In this episode, we will be taking a closer look at self-care, the first of the five common elements of effective and sustaining leadership, and why it is one of the most important characteristics of a leader. Specifically talking about mental health and physical health and how Greg has dealt with both in his life and leadership. In addition, Greg will share a few ways in which you can grow in your self-care today.

All leaders must be able to take care of themselves before they can take care of others. Focusing on mental and physical health is important in the overall care of a leader and ultimately those they are leading.

There are several ways in which a leader can work on their mental and physical health.

MENTAL1. Talk to others about how you feel. You will be surprised by how helpful it is to simply get your thoughts out of your head. We can internalize our feelings and play a thousand scenarios in our heads about a situation we are going through.
2. Break up your routine. In other words, take a break from the craziness of life and allow yourself to experience a different perspective of your current situation. Go for a short walk outside without your phone and experience the nature around you or call that friend you never have time to call.
3. Stop comparing yourself with others. We live in an ever-connected world where we can experience a small part of people’s lives. This insight into others' lives can cause us to compare their reality with ours. This can be depressing. Understand that you are only seeing a small part of their lives and it is never as good as it seems. Everyone has baggage and things they do not like about their realities, do not believe their filtered lives.

Here are two helpful resources* on mental health:

• Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, John Mark Comer https://amzn.to/3BUD9O5
• How To Look After Your Mental Health https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/how-to-mental-health

PHYSICAL1. Go for a walk. A little walking can go a long way. If you simply walked a quarter mile a day (roughly 550 extra steps) you will walk over 91 miles in a year!
2. Drink more water. The human body is made up of 60% water! Over half of your body is water. Drinking water is always going to be beneficial to the body and your overall health.

EPISODE RESPONSE QUESTIONWhat is one thing you can be doing today that will help your care for yourself better?

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For more information about leadership and to download the free guide introducing the five common elements of effective and sustaining leadership, visit https://www.leadershipthatlasts.net/

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