something small that you can do that might make a big difference
Self-Care
Do something caring for yourself. This doesn’t have to be a big deal, perhaps just sit with a book and coffee, do a workout, take a bath…
PROCESSING
A question to think about and consider (you can discuss this with someone or write your thoughts down)
“What beliefs did I develop about success?”
Think back to your earliest memories. Now ask yourself the question above - what beliefs did you develop about success and what it means?
My early beliefs were that success meant not failing, not making a mistake, being wealthy etc…my view now is very different! If I’d have asked myself this question earlier in my life, perhaps my awareness of my sub-conscious would have been helpful and I may not have been so tough on myself.
I’d love for you to send me your own stories / thoughts about this. Drop me a line with your answer / thoughts on this question
SHOUT OUT
Who / what I think deserves recognition - my gratitude or to be celebrated.
Having Awareness
I had a friend who used these words on her email signature:
‘Awareness is the greatest agent for change’
- Eckhart Tolle
This is something that I also believe. It’s been brought to my attention again recently while talking with several clients and in the books I’ve been reading. The need for self-awareness is particularly key in so many things. This week’s shout out is ‘awareness’ - and having self-awareness.
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LEAPS is a process used by our team and clients all the time - and even my own family on a daily basis.
I’ll be sharing a set of LEAPS each week with you and encourage you to do your own version:
L: what have you learned?
E: what’s your energy / feeling word
A: what’s one thing you need to do?
P: what are you thinking / processing?
S: who or what can you shout out?
