Authored by Dana D’Orazio, an expert in integrating wellness and wellbeing in leadership
“Do you own your day, or does your day own you?”
That question often stops leaders in their tracks and opens an important conversation about effective leadership and individual wellbeing, which are deeply connected.
Why Wellbeing Matters in Leadership
Wellbeing is not a luxury; it is a leadership skill. Leaders who care for themselves are better equipped to inspire others, collaborate effectively and make sound decisions. Likewise, your employees often take cues from the people leading them, making it essential for leaders to manage your own stress and mental health.
There is also a neurological reason to prioritize well-being. As stress increases, access to the brain’s rational decision-making center — the prefrontal cortex — decreases, while the amygdala, which drives fight-or-flight responses, takes over. When you are feeling overwhelmed, your decision-making, communication and problem-solving skills all suffer.
Put simply, taking care of yourself benefits not only you, but also your team, your organization and the quality of your leadership. The following are four strategies you can put into practice to prioritize your own mental health and wellbeing and have greater impact as a leader.
1. Become Aware of Your Stress Level
Being stressed and being overwhelmed are not the same. According to Dr. Brené Brown, stress exists on a spectrum. Before reaching overwhelm, we still have agency — we can think clearly, ask for help, negotiate priorities and make decisions. Once we cross into overwhelm, those abilities become much harder to access.
Learning to recognize where you are on that spectrum can help you intervene early. Regularly check in with yourself throughout the day and ask:
- What’s my capacity right now?
- Do I feel able to think clearly and make decisions?
- What support or resources do I need?
The sooner you recognize rising stress, the more options you have to respond effectively.
2. Navigate Change Intentionally
Change is inevitable, but how we respond to it can significantly impact both well-being and team performance. Some people jump into a project immediately, others prefer a detailed plan and some feel overwhelmed by uncertainty. The key as a leader is naming it and making it okay to talk about in your team, creating space for learning and building awareness and trust.
Knowing your own style of handling change — and understanding your team’s — can improve communication, collaboration and trust.
Consider bringing this conversation into a team meeting or one-on-one check-in. Discuss:
- How do you typically respond to change?
- What helps you feel supported during transitions?
- What information or resources do you need to stay engaged?
These conversations can strengthen relationships while helping teams navigate challenges together. Dr. David Rock’s Status, Uncertainty, Autonomy, Relatedness and Fairness (SCARF) model (PDF) is another helpful frame to explore; the model considers those qualities as helpful in shifting mindsets from focusing on threats to seeing potential rewards.
3. Practice Mindfulness with These Exercises
According to Psychology Today, mindfulness is “a state of active, open attention to the present. This state is described as observing one’s thoughts and feelings without judging them as good or bad.” Mindfulness is a strategy to support presence, self-awareness and resilience.
The good news — mindfulness does not require a major time commitment. Two simple practices can make a meaningful difference:
Three-Breath Exercise
- Take one breath and notice your body, including your feet on the floor or your seat in the chair.
- Take a second breath and focus on the sensation of breathing.
- On the third breath, ask yourself: “What is most important right now?”
This quick practice can help you refocus on the task at hand and proceed with agency and focus, rather than being on autopilot and disconnected.
A Moment to Arrive
Adapted from the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute, this exercise involves taking 30–60 seconds to pause before transitioning between activities.
Use it:
- At the start of your day
- Between meetings
- During the transition from work to home
- At the beginning of team discussions
Especially powerful in a group setting, taking a brief intentional pause helps people transition from what came before and become fully present for what comes next.
4. Set Boundaries That Support Leadership
Healthy boundaries create clarity, strengthen relationships and improve wellbeing.
Boundaries are not only about what is not acceptable; they are also about communicating what you need in order to lead effectively and stay aligned with your values. These practices increase agency over your time and help you use clear communication to support connection and effective leadership.
One useful approach is this adaptation of Brené Brown’s BIG framework:
- B: What boundary needs to be put in place?
- I: How does this help you keep integrity with yourself and your values?
- G: What is the most generous response or reaction you can offer?
Boundaries also apply to how you manage your time.
Protect Your Calendar
Ask yourself:
- Have you blocked time for lunch, exercise or breaks?
- Do you protect personal time the same way you protect meetings?
- Are you modeling healthy habits for your team?
If you are out of the office, communicate it clearly. Consider out-of-office messages that normalize rest and recovery, such as:
- “I’m offline to recharge and will respond when I return.”
- “I’m taking personal time to rest and reset.”
- “I’m away today and look forward to reconnecting soon.”
Leaders who model healthy boundaries help create a culture where well-being is valued and respected.
Start Small
Well-being is personal, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach. The goal is not perfection — it is awareness and intentional action.
If one of these strategies resonated with you, start there. A small step taken consistently can have a powerful impact on how you lead, how you feel and how you support the people around you.
Dana D’Orazio is an expert in integrating wellness and wellbeing in leadership. She brings training, coaching and wellbeing workshops across the U.S. and is a speaker building awareness to this important topic. Learn more about any of these practices or how to bring them to your team or organization.
Relieve Some Stress with NLC
Spend some time reflecting and engaging with your creative side. This self-directed exercise gives your mind a chance to unwind, flex some artistic muscles, and disconnect from the anxieties of your day.
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