You know the list.
 

 

 

 

 

All of those things matter.

But what if you’re doing many of them, and still feel depleted?

There’s another kind of exhaustion I see in highly successful leaders. It doesn’t necessarily come from doing too much.

It comes from becoming disconnected from yourself.
 

 

 

 

 

This awareness has led me to think very differently about self-care.

What if one of the most important self-care practices isn’t something you do, but how well you know yourself?

Research by organizational psychologist Tasha Eurich found that while 95% of people believe they are self-aware, only 10–15% actually are.

That gap matters.

Because self-awareness gives us the ability to recognize what is happening within us and make intentional choices about what we need, how we want to respond, and what may need to change.

And for leaders, that doesn’t stay personal. It influences how we communicate, create, respond under pressure, connect with others, and lead.

I explore this idea in my new article for Chief: (A private, vetted membership network and community platform designed specifically for senior executive women).

Self-Care Is the Birthplace of Innovation: The Leadership Wellbeing Practice Nobody Is Talking About

Knowing yourself clearly enough to make intentional choices may be one of the deepest forms of self-care available to us.

And next week, I’ll share a simple way to take a 360° look at what that means for you.