As we approach the end of a long and difficult year, it is important to ensure you and your team rest, relax recover and avoid burnout.

Does anyone else feel like this right now?

As we approach the end of a difficult year, most of us are feeling more burnt-out than usual. We’ve all had to deal with a lot this year, in our own individual way, and we’ve done it all in more-stressful-than-usual circumstances.

In short, it’s time for many of us to have a rest.

With many of us and our teams planning on taking a break from work at the end of the year, it’s worth thinking about how resting involves switching off both your brain and your body.

I wanted to explore how allowing yourself (and by extension, your team) the chance to relax and recover makes you a stronger leader.

The deep impact of burnout

Australian academics have written about the burnout many of us are close to or already feeling after extended lockdowns and having to juggle multiple responsibilities. The symptoms extend beyond just exhaustion to areas like withdrawal, cognitive disfunction and reduced performance at work.

What this means is that a culture of work ‘til you drop is neither healthy nor productive.

We’ve seen it so many times in our leadership training courses here – teams where it quickly becomes obvious there is a culture where people feel stressed and overworked all the time. Breaking down and starting to address these unhealthy – and ultimately unproductive – habits can be a real turning point for a team.

So now’s the time to take steps to address any burnout your team and important you yourself may be feeling. And making sure everyone takes time off work in one way or another to recover.

A self-confident leader knows how to rest

If one positive has come out of the pandemic, it’s a refocus on our priorities including work/life balance. Recent research from Randstad found that 63% of people say work/life balance is the most important factor when choosing an employer. We realise that in order to be successful and productive, we don’t necessarily have to warm our seats for 8 – 10 hours a day.

For me, this lesson was amplified by (as I’ve written before) being forced to slow down and relax after an accident.  It made it clear that an important leadership skill to not only be able to manage your team’s potential exhaustion and stress, but manage your own.

Just look at how horses handle resting. In wild herds, horses watch over each other while they sleep, and they take turns doing this so everyone has a rest.  It shows not only a recognition of how important it is to rest, but that sometimes it’s a team effort to ensure that everyone gets their chance. Therefore, it’s worthwhile as a leader to put some planning into this to make it happen for your own team. For example, if one team member offers to cover over the Christmas break, then you should try to encourage them to take that rest time at a later stage.

A confident leader will have the self-awareness to see when they need a break and be comfortable trusting their team to keep everything going in their absence or push back on deadlines.

They will also recognise that they need to lead by example – if you never take leave yourself, then your team may not feel comfortable doing so themselves. Instead, they might up and leave altogether.

Tips for switching off

And remember, taking time off work is not the same as relaxing! You have to really switch your mind off – not an easy task for many of us (myself included).

For me, the horses are my saving grace here, because they always keep me in the present. When I spend time with them, they demand that I’m fully there in mind as well as body. It’s very grounding and it helps me switch off from all my other life duties for a while.

Try to find a way to do the same and lose yourself in the things you love too – whether that’s your family, your favourite sport or your new hobby.

Or, use some mindfulness techniques to help you stay in the moment, calm that wandering mind and appreciate the time you have.

Next week, I’ll explore this topic further as we look at some ways to physically help our bodies and minds unwind (with some help from our horses of course).

If you’re interested in a refreshing experience, why not try one of our unique leadership courses? Email info@leadingedgelifeskills.com.au to find out what equine assisted learning is all about.

Our recent conference gave me a chance to connect with like-minded people and reignite my passion for what I do. In these physically distanced times, I think it is so important to connect with others in your field to help them refresh and reignite passion at work.

Last weekend, I was lucky enough to host the Australian section of the IGNITE! Equine Connection conference in partnership with our colleagues in Canada.

For those of you who don’t know, Equine Connection is an academy of equine assisted learning, (EAL) which teaches the techniques we use to train leaders here at Leading Edge Professional Development. We also run courses to train other trainers!

The conference was a joy to host, and not only provided some excellent insight into a variety of topics but a valuable chance to connect with other facilitators. The theme was IGNITE! and it explored topics around connection, collaboration and camaraderie – I certainly feel all these things towards my equine learning colleagues. It refreshed me and reignited my passion for what I do as well as helped me see the way to push a path forward.

“So needed especially during these times and what a wonderful experience to be part of such an amazing community of like-minded women,” one participant, Anita, said after the conference.

“You have definitely reached your goal to re-ignite a flame that could easily weaken in these difficult times,” said another, Marine.

