You need to unplug.
During the work week.
And on the weekend.
Why?
Because it will help you think more clearly and be more productive.
I’ve begged nonprofit CEOs to join me for morning walks, and even paid for a teacher to give on-site yoga lessons at a hyper-stressed nonprofit workplace...
But it all fell on deaf ears.
It seems that many nonprofit professionals believe their time is better spent saving the world than taking care of themselves (and worry that others won’t think they’re truly dedicated if they take breaks).
However, unplugging from work will enable you to think better.
How do I know this to be true? Because many different kinds of people who are much smarter than I have proved it through all kinds of scientific research:
Doing yoga increases brain function!
Taking walking breaks during the day “sparks creative thinking!”
Cell phone addiction leads to depression
And if you don’t think that answering emails and texts on the weekends isn’t a form of cell phone addiction, think again.
The electronic handcuffs have gotten so bad that the New York City Council recently proposed a "right-to-disconnect” bill, that would make it illegal for companies with more than 10 employees to require their staff to respond to electronic work communications after work hours!
THE MIND NEEDS TO REST! Which is why best-selling author and neuroleadership guru David Rock reminds us that light-bulb ideas happen in the shower because we’re relaxed and unplugged.
So please, take a few minutes to step away from your desk.
Breathe.
Talk a walk.
And shut off your phone.
If you need advice on “How to Break Up with Your Phone,” check out Catherine Price’s book by that title or read how she acted as a Sherpa to New York Times reporter Kevin Roose as he heroically managed to wrest control over his obsession.
If the experts are right, and I believe in science, you’ll be able to be of better service to the nonprofits you serve.
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Pat Libby is a San Diego nonprofit consultant and philanthropy consultant. Her organizational strategy consulting has been helping organizations optimize their impact for more than three decades. Find out more about Pat's services here, and contact her today for a free consultation.