Yesterday, my wise husband posted 6 Ways for Leaders to Recharge on his new leadership blog Beyond the Pinnacle. (If you’re interested in leadership, you’ll find a lot of great stuff on his site.)

Today, he has graciously allowed me to re-blog his post for all of you.  It’s important to take care of our bodies, minds, and spirits on a regular basis.  Self-care is essential, no matter who you are or how you occupy your time.  Whether you identify yourself as a leader or not, these are great ways for anyone to recharge.

6 Ways to Recharge

1. Laugh!  The best leaders laugh at situations and themselves, as President Obama aptly did here. Laughing lightens the mood and can de-escalate many situations. Learn to laugh.

2. Take a siesta.  Every week I try to go for at least one long hike, bike ride, or other exhilarating outdoor adventure. I always go with close, drama-free friends or by myself. After every trip, I come back feeling detoxed and ready to conquer the world again. Rest is essential to a leader.

3. Boundaries.  A siesta is one thing. There is also something to be said for punching the “off” button on the time clock, however. When your shift is over at work, let it be over. This does not make you a bad employee or non-committed; instead, it means that you will maintain a healthy work-life balance and you will be that much more of a superstar when you are on the clock!

4. Find happy vices.  I love foot massages. They’re not overly expensive if you go to the right places. However, that’s my stress-relieving vice. Maybe watching a series on Netflix or Hulu is your vice. Maybe eating some sweet Chicago-style pizza is your vice. Whatever. Know your healthy vice and reward yourself with it sometimes.

5. Sleep.  Sleep is incredibly important and yet, as a busy Western culture, it is our first thing that we compromise. Get your 8 or 9 hours of sleep a night to recharge yourself. Do not compromise this! It is essential to continued success and wellness!

6. Proactively recharge.  The best leaders never run out of battery power. Think of a car battery: It puts out a lot of power, but it has an alternator to simultaneously recharge. Leaders need an alternator! Find the things that intrinsically motivate you – growth opportunities, little successes, rewards, whatever – and hold onto those things! Enjoy what you do, and it’ll be that much harder to run out of batteries!

So…what say you? What is missing from this list? What else helps you recharge?  Share your favorite self-care strategy in the comment box below.