Leadership Starts With Rest – Why Women in Safety Must Prioritise Recovery Before 2026

The end of the year hits differently for women in safety. After twelve months spent supporting teams, guiding leaders, navigating shifting regulations, resolving psychosocial issues, managing incidents, and holding the emotional wellbeing of entire workforces, December can feel less like a finish line and more like a wall we crash into.

And for many of us, the instinct is to keep pushing – to stay switched on, stay responsible, stay available, stay “strong.”

But here’s the truth we don’t hear often enough:

Leadership starts with rest.

And for women in safety – who carry both the visible and invisible load – rest isn’t a luxury. It is essential.

The End-of-Year Reality for Women in Safety

Our profession demands a lot from us.

We lead with heart, with logic, with data, with influence, and with compassion.

We’re the voice of responsibility and care in organisations that don’t always understand the emotional and mental toll that safety roles require.

And outside of work? Many of us hold the mental load at home too – the lists, the planning, the checking, the remembering, the organising. The “invisible” safety work of our families.

By the time December arrives, we’ve spent nearly a year giving, holding, supporting, and leading.

It’s no wonder exhaustion hits hard.

The Myth That Leaders Should ‘Push Through’

In high-responsibility roles, we’re conditioned to believe that:

1. overextending is normal

2. exhaustion is part of the job

3. rest is something we “earn” later

4. the team will fall apart without us

5. leadership = being available 24/7

These beliefs are not only untrue – they are harmful.

When we push through:

1. our decision-making drops

2. our emotional resilience weakens

3. our communication suffers

4. our empathy erodes

5. our wellbeing declines

Leaders don’t perform better when depleted.

They perform better when they are rested, grounded, and restored.

Rest isn’t the opposite of leadership.

Rest is leadership.

What Restful Leadership Looks Like

Rest doesn’t always mean taking two weeks off. It can look like small but intentional actions that create space and clarity.

Restful leadership looks like:

• setting boundaries and actually keeping them

• taking a breath before you respond

• saying “not right now” without guilt

• delegating instead of absorbing everything

• taking a day off before you crumble

• recognising your limits and honouring them

Restful leadership is self-awareness in action.

It is choosing sustainability over survival.

It is showing your team through example that wellbeing matters.

5 Ways Women in Safety Can Reset Before 2026

1. Celebrate the wins – not just the workload

Women often move quickly from one challenge to the next without pausing to acknowledge what they accomplished.

Take time to reflect on:

1. projects you led

2. people you helped

3. improvements you influenced

4. conversations you shaped

5. courage you showed

Progress deserves recognition.

Especially from you.

2. Release what you cannot carry into 2026

You don’t have to bring old stress, old patterns, or old pressures into a new year.

Ask yourself:

1. What no longer serves me?

2. What do I need to let go of?

3. What expectations am I done holding?

Letting go is an act of leadership and clarity.

3. Reconnect with your values

Values guide decisions, behaviour, communication, and leadership presence.

When you’re tired, values become blurred.

When you rest, values become clear again.

Ask:

1. Who do I want to be as a leader in 2026?

2. What do I stand for when things are hard?

3. What do I want people to experience in my presence?

4. Protect time for genuine rest

You don’t need permission to recharge.

Disconnect.

Close the laptop.

Switch off notifications.

Give your nervous system room to breathe.

The world can wait – your wellbeing cannot.

5. Rebuild your energy with support, not isolation

Isolation breeds burnout.

Connection builds resilience.

Whether through Women in Safety events, Empowered Membership, or simply reaching out to a colleague – you don’t have to lead alone.

Community lightens the load.

Grounded Leaders Lead Better in 2026

When you rest, you return stronger.

Clearer.

More creative.

More decisive.

More confident.

More you.

The safety profession desperately needs leaders who are human, courageous, compassionate, and steady – not exhausted.

Your rest is not a pause in leadership.

It is an investment in your leadership.

Ready to walk into 2026 feeling supported, connected, and empowered?

Become an Empowered Member and join a community that champions your leadership all year round.

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