Self-Leadership is Self-Love
What’s love got to do with Self-Leadership? As it turns out, everything.
The nurses I coach in the Well-Being Coaching Initiative are high performers in their healthcare organizations. They hold themselves to very high standards and when they don’t meet their often unrealistic expectations, they can be harsh and critical of themselves. Common statements I hear include, “I should be able to get more done…I don’t know why I’m so tired…I know I sabotage myself when I say yes but…As soon as I get through this I can…”
Sound familiar? Can you recognize when you overcommit by trying to do too much, you don’t feel good about yourself or anything you are doing? Self-Leadership is based on the relationship you have with yourself and has to start with love and respect for yourself. In other words, practicing self-love to make the best decisions that positively affect your well-being.
Loving yourself not only helps you feel better, it helps you be more effective. High-performers will be happy to learn Gretchin Rubin, author of The Happiness Project says, When we give more to ourselves, we can ask more of ourselves.
Practice self-love by giving yourself more:
- Sleep by doing less
- Space by creating boundaries
- Presence by slowing down
- Intention by planning
- Flexibility by letting go
We have proven results that show when you nurture the relationship you have with yourself, you are more engaged, compassionate, and less stressed and burned out. This is because you feel good about yourself and what you do every day. And because everyone benefits, including your patients, family, and most importantly yourself, self-love is the opposite of selfish.
Do something loving and nurturing for you today and everyday, because love has everything to do with how you feel about yourself and your life.