We recently gave a workshop to a group of faculty members. We talked about mentorship without burnout, using trauma-informed, self-reflective models to help people identify emotions that create stories that, in turn, drive behavior. By the end of our session, we ended up having a powerful conversation with participants about how guilty we all feel taking time off!
We then examined some of the stories we tell ourselves about why taking time off is impossible, too self-indulgent, and bad for our career. We sat with the emotions behind those stories, and then we encouraged participants to envision a form of work-life balance that might be a model for others. What if your students or employees, for example, are really asking: show me what it’s like to work and learn without burnout?
In that vein, we have taken some time off the last month to do some work, celebrate holidays, travel and present at conferences, and organize, for our daughter, a fantastic Disney singalong birthday party for thirty kids. We’ll post more on this topic next time when we share Creating the Conditions, Part 2. Until then, enjoy these lovely Philadelphia spring blooms.
Photo credit: Lesley Curtis