Are you a Leader? Here’s why prioritizing your health is non-negotiable.

Too often, we see leaders burn themselves out by pushing themselves to the brink of exhaustion, believing rest is a luxury they can’t afford.

That’s a misstep that’s leaving us all behind.

As a leader (whether you have a title or not), you’re responsible for guiding others. For making decisions and setting the tone for those around you. But the truth is, if you’re running on empty, your leadership - and those you lead- suffer. Neglecting your wellbeing, health, or self-care isn’t just a personal cost; it impacts your entire team, family/community, and mission.

Unfortunately, I see this in my practice often. Parents who are exhausted. Business leader who can’t focus on the most important tasks. Community leaders who don’t have the energy to keep going.

It’s easy to think we can just “push through” this one hour, day, week, etc. But what ends up happening instead is chronic “pushing through”, putting you on the fast track to burnout. It’s a hot topic at the moment, but for good reason. Burnout can lead to a host of undesirable outcomes, including (but not limited to) poor decision-making, hormonal imbalances, anxiety, depression, insomnia, fatigue, and more.

True leadership isn’t about the constantly hustle- it’s about sustainability.

Here’s where a holistic approach to up-level your leadership comes in.

Self-Care as a Leadership Strategy

Self-care is more than the #selfcare approach popularized by social media (ex: bubble baths and goat yoga). It’s a commitment, a practice, a devotion. Prioritizing self-care also doesn’t mean stepping away from your responsibilities—it means showing up as your best self. Here’s how to integrate it into your leadership style:

✨ Be Intentional With Your Energy – identify your values and get clear on where your energy is best spent. It’s a common problem I see with leaders that they’re over-giving in nearly every area of life, leaving them feeling exhausted and disconnected from the life they want to create. In order for this step to work, you have to be radically truthful with yourself. Where are you giving your time/focus/energy/attention that doesn’t necessarily move your mission forward or feed your soul? How can you minimize or eliminate this, so that you have more energy/time/focus to give to the things that do really matter to you?

🌿 Nurture Nourishment – Did you know that during times of stress, the body actually uses up more B-vitamins? This is why many “stress” focused supplement blends include one or more B-vitamins. But this simple fact doesn’t mean you MUST take a supplement in order to be well. In my approach, I focus on food first, then leverage supplements as just that- supplemental to your foundational nourishment.

Support your high-achieving self by eating balanced meals with protein, healthy fat, and complex carbohydrates (fiber-rich vs. sugar-rich) with each meal. DO NOT SKIP MEALS. While time-restricted eating has a time and a place, high-stress times are not it. Ensure you get a variety of the micronutrients (ex: vitamins & minerals) your body needs simply by eating multiple different colors of foods with each meal.

🌙 Radically Rest – Quality sleep and recovery practices aren’t luxury concepts for folks who have finished their to-do lists. These are imperative for your productivity and presence. The midwest work-ethic in me has had a hard time learning this one, even though I know it to be true. I saw a quote once that helped shift my thinking around work and rest: “instead of asking yourself if you’ve worked enough to deserve rest, ask yourself if you’ve rested enough to work”. Rest and sleep, unfortunately, are typically the first to go during busy seasons and that’s unfortunately the opposite of helpful. In order to show-up as your full, energized, present self, protect your sleep. If you find yourself having a hard time shutting your brain off at the end of the day, you’re not alone! And there are a number of holistic and naturopathic solutions to help you with this. Herbs like passionflower or milky oat seed can help calm down mental chatter and relax the nervous system to support restorative sleep. Remember that there is no one-size-fits-all in wellbeing, so please reach out if if you want a more personalized approach.

🤸🏻‍♀️ Prioritize Play – Play is one of the most underrated forms of self-care—and it’s essential for leaders. When you make time for play, you reconnect with joy, creativity, and spontaneity. While this isn’t directly about productivity, it will inevitably support it. What lights you up? Is it dancing, painting, hiking, or being silly with your kids? Are you laughing every day? (did you know that this reduces stress hormones, supports your vagus nerve, and boosts your mood?!). Play also reminds us that it’s okay to be messy, curious, and… human, making space for fresh ideas and creative solutions to come through.

Lead by Example

Remember that when you prioritize self-care, you give others permission to do the same. A thriving leader creates a thriving environment. So, if you want to be effective, visionary, and grounded—make your wellbeing non-negotiable.