[00:00:00] Welcome to The Principal’s Handbook, your go-to resource for principals looking to revamp their leadership approach and prioritize self-care. I’m Barb Flowers, a certified life coach with eight years of experience as an elementary principal. Tune in each week as we explore strategies for boosting mental resilience, managing time effectively, and nurturing overall wellness.

From tackling daily challenges to maintaining a healthy work-life balance, I’m Barb Flowers. We’ll navigate the complexities of school leadership together. Join me in fostering your sense of purpose as a principal and reigniting your passion for the job. Welcome to a podcast where your well-being is the top priority.

Welcome, everyone, to The Principal’s Handbook! I’m excited to have Bonnie Finnerty with us today. Bonnie is the Principal Health Coach, and she’s helping principals focus on their health and wellness. This is such an important topic, and I’m really excited for our conversation because it brings a unique approach to leadership coaching. Bonnie, can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you came up with the idea of Principal Health Coach?

Bonnie Finnerty: Good morning, Barb! Thank you for having me on today. I’m the owner of Principal Health Coach, a coaching and support service for practicing administrators. We work with both building-level and district-level administrators, and we’re about to launch our membership program. I’ve been coaching for over three years now.

Principal Health Coach really emerged from my own experience as an administrator. I started as a teacher, and after just five years, I earned my advanced degree in educational leadership. I became an assistant principal, then a principal, a staff developer, and ultimately a superintendent and executive director. I also taught in a local college’s educational leadership program.

However, PHC started at a pivotal point in my career. As a superintendent, I was at the peak of my professional life, but suddenly I began experiencing unexplained symptoms—systemic hives, brain fog, hair loss, and others. I ignored them at first, but during my mandatory physical exam, the doctor found something unusual in my blood work. That led to a referral to hematology oncology, and after months of testing, I was diagnosed with multiple autoimmune conditions, including systemic lupus and liver issues.

I had always been a high-performing administrator, working 60-80 hours a week, but after being diagnosed, I realized I was operating on overdrive and didn’t have the right balance. After a year of research and lifestyle changes, I was able to make significant health improvements. I even became a certified integrative nutrition health coach, which changed the way I approached coaching leaders.

Now, my team and I coach administrators and help them focus on health and wellness while balancing leadership. We’ve grown to a team of six health coaches, all experienced school leaders who have a passion for supporting other administrators.

Barb Flowers: Wow, that’s incredible! It’s interesting to hear your story because, as you know, a lot of us get so caught up in our work, especially when we’re passionate about it, and we don’t always recognize the toll it’s taking on our bodies. I know for me, when I went through burnout, it wasn’t just work stress; it was a combination of work and life stress.

You mentioned how your body eventually stopped you in your tracks. I think that’s something a lot of leaders can relate to, especially when they don’t realize how much stress they’re under. What do you think leaders should do to prioritize their health and well-being, even when they’re feeling like they’re doing fine?

Bonnie Finnerty: That’s such a great question, Barb. And you’re absolutely right—our bodies can only handle so much. For years, I was telling myself I was fine, but deep down, I wasn’t listening to my body. When you’re constantly in “work mode,” even when you think you’re fine, your body’s stress response is constantly on. It’s a hard cycle to break.

One of the things I’ve noticed is that as school leaders, we often push through signs of burnout, believing we’re just doing our jobs. But the reality is that continuous stress—good or bad stress—can have a huge physical impact. And yes, there are many health risks associated with the lifestyle we lead. So, it’s vital to pay attention to those warning signs, like weight gain, changes in blood pressure, or other chronic health issues. These things can often be linked to the demands of the job.

Barb Flowers: Absolutely. You mentioned sleep, and I know that’s a huge issue for many school leaders. How do you see sleep impacting leaders’ health and well-being, especially when they’re in such high-stress roles?

Bonnie Finnerty: Sleep is everything. I know from my own experience, I used to function on five hours of sleep, but it wasn’t restorative. It was interrupted, and that made a huge difference. Without proper sleep, our ability to make decisions, manage stress, and handle emotions is severely compromised.

As leaders, we often wear our sleep deprivation like a badge of honor, but in reality, it impacts every aspect of our health. When I coach leaders, I always emphasize the importance of protecting their sleep. In fact, I would coach only on sleep if I had to choose one thing because it impacts everything else. When you get quality sleep, it improves your memory, decision-making, and overall energy levels.

Barb Flowers: Yes, I can definitely relate to that. In fact, I did a podcast episode on sleep, and I’ll link it in the show notes because it really does affect every aspect of our lives. So, when you’re coaching school leaders, what’s the number one mistake you see them making when it comes to their health?

Bonnie Finnerty: The biggest mistake is failing to have an end-of-day routine. An effective end-of-day routine, or EODR, is essential for setting boundaries and creating time for yourself. I coach leaders to establish a clear time to leave the office and to follow a structured routine that helps them disconnect from work.

Without this, many leaders stay at the office late, take work home, and continue to work late into the night, causing their body and mind to remain in work mode. This makes it hard to turn off, and they feel guilty when they can’t finish everything. They end up working more hours and neglecting their personal time, which leads to burnout.

I recommend setting an established time to leave the office, shutting down your computer, and avoiding work at home. Then, focus on a routine that helps you unwind before bed—this will allow your body and mind to transition into rest mode and improve sleep quality.

Barb Flowers: That’s great advice. I hear principals often say they feel like they’re constantly putting out fires during the day and can never get to their “real work.” How would you help them strike a balance between being present for those daily issues while also protecting their well-being?

Bonnie Finnerty: That’s a huge challenge. I always emphasize the importance of creating systems, processes, and procedures. If you don’t have well-established systems in place, you’ll always feel like you’re putting out fires. You’ll be reactive instead of proactive.

I help leaders move from a “technician” mindset, where they’re handling every issue themselves, to a more strategic, executive leadership mindset. This involves stepping back and identifying gaps in systems, creating effective processes, and empowering staff to handle tasks independently. This allows leaders to focus on high-level priorities and frees up time for self-care.

Barb Flowers: That’s key. Delegating and empowering others to take on leadership roles not only helps the school, but it also helps the principal manage their health better. What impact have you seen when principals prioritize their well-being and model healthy habits for their staff?

Bonnie Finnerty: When principals model health-promoting habits, it creates a shift in the entire school culture. Teachers and staff see their principal making time for self-care, setting boundaries, and prioritizing wellness, and they start to do the same. It sends the message that work-life balance is not only possible but necessary.

When a leader sets that example, staff feel supported, and they’re more likely to take care of their own health. It also creates a culture where teachers and staff don’t feel pressured to work around the clock, leading to less burnout across the school community.

Barb Flowers: That’s so powerful. As we wrap up, what’s one piece of advice you would give to a new school leader to help them maintain their health and well-being?

Bonnie Finnerty: My advice would be to set boundaries with your devices. Turn off all devices 90 minutes before bed. Don’t keep your phone on your nightstand—it’s tempting to check emails or messages in the middle of the night. By setting that boundary, you’ll be training your brain to prioritize rest and improve your sleep quality.

It’s a small but impactful change that will improve your overall well-being.

Barb Flowers: Great advice! Thank you so much for being here today, Bonnie. How can our listeners reach out to you if they want to learn more?

Bonnie Finnerty: You can find us at PrincipalHealthCoach.com. Thank you for having me, Barb!