This past weekend I was feeling kind of special so I went to my favorite bagel shop and ordered the usual—an everything bagel with salmon cream cheese. While waiting, I spotted the owner and asked him what he was wishing for these days to which he replied, “my dream is to sleep in until 5 a.m. for just ONE day”. He shared there were just too many things on his mind, and I totally understood that. I continued the weekend errands and had pretty much similar conversations regarding the active mind with quite a number of folks I ran into. It could be that time of year, or just the fact that we’re all living such busy lives.
It made me think about the many leaders, business owners and managers who do not have the luxury of focusing on one segment of the organization, team, or aspect they manage. But, let’s keep it real. You do not need a team, kids, aging parents and the laundry list of mental contenders to have a racing mind filled with bountiful ideas, endless possibilities and the inevitable, stress.
When the brain isn’t able to properly shut down, it causes us to lose the capacity for deep thinking and coming up with innovative solutions that the organization needs to solve problems and remain competitive in the market. It’s crucial for leaders to be able to shut off and relax in order to come up with a vision for the entire team. While this is easier said than done, let’s look at what we can do to shut off when it gets hard to.
Be physically healthy
I don’t know about you, but when I get a good, blood pumping workout, it helps me sleep so much better. I mean the kind of sleep where you are snoring so loud you can wake yourself up!
Leaders must be intentional about good physical health to help the body relax and mind to shut down. This includes eating a well-balanced and nutritious meal and engaging in exercise frequently. The body and mind are two pillars working together. If one is weak, the whole structure can break down. Ensuring that you are in good physical health will help pave the way to rejuvenate the mind and allow it to take a break from the rigors of work.
Change your environment
Sometimes a complete change of environment is necessary to allow your mind to slow down and start to think deeply about issues that need solutions. By retreating from the hustle and bustle of the office, and sometimes the home, your mind will be allowed to focus on the things that really matter. Changing scenery every once in a while will give you the time needed to shut down and come up with new solutions for the organization.
Fine tune delegation skills
It can be tempting to want to oversee everything that your employees or team members are doing. However, this urge for micromanaging is destructive and will only end up draining a lot of time and energy from you. It will also discourage employees from developing the leadership abilities needed so you can free up your time and mind to focus on other challenges facing the organization. Developing a healthy habit of delegating tasks and responsibilities will remove the “extra” from your plate while allowing someone else to grow and shine. This will give you time and space to retreat, and think deeply on how to solve efficiency and productivity problems while remaining competitive in the marketplace.
Is your mind racing too? What are some things you found helpful in rejuvenating your mind? Share them in the comments below.