Meaningful rest: Pausing to recharge
This month on our podcast, Reimagining Work from Within, we hosted a conversation about the rise of sabbaticals and meaningful rest. I was joined by fellow Within partner Laurie Bennett and a treasured creative-partner-turned-friend, Victoria Stoyanova. Victoria runs the Institute of Belonging, a consultancy celebrating the systemic and generative power of networks, communities and ecosystems – designed for people who bring people together.
We spoke about how we’d noticed that many of the leaders around us were craving a break or rest, and were taking time away from work in different ways. Perhaps you’ve noticed this sense of overwhelm, burnout and general malaise around you as well?
Locating yourself as a leader
We often coach leaders on building self awareness and locating themselves above or below the “line.” In other words, asking themselves, “where are you now?” This helps leaders notice if they’re in a place of seeing possibility (above the line), or seeing problems (below the line). Or perhaps looking for ways to blame others, rather than taking responsibility.
In May of this year, I was most often below the line. I was feeling mired in drama, pessimistic and not taking full responsibility for my role in the challenges I was facing.
I wasn’t doing my best work because I was stretched too thin, exhausted and – if I’m honest – back in a familiar place, experiencing symptoms of burnout due to a lack of boundaries and commitment to self-care. And many of the leaders around me were in this place, too, including Victoria.
As a leader, this is a precarious place to be. As Victoria writes in her latest newsletter on taking sabbaticals: “If there’s one thing that the last few years have taught me, it’s that the ‘unprecedented times’ we’re in require courage, energy and creativity – resources that need to be sustained.”
But if you’re living below the line, it’s almost impossible to feel resourced and confident you have the capacity to lead from a place of empowerment, possibility and responsibility.
So how can leaders cultivate a sense of rest that helps them stay above the line?
4 creative solutions for leaders who need more rest
While a true sabbatical may be the most restful option for leaders who need to recharge, we must acknowledge that taking a long break is a privilege, and not possible for everyone. We asked a variety of leaders what meaningful rest looks like – some who are able to take a sabbatical, and others who aren’t. Here’s a mix of creative solutions we heard:
Take a true sabbatical.
This is the gold standard in meaningful rest. Typically reserved for academics, a sabbatical is a period of paid leave granted to a university professor or other worker for study or travel – traditionally one year for every seven years worked.
What we’re seeing now is the rise of sabbaticals in the workplace, not just academia. While the practicality is the same (taking time off), functionally this looks different for each person. The duration, tenure, intention and name was different for each of the leaders we spoke to.
Take the name, for example. Many of the leaders we spoke to didn’t call their time off a sabbatical. Some simply called it “extended time off,” or a “Recharge,” as Meta titles it. For me, it was a Summer