The challenge of re-entry Have you recently had a mid-year break? Coming back from holidays can be a challenge. Your heart and head have been in a different zone. Especially, if you have had a good one you will have unplugged and it takes some adjustment to re-enter. One big tip to reduce re-entry heat is to allow some time

There is an old adage: “Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting someone else to die.” While the expression’s origins are unknown, the saying’s profound truth has kept it alive. Holding on to anger and refusing forgiveness not only harms others but also damages ourselves. This is why “demonstrates forgiveness” is one of our behavioural expressions.  How are you going

At Verve Lead, we spend a lot of time exploring the less buoyant phases of life; the times where the tank is low, energy and resilience are drained and our emotional, physical and spiritual worlds are lacking.  We use the buoyancy gauge as a way to check our resilience and energy: The first few phases are difficult and can lead

When you wake up each morning, are you feeling weary? As you go to work, are you feeling stressed? Throughout the day, are you distracted? Bored? Tired? When you get home, do you find yourself spending most of your evenings in front of a screen?  Many people would describe this as normal… expected, even. Life is tiring. Work is hard.

The Lord gives his beloved sleep. Jesus himself slept even at times when the disciples thought he should be awake—for example, in a boat in a storm! Rest is spiritual. We begin each day with rest, just as we begin each week with Sunday, a day dedicated by the Lord to rest. God understands that a rhythm of rest is

When considering how to be a better leader, we often focus on our physical health last. Priorities tend to lean towards the emotional and spiritual. However, a healthy body is foundational to a practitioner’s work and a balanced life for any person.  I was recently challenged by this verse during a sabbatical trip:  Joshua 14:10-12 (New Living Translation) 10 “Now,

Learning to fill the tank My journey through burnout and recovery has remade me. I used to just go, run fast, and pay little or no attention to how I was doing. To recover from burnout, I had to learn to rest. For some reason, cultural—the pioneer spirit, a warped Christian perspective of self-emptying, or just plain low self-value, I

I didn’t see it coming Something was wrong, and I thought I was sick physically. I didn’t wake up one morning and say, “I’m burnt out”. It was a process of realising something was not right and my GP saying, “Don, I think you are heading to burnout”. Thank you, Dr Don, for your diagnosis. Feeling tired and flat. At

Years ago my mentor asked me, “How would the devil stop you from doing what God is asking you to do?” I wasn’t sure. He began asking this question every time we had our monthly session, and after pondering it for three months, I finally knew the answer! It was emotional depletion. This was a bit of a “duh” moment for me. My emotional depletion had stopped me several times in my years in ministry, once leading to a full burnout where I lost six months of time at work to rest and to get back on my feet. However, during this time of recovery, I discovered how important self-care is for my work. Engaging routinely in self-care practices is an essential competency for all leaders…