The benefit of collaborating like-minded people

What my feelings and those of the participants show is that collaborating and feeling that sense of camaraderie with others in a similar position to us can be very refreshing. Especially when many of us are facing the uncertainty of lockdowns well into the future and mental health is becoming one of our biggest concerns.

While connection is essential across all aspects of our life, from family and friends through to colleagues and business associates, there is something special and unique about connecting with peers.

As I’ve written before, both horses and humans operate in herds aka teams, families, classrooms. Within a herd, much like a work team or a family, we all have our own roles. Many good leaders focus on functioning within a team and keeping the team harmony. A smart strategy, as research has found that having a strong connection with colleagues acts as a big boost to productivity.

What about nurturing ourselves by connecting with other leaders? Those who have a similar role or skillset? There is value in connecting with people who are able to discuss your work on a higher level. They can understand the particular problems and frustrations you face, as well as relate to the joy you get from your profession. Together, you can generate ideas for collaboration.

The conference reinforced how important it is to connect with others – no matter what is going on – for personal and professional well-being and growth.

I’d be interested to know when the last time was you got around to connecting with peers in your own profession, perhaps from outside your company or workplace. What did you gain?

Curious about what our horse-based leadership training  is all about? Email info@leadingedgelifeskills.com.au for more information.

Accepting and acknowledging anxiety in difficult times

With a pandemic and a slew of natural disasters changing life as we know it, it’s hardly unexpected that many of us are living in a state of constant anxiety right now. And, with a long weekend approaching, it’s worth acknowledging this constant worry and seeing if you can use this additional time to live in the present and relieve the pressure.

Last week, I was bringing our horses in to the barn as a new storm brewed on the horizon. We had plenty of time, we were not in danger, and I was handling the situation in a calm and efficient manner. So I thought…

I was really surprised to find my horses, Legs and Opal, reacting to me in a way that was different to usual. They were jumpier, less co-operative. It was only at that point that I realised: my anxiety was sky-high. And, despite telling myself that everything was fine, the horses could see beyond my façade and reacted accordingly.

An anxious time

So, why was I so anxious? Well, the obvious answer was that the heavy rains had already flooded my office (we weren’t in a flood area; the culprit was a blocked pipe). However, I think it runs deeper than that; it was not just this one incident that threw me, but the accumulation of a turbulent few months. Of course, a flood is a distressing event, but when it comes on the back of a pandemic and devastating bushfires, then it all snowballs.

And, I feel I’m not the only one. That ‘always worried’ feeling is normal right now: in Australia, mental health problems are twice as common as pre-pandemic. This is the case  across the globe; a US study found 42% of adults felt they were suffering from depression or anxiety at the end of last year, up from 11% in 2019.

Yes, Australia is doing well in the pandemic compared to other places, but its effects are still a constant presence in our lives; for example the new lockdown in Brisbane, the end of JobKeeper and ongoing worry about elderly relatives or loved ones who live overseas.

As we headed into 2021, the biggest concerns Australians had were around employment and the economy, ahead of the health fears that were front of mind in the early days of the pandemic. To me, this shows that our anxiety is likely to be around for a while yet as we deal with the fallout of everything that’s happened in the past few months.

Being aware of the impact your anxiety has on others

The incident with the horses was also an important reminder that it’s important to acknowledge and accept anxiety. I’d tried to push that anxiety down, but the horses had seen right through it.

Think about this in the context of your work life as well. To the horses, I am their leader and my obvious anxiety made them act in ways they don’t normally. If you’re working with or leading others, then they are likely to pick up on your anxious vibes.  And you are likely to pick up on the anxiety-driven moods of colleagues,, so try to be understanding.

It’s also a reminder that leaders should not always push their concerns down. Good leaders are strong, yes, but that doesn’t mean they should never show vulnerability. A great leader will be authentic and acknowledge their behaviour.

Be positive – but also give yourself a break

As a rule, I always try to be positive. I have a roof over my head, me and my loved ones are well, we have food to eat. There’s no reason to complain.

But the trouble with unrelenting or unthinking positivity is that it can push down all those feelings and leave them to fester. It’s okay to acknowledge anxiety and then take positive steps to move forward. Of course, not everyone can just ‘snap out’ of anxiety, and don’t hesitate to seek help if you need it. But, the incident with the horses did at least bring me back to the moment and give me fresh perspective. Horses don’t worry as much about the future (which is the source of much anxiety), and we can learn a lot from that.

