One of the first things I do with new leadership coaching clients is check on their wellbeing. I ask them about well being elements, their physical wellbeing, their social wellbeing, and their career wellbeing. I also ask them about those things that focus on spiritual nourishment and finding occasions for positive emotions. With many of my clients, this includes laughing, celebrating, and having fun; letting yourself be awed by the world around you; or losing yourself in fulfilling activities.
What types of spiritual nourishment occupy your time?
Types of Spiritual Nourishment
Spiritual Nourishment with Laughter
Whoever said laughter is the best medicine knew what they were talking about because laughter sends mood-lifting chemicals to your brain. Even if you don’t have the gift of being naturally funny (I don’t!), you can keep laughter in your life by hanging out with friends who make you laugh or watching a funny movie or TV show. Notice how much more relaxed and recharged you feel after you’ve had a good laugh!
Spiritual Nourishment with Fun
 Celebration doesn’t have to be saved for a major occasion! I have a tradition of putting confetti in every card I send. It’s my way of reminding others to celebrate the positive events in their lives, and it makes me smile, too.
This approach extends to the work environment too. You don’t have to celebrate every positive email, but if you or your team reaches a project milestone or achieves a goal, take time to acknowledge that. If you can, get out of the office for a sit-down lunch or have an ice-cream party on-site. I have coached many leaders and managers and have learned that celebrating team successes generates team resilience, which improves community wellbeing and keeps teams functioning well on a daily basis, even when work is chaotic and stressful.
Having fun at work is another way to recharge. By fun, I mean finding something to enjoy in your workday. This could be going out to lunch once in a while with a colleague, or meeting someone for coffee and catching up.
An activity that generates fun for some of my clients is participating in a departmental volunteer activity, such as spending an afternoon sorting and packing food at a local food bank. If you travel for business, and are able to add a day and night of personal time, create some fun by taking the opportunity to play tourist at your destination rather than spending all your time in negative emotional triggers like airports, hotels, and conference rooms.
Spirit Nourishment with New Experiences
To nourish your soul, put yourself in the way of awe experiences. Dacher Keltner, a psychologist who heads the University of California, Berkley’s Social Interaction Laboratory, defines awe as “the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your understanding of the world.” Awe experiences aren’t only available on exotic vacations in stunning locations—they can be triggered by being outdoors, attending live performances of music or theater, or simply observing the beauty of a city street with a fresh dusting of snow.
Flow activities are another way to generate mental and physical energy. Flow activities are those in which you can become totally absorbed, to the point that you often lose track of time. These activities lead to greater life satisfaction and can help you maintain a positive mindset, enhance your performance at work, and even mitigate burnout. I have asked my coaching clients what some of their flow activities are and the list includes playing a musical instrument, writing, painting, gardening, martial arts, swimming, and reading a good book.
Nourish your spirit as well as your body!
By Beth Benatti Kennedy, MS, LMFT
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Beth Benatti Kennedy brings more than twenty years of experience to her role as a leadership and executive coach, resiliency-training expert, and speaker. Her Benatti Resiliency Model has helped thousands of people develop the resilience to adapt to changing career circumstances, remain productive and engaged, and find greater life and career satisfaction.
In addition to dynamic programs, Ms. Kennedy has presented her Benatti Resiliency Model at diverse professional conferences and symposiums across the globe. Participants praise the interactive nature of her presentation and leave with strategies to set their career recharge in motion.
She is the author of Career ReCharge: Five Strategies to Boost Resilience and Beat Burnout, which continues her mission of recharging individuals in their careers and lives so they have the energy needed for today’s world.
Beth is a certified Leadership Coach Academy Talent Management / Leadership Coach, and a certified Linkage Inc. Leadership Coach. She holds certifications as a 360Reach Analyst and in the Leadership Circle Profile. Her expertise includes being qualified to administer the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® instrument, TypeCoach resources, Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument, the Lominger Leadership Architect®, and the ARSENAL™ Assessment.
Beth holds a BS from Bethany College, West Virginia, an MS in Human Resource Counseling from Northeastern University, Boston, and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Marriage & Family Therapy from the University of Massachusetts at Boston.
