When Time Off is not the Fix

We have been focusing on the benefits of rest and how our clients require time to recharge. The hope when our clients take a sabbatical or vacation is that they get a break from their daily life and can focus on rest, new experiences and personal discoveries. We hope that they will return refreshed and excited to engage with normal life again, maybe with a new perspective and new ideas. 

Rest that Makes a Difference

Unfortunately, resting on its own only provides real results if life and career are already sustainable. Often, a person returns to work and, within a day or two, is just as tired as they were before they left. All the problems that existed before are still the same. They may have work to catch up on, or they may have become accustomed to a slower pace of life while on leave. If lives are consistently overburdening and stressful, a few weeks off will make little difference. 

The question to ask at this point is, “What has caused you to get here? What in your life is causing so much systemic stress?” As a mentor/supervisor, we need to address the root cause of their depletion and look into changing our client’s work/personal life to create a more sustainable lifestyle. 

Risk of Burnout

Clients struggling with an unsustainable lifestyle are at risk of becoming burnt out, if not already experiencing it. Burnout is a serious danger; it is a sickness that can affect the mind, the body and the spirit. Our role is to aid restoration and manage the side effects as we support them through the struggle. 

The first thing I like to ask these clients is, “Who is helping you make the changes here?” The “who” here is essential because the client has not been able to make significant changes on their own. Some exceptional people might be able to change themselves or reconstruct their lifestyle through a long period of rest, but most of us need someone to walk with us, help us understand our response to the context and how we are dealing with the stress and situation. 

People often think, “I can change where I am and that will fix who I am,” or “If I change my relationship, it will solve my problems,” but they will still have the same issues in the next job, home or relationship. Our role is to guide them to look deeper, be more transparent with themselves and take responsibility for their own lives. There is a way to hea, and no one has to do it alone. 

Questions for your client: 

• What is causing consistent stress in my life? 
• What can I say “no” to in my life? 
• How do I respond to stress?
• How can I regenerate and generate? How can I restore myself? 
• How can I make things new?