Leading Through Anxiety

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PRACTICE SELF-CARE

学会自己照顾自己

I don’t need to belabor (痛打，反复讨论，过度说明) this point. You know what self-care means for you, whether it’s sleep, exercise, hobbies, massage, spending time alone, or being with people you love. The point is, take it seriously, as if your doctor had written you a prescription for it. It’s neither frivolous (无聊的，琐碎的) nor optional (随意的) for you as a leader. And aspects of it you feel comfortable sharing can benefit your team: When you model good practices, others feel permission to take care of themselves, too. This could be as simple as letting people know that you don’t take your phone upstairs when you head to bed (睡觉), that you’re taking an hour during the workday to exercise, or that you’re limiting exposure to news or Twitter.

Putting in place (实施，做到) the support infrastructure to manage your anxiety will help you ride out (安全渡过；经受得住) setbacks and tough times. It’s a strategy for long-term success and sustainability as a leader. It means you’ll have better workdays, both when things are status quo (维持现状) and during transitions and tough times.

. . .

Ultimately, anxiety comes with the job of being a leader. The process of managing it can make you stronger, more empathetic, and more effective. It just might be bumpy (颠簸的；崎岖不平的) along the way. So remember to treat yourself with compassion (同情；怜悯). Recognize that you’re doing the best you can, that your emotions are normal, and that the healthiest thing you can do is to allow yourself to experience them.

Far too many of us think it’s taboo (禁忌的；忌讳的) to talk about mental health at work. I know many leaders who don’t feel as if they can walk into a staff meeting and say, “I’m anxious today.”

Why not? And why not now? These are not normal times, and acknowledging a universal emotion can help people understand that what they’re feeling is OK.

We’re in desperate (不顾一切的；令人绝望的；极度渴望的) need of better models of leadership, especially when society tells us that anxiety and depression are weaknesses. The data bears this out (证实了这一点): A 2019 Mind Share Partners report found that 86% of U.S. job seekers thought it was important for an employer’s culture to support mental health, but only 37% of employees saw their company leaders as advocates for mental health at work.

This time of crisis — in which those of us with a history of anxiety may be experiencing it acutely while others may be feeling it intensely for the first time — is an opportunity to change that perception (看法，感觉).

You can play a role in telling a different story.

See you tomorrow