A few years ago, after holding an all-day training for a group of leaders in a multinational company, I decided to go to the grocery store before heading home.
I drove to our local market and as I pulled into the parking lot, I thought, “I’m exhausted. I need a nap!” So, I parked my car, put my seat back and went sound asleep for 20 minutes!
During the pandemic, there have also been times when I have felt bone tired in the middle of the day from constant Zooming and also an awareness of the overlapping crises in our world, that I would occasionally take a 10-minute “power nap.”
There’s been a part of me that felt guilty, like I needed to push through the day. Come on, Tracy. Keep going. I felt that way until I read that Winston Churchill, “power napped.” In fact, he coined the term! Yes, Churchill took naps during business hours! And he said this to his critics, “Don’t think you will be doing less work because you sleep during the day. That’s a foolish notion held by people who have no imaginations. You will be able to accomplish more.”
As a leader, you may feel like you should always be ‘on’ to respond to your team or that you can only be effective with a never ‘off’ switch. And leaders aren’t the only ones who need to recharge. There is a recent survey by Spring Health that shows 76% of American employees are burned out.
But listen to this. Research also shows that some of the best ways to be effective include taking time to think, pausing 2 look within, meditating, and even closing your eyes to “power nap.”
If a Prime Minister can do it, so can we.
This month, I’d love to know how you recharge in The New World of Work. Email us your personal practice and we’ll send those of you with the five most creative ‘recharge ideas’ a signed copy of my book, The NEW Hello. What to Say | What to Do in The New World of Work.
Take care of yourselves everybody.
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