Running on empty: The importance of mindfulness in leadership and being a well-being professional

4 min read

As the world ground to a halt a few years back, many workplaces were forced to shift to an digital, work-from-home lifestyle. While there were positive effects, the social isolation forced many employers to rethink their approach to employee mental health. “Running on empty” became the phrase of the day—which brought mindfulness in leadership to the top of the agenda.

Employee wellness has grown to become a major area of focus for employers, and one that extends far beyond the traditional benefits full-time employees receive. In response to a growing mental health crisis, the position of Chief Well-being Officer was born—the antidote to the burnout clinicians, physicians and HR professionals were experiencing.

What is a Chief Well-being Officer?

Before, most employees in need of extra therapeutic support were tasked with finding their own resources, or relying on the help of their primary care team. Unfortunately, this system hasn’t always been the most effective when it comes to positively impacting the workplace, considering most people spend the majority of their time working.

Employee well-being is a hot topic now. But this particular role has been around for at least a decade, primarily in hospitals. Chief Well-being Officers lead their organization’ mental-health efforts, building strategies to improve the well-being of employees. This involves passing down hard skills and knowledge on boosting personal resilience, cultivating a positive work environment and more.

The importance of mindfulness in leadership

There are some common imbalances when it comes to unhealthy workplaces that a Chief Well-being Officer would ideally address—such as incongruence between professional and personal development and the organization’s and individual needs. Another common issue is the lack of challenges that come with maintaining existing clients, as opposed to pushing an individual’s boundaries to win new business. A culture of wellness would aim to shrink these gaps and build a more holistic environment that also prioritizes the personal needs of employees.

This approach also makes good business sense. It’s been proven time and time again that employees work more efficiently when happier. Research by Oxford University’s Saïd Business School, in collaboration with British telecoms firm BT, found that workers are 13 per cent more productive when happy. It’s clear that this is an area in major need of improvement. More UK-based research shows that salaried work is one of the least likely activities to improve happiness.

The research shows that, while happy employees don’t work longer, they do get more done in their regular hours. What’s more, employee retention goes up and individual business successes skyrocket when workers are more content in their jobs. Improving work conditions and investing in a designated well-being professional is clearly a win-win for employers.

From manager to well-being professional: Mindfulness in leadership

Improving the balance between business objectives and employee well-being should be a key concern for all managers. Beyond being tasked with meeting company targets, managers also have to take care of their team members. That could mean helping them reach personal goals or directing them towards mental-health resources.

Being a positive manager goes far beyond patting employees on the back for a job well done, or providing constructive feedback for future projects. All managers should make mental health a priority when it comes to building a positive work environment. While employers cannot necessarily impact the rest of their employees’ personal lives, they can greatly influence their professional ones.

Building a positive workspace can look like providing bonus activities. These might include yoga classes during lunch breaks, team-building outings or running clubs. It can also look like encouraging more transparent HR policies. These could include fairness in decision-making, adequate breaks throughout the work day and employees having control over their own work.

Even if their workplace isn’t hiring a Chief Well-being Officer, managers can take on the role with some positive attention.

How to practice mindfulness in leadership when you’re running on empty

When practicing mindfulness in leadership, taking care of yourself should be a priority. Here are three tips for reducing stress levels when work pressure is high.

1. Be serious about your sleep

If you’re struggling with work-related stress, your sleep could be suffering. Firstly, it’s important to give your nights their due amount of concern. Is 6.5 hours of sleep enough? Probably not. Aim for 7-9 hours and try to get adequate rest before turning in for the night. This will alleviate that “running on empty” feeling and reduce work burnout.

2. Eat well for better energy

If you choose the right foods, you can feel serious physical benefits. Healthy food can balance hormones, boost your energy and improve your mood. Experts suggest drinking water throughout the day along with a diet that’s rich in vitamins, fruits, vegetables, complex carbohydrates and omega-3 fatty acids.

3. Respect your routine

Routines provide a valuable sense of control in times of stress. While staying kind to yourself, do your best to keep eating, exercise and sleep at the same time. This can help to slow things down and stop your work from getting on top of you.

From student to employee: The trick to mindfulness for managers

At IE University, students have access to an incredible array of mental-health resources, like our Center for Health, Well-Being and Happiness (CHWH). Our programs aim to provide students with experience that not only benefits them in the classrooms, but outside of them as they enter their careers of choice and climb corporate ladders. Our students don’t just learn how to navigate their careers. Through extracurricular programs, like initiatives through the CHWH, students learn how to thrive in the real world. Because we aim to build leaders in the workforce, it’s imperative students learn about well-being practices before entering it.