Personal Health and Wellbeing, Then Family, Then Work. In that order.

A friend recently reminded me of the wise words of a former manager of mine, when explaining his approach to time off and priorities. He held his hand flat, level with his nose, lowering it with each fragment of the sentence.

It goes: personal health and wellbeing, then family, then work. In that order.

It’s become something of a mantra of mine when talking with the team, especially when they ask for time off for dealing with a personal or family matter. It’s often difficult as a manager to apply this same rule to yourself, but it’s worth remembering that setting an example to the team doesn’t just consist of working all the hours God sends, but also in knowing when to rest and recharge.

If you can, it’s worth turning off the notifications over Christmas, especially this year. With all the new restrictions and the inevitable stress, a little prioritisation might not be a bad idea.