“How was your summer vacation?” That’s the question you’re asking your faculty, staff, students and families as they return to campus for the new school year. If someone asks you that same question, what’s your answer? Are you rested and ready to lead your school for another great year? I argue that the “rested” part is the most important.
Hopefully, you spent time this summer intentionally taking a break. The demands of a school change during the summer, and while there really isn’t “down time” when you are leading a school, it is a different pace. How quickly it ramps up, though! I lived at a day/boarding school with my family–my wife taught Chemistry for 39 years and recently retired–and know firsthand the breakneck pace of a school. Before you know it, it will be time for winter break.
As a leader, you know how critical rest is for optimal physical, mental, and emotional health. You preach it to your staff and students. Yet few leaders, school leaders, in particular, prioritize their own rest. In 2008, Dr. Joel Hoomans wrote an article entitled,” Lessons in Leadership: Rest or Fail.” It’s written for a seminary, but its points are ecumenical and appropriate to all leaders in any industry.
He writes, “As we expand our energies in problem-solving, risk-taking, conflict resolution, holding others accountable, facilitating strategic planning efforts, communicating, and executing, we eventually deplete our energies.” Dr. Hoomas adds that, “when we ignore the need for rest, as part of our work-life integration strategy, our health and performance will eventually suffer.”
Few leaders, school leaders, in particular, prioritize their own rest.
When leaders (and anyone) neglects rest, stress and burnout happen. You’ve seen it with faculty and staff, and have no doubt implored them to prioritize their rest. My back-to-school advice for every school leader is to heed your own advice. With the new school year comes a new opportunity to do just that and to model it for your community.
A few recommendations gathered from Hoomas and others:
- Get enough sleep. This list from the Mayo Clinic is helpful, especially the tip about managing worries. As a school leader, there is a lot on your mind. Try jotting down your concerns before you go to bed with a quick plan for delegation the next day, then set it aside for the night.
- Protect your time off. What plans can you make and communicate to your staff and school community about answering emails off hours, etc.? Heads of school don’t often include a weekend out-of-office message explaining that you will address school business on Monday, but it’s worth a discussion with your leadership team and board about setting reasonable expectations. Perhaps it’s a schoolwide theme of prioritizing time off to rest and regroup?
- Define your availability. What times during your day or week can be free from interruptions, even if for 20 minutes? Emergencies come with the territory as does an open door, but carving out times during your day and week when you can think, meditate, breathe and rest keeps you more vital and effective.
- Delegate, delegate, delegate. What tasks don’t you need to do this year? What tasks can AI handle for you? What tasks can your capable, smart staff handle?
- Rediscover your hobbies and find joy in non-work moments. Schedule Saturday fishing trips now or evenings spent painting. Everyday tasks can be enjoyable and moments of reflection and rest. I grew up in Tucson but have lived on the East Coast since college. Mowing my lawn is a joy, and while I am not physically resting, mowing is a time when I think about my boyhood among the rocks and Saguaro cacti and the beauty of my adopted state of Maryland. It’s time for me. Some feel the same with cooking. Make sure your schedule has a healthy dose of what you love.
- Know the difference between the types of rest. Mental rest is different from social and sensory rest, for example. You need all types of rest to be the most effective leader you can be.
I encourage you to communicate your focus on rest as a key component of resilience to your school communities, especially to students. Modeling health lifestyle choices to focus on well-being is something every student and adult in your care as a school leader should hear.
I hope your summer was restful and that your new school year continues to be so as well!