How we deal with anxiety is no easy question, but perhaps the approaching long weekend presents an opportunity. Acknowledging our anxious feelings and trying hard to enjoy this extra time might be good for all of us. Doing nothing without guilt, enjoying the company of other or having some fun are all ways to go about it.

What can you do to relieve anxiety during your downtime?

It’s a difficult time for all of us – why not try developing some leadership skills which will set you on a strong path through life and work? Email us at info@lepd.com.au to learn more about our unique leadership training.

Are you OK? Looking out for others in our lives

With RUOK Day happening this week on September 10, I’d like to share my personal reflection on what it really means to ask someone if they are okay. Our response needs to be authentic, genuine and embrace community spirit.

This week it’s RUOK Day. I’m guessing most of us are familiar with this concept now, but if you’re not this annual event reminds Australians to ask someone in their lives whether they are okay.

I’m a big fan of this event and I attended a webinar recently, which gave me some useful tips! If you’re interested in getting more involved too, there’s lots of suggestions on how to run events, even with physical distancing!

As RUOK Day organisers and many others have pointed out, with the difficult year we’ve had it’s more important than ever to look after each other. This research, along with mental health organisations, has warned of an increase in anxiety, stress and depression as a result of the pandemic, caused by fear, loneliness and financial pressure.

With this in mind, I thought I’d share my own thoughts on ways we can genuinely look after people in our lives, on RUOK Day and always.

Ask with authenticity

This year, the theme is ‘There’s more to say after RUOK’. It helps you know what to say when someone says they’re not OK and guide them through how they can continue a conversation. See their website for great tools and resources around this.  

This theme really resonated with me, for many reasons.

One of them is that at its core, it goes back to one of my central values, and one we teach in our courses: being authentic in our interactions with others. If you’re going to ask the question ‘are you okay?’, then you have to mean it. Otherwise, it’s just tokenistic.

What I find so special about working with horses to train leaders is that it encourages these authentic interactions. Our equine partners are non-judgemental, empathetic, kind and accept us as we are. However, the human also has to show respect, trust and engagement in return, otherwise the horses sense this discord and respond accordingly.

During one of our workshops, Margie, a middle manager from an insurance company, and her team simply could not get our mare, Kylie, to engage. Kylie shuffled her feet, had her head high and was totally distracted – not her usual self at all. Margie realised that she had some anxieties bottled up and being challenged to work with this huge animal just added to her feelings of overwhelm. All of a sudden, Margie, cried. As she released in this authentic way, so did Kylie (in her horsey way) by yawning and yawning. Kylie had asked Margie, “RUOK?” Margie said that Kylie had “unlocked something in her”. The team worked seamlessly together after this raw and honest interaction.  It was truly beautiful!

Are you authentic when you ask people if they’re okay? And, like our horses, do you accept the answer without judgement?

Aim for genuine conversation

As I’ve written before, there’s a few ways to ensure we make meaningful connections.  A key one is listening skills and communication. This is especially true as lockdowns and physical distancing have altered our established ways of talking to each other.

The RUOK Day organisers say one of the four key steps in asking people ‘are you okay?’ is to listen.

Humans are not always good at actively listening. I’ve seen it first-hand many times in the course of my work; clients realising they aren’t really listening when during various exercises training exercises. We have probably all been guilty of impatiently waiting for someone to finish what they’re saying so we can jump in and talk.

When was the last time you genuinely asked a question and listened to the answer? Or, were asked a personal question yourself and felt the other person was interested your response?

Think about your network

This year, we’ve seen some lovely examples of community spirit with people offering to help others out, for example buying groceries for those who can’t leave the house. And, those of us with access to technology and reliable internet are lucky to have a way to connect from a distance.

We’ve all had a difficult year in one way or another and the pandemic has affected everyone in different ways.  While it’s been great to see folks helping each other, despite being under pressure themselves, I’m always mindful that those who need support may not always the first who come to mind.

For example, reports have suggested that young people are suffering distress at a higher rate than the general population. This has particularly resonated with me, not only because I have teenage and young adult children myself, but because we run our own workshops for young leaders. These cover several areas including our ‘Be Kinder’ anti-bullying programs and our ‘Engage & Empower’ youth at risk. It’s wonderful helping then discover purpose and come to realisations about themselves.

So, I think we all need to consider our who may be struggling in our wider network. It might be someone not as obvious.

And, finally, remember if you’re having a hard time yourself, it’s critical you reach out to another person or use one of these support resources.

What does looking after others mean to you? Tell me in the comments.