9 CPR Practices for Self-Leadership

Self-Leadership is the relationship you have with yourself. It is how you talk to, prioritize, and treat yourself, especially in times of challenge and stress. It is deeper than self-care because when we take full responsibility for the decisions we make to honor our bodies, energy, and time, we empower ourselves to feel and do our best.

The CPR practices, Compassion, Presence, and Recovery, are life-changing because they help you experience more meaning, focus, and fulfillment in your life. Here are the top 9 practices that help me feel good about myself and my life:

Compassion

• SLOW Down
  
  Slow down your talking, thinking, and listening to connect with your heart instead of communicate with your head.
• Reframe
  
  Instead of asking, why is this taking me so long? Ask, what can I learn from this?
• Take a Deep Breath and Smile
  
  Create a pause to care before you enter a room, answer a question, pick up the phone, or respond to an email or text.

Presence

• Do ONE Thing at a Time
  
  Multitasking is a lie, focusing on one thing is more efficient and fulfilling.
• Practice Beginner’s Mind
  
  Being open and curious reboots our brain and helps us create and problem solve at a higher level.
• Let Go of your Fear, Worry, or Resentment
  
  When we let go of the way things used to be and the fear of how things might be, we open ourselves up for new things to come in.

Recovery

• Practice Sleep Hygiene
  
  Go to bed earlier, create a ritual to prepare your mind and body for sleep, and prioritize your sleep schedule.
• Create a Transition Routine from Work to Home
  
  Visualize a bridge you are crossing, inhale let, exhale go, shower, listen to your favorite inspirational music or the silence.
• Schedule Recovery EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.
  
  This could be your ONE thing to help you connect to and feel good about yourself, even for just 5 minutes.

All the CPR practices build on each other, so pick ONE that resonates with you and even make it your word for the week, month, or year. These are practices, not perfections, so honor your humanness, give yourself the grace and space to forget, skip it, and always begin again.