Maintaining the equipment - self care as business investment

If you purchase equipment for the organization, it’s necessary to properly maintain it. You do preventative maintenance on the appropriate schedule, and if issues crop up, you call in appropriate technical support. You do this even if it meant short periods where the equipment was non-productive. The business case is easy: preventative maintenance is an investment in the optimal operation of the equipment, reducing the chance of breakdown and improving performance of the equipment. The correct maintenance ultimately provides best value to the organization, even where there is a cost involved.

Managers would rarely, if ever, dispute the need to invest in taking care of equipment. But they aren’t always so good at recognizing the need to take care of themselves.

How are your stress levels? Are you physically active? Do you miss family events for work functions?  How often have you skipped lunch? Do you eat healthful tasty foods more often than not? Do you have hobbies? Are you able to say “no” when you’re overloaded? Do take care of your spiritual self in a way that’s personally meaningful? How are you sleeping? Or do you have no time, too much to do, or too little support?

Like any resource we acquire, our staff – including ourselves! – need routine maintenance for optimal functioning. That includes things like healthy eating, spiritual practices, creative pursuits, good sleep habits, physical activities, etc. This is not born out of a touchy-feely desire for everyone to be happy, hold hands, and sing kum-bah-yah (though I do like me a good round of kum-bah-yah). It makes good business sense. If one is physically healthy, emotionally solid and spiritually fed, you think more clearly, increase your focus, react with greater equanimity, and make better decisions.  Quite simply, you’re more valuable to the organization.

So create time to take care of your personal needs:  go to the gym, have a healthy lunch, join a choir, meditate, join the ball league, get a massage, take a cooking class, see your doctor, leave work on time, go dancing, laugh with your kids, or whatever is nourishing to you personally.

By doing so, you will

·         Increase the contribution you can make to work, play, family, volunteering, and creative pursuits

·         Help create a workplace culture where these positive habits are common

·         Feel better! Nobody likes to be stressed and tired and cranky.

Like my mom told me about parenting: take care of yourself, or you’re no good to anybody.