Slow Leadership Prompts and Exercises for Grounding
Let’s face it, life can go from zero to 60 pretty fast. And if we’re honest, many of us have no idea what zero feels like. We have countless responsibilities; limited energy and resources; and family, friends, clients, and colleagues vying for our time and attention. Even when we have amazing calendar entries on the horizon (like the 2024 National Association of Community and Restorative Justice Conference next week!), the long and multiple to-do lists required to get us there can seem insurmountable. Between staying on top of our daily work-life, preparing for travel and getting our homes, families, and co-workers ready for our absence, feelings of overwhelm can bubble up, take over, and interfere with our ability to get things done while remaining connected to ourselves and others.
It’s times like these that Slow Leadership Grounding Exercises can help us maintain perspective and keep our eyes on the prize. First, let yourself acknowledge (logically and emotionally) that there is a lot on your plate. Notice how you are feeling in the face of it all.
Are you . . .
Tired?
Overwhelmed?
Exhausted?
Anxious?
Try to stay with these feelings without minimizing, ignoring, or numbing them. Instead, acknowledge them. Name them with precision. Now, acknowledge yourself. Tell yourself that you see yourself. You might actually say to yourself, “Hey there! I see you and I notice you have these very real feelings. They are real, understandable—and they are normal. In fact, you aren’t the only one feeling this!”
Next, give yourself some kind of physical affirmation to accompany the words of
acknowledgement. You might give yourself a deep squeeze or hug. You might rub your shoulders or arms. You might gently cup your cheeks or cradle your face as you would a small child. Whatever you do, make sure you treat yourself with deep kindness and remind yourself that you are here for yourself–that you have your own back.
Finally, make a mental note of some of the major things you have on your plate. Or, you might make an actual physical list. Using a bird’s eye view, ask yourself what you can reasonably delegate to someone else, what you could do partially with similar results, or what could be let go of altogether. It may be that you need to enlist the help of a friend, family member, or co-worker. Or it may be that you simply need to release yourself from unrealistic expectations.
Slow Leadership Prompts and Exercises for Grounding can help us realistically prioritize, minimize potential stressors, honor ourselves, and cut out unnecessary noise.
We can’t wait to talk with you about these things and much more at NACRJ 2024. We’ll see you in DC soon!
