There is a lot to be said about resilience for a business continuity plan. Included in that is the resilience of your employees.
Employees have a lot to contend with: stress from surviving a disaster; stress from witnessing an active shooter; stress from losing an influential leader or coworker; stress from the extra work that results from a temporary change in business due to the disruption/disaster. These are all thought about and considered with Human Resources. Because that's what your employees are - human resources. In lots of ways irreplaceable. In lots of ways inspiring. In lots of ways fragile. That is part of the reason why there was a paradigm shift during the pandemic to regarding employees as the most valuable asset a company has. They need to be taken care of.
But what's missing from this? YOU! The business owner! That also includes me! You don't have to just invest in your company's resilience, you need to invest in your own resilience so you can be there for your employees.
Everyone has their own way to increase their resilience. Of course just unplugging and watching mindless tv is one of them. I'm thinking something more, though. Something that actually aids in who I am as a person. I'm going to pull back the curtain and talk about mine.
I first and foremost need to move at least once a day. That can be a walk of varying length (10 minutes, 1 hour - so long as it is outside and I am not thinking about work). I go to the gym to lift weights. I go hiking in nature because I love to be in nature. And not just be in nature - really feel it, take it in, appreciate it. Sometimes when I walk for an hour (my usual 4 mile walk in my neighborhood), I'll listen to an audiobook on something spiritual.
For me, spirituality is an ill-defined term. Because what's spiritual to me may not be your cup of tea...but it is all about love. I will meditate. I will connect with myself through specific breathing and just sit. Sometimes I will journal. Sometimes I journal with the help of tarot or oracle cards. All of these things fulfill me.
I will also dedicate time to read 1 chapter or 10 pages in a book I want to read for pure enjoyment (not for work!). It's how I finally got to read Sherlock Holmes. It took me just about 2 weeks to finish. I will dedicate time to learning how to play guitar. If I can make these appointments with myself that have no other goal than just having a good time and doing things I always wanted to do, that makes me a happier, more productive person the next day. And I wind up looking forward to my self-enhancement treats!
Do any of these things make me a better CBCP? Not exactly, but also absolutely. It means I do not forget about the main person in all of this: me. And you.
What do you like to do to relax and build your personal resilience?
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