Leadership is emotionally taxing. Whether you’re delivering tough news, navigating team changes, or absorbing others’ stress, the emotional labor quietly adds up. Over time, ignoring your own emotions can erode your health, performance, and relationships. Recovery is no longer a luxury. Instead, it’s a leadership imperative, critical for protecting your well-being and sustaining your capacity to lead over the long haul.

To stay resilient, adopt these three recovery practices to process your emotions and replenish your energy after a challenging stretch. These steps don’t just help you reset in the short term; they also help you build the emotional muscle to handle future challenges with more steadiness and strength. 

Reflect to build emotional awareness. After a hard moment, pause and ask yourself: What am I feeling? Where do I feel it in my body? What are my emotions telling me? Write down your answers or record a voice memo. Processing your feelings—not suppressing them—helps you move forward without carrying invisible weight. If journaling isn’t for you, talk to a trusted peer. Reflection doesn’t need to take long, but it must be intentional.

Reframe to change your perspective. Emotionally tough experiences can distort how you see yourself or your situation. Ask: What’s the silver lining? How might this help me grow? Reframing isn’t denial—it’s choosing a more empowering narrative. Practice self-compassion by offering yourself the kindness you’d extend to a colleague in the same situation.

Restore to rebuild your energy. You can’t lead well on an empty tank. Protect your emotional reserves by detaching from work, relaxing intentionally, learning something new, and reclaiming control over small parts of your day. These are leadership necessities, not indulgences.

Intentionally investing in recovering after an emotionally demanding stretch isn’t just helpful; it’s essential. Reflecting, reframing, and restoring don’t just help you reset in the short term; they also help you build the emotional muscle to handle future challenges with more steadiness and strength. Because your team doesn’t just need you today—they need you to last.

 

References:
Harvard Business Review (2025, July 11) Dina Denham Smith: Leading is Emotionally Draining. Here’s How to Recover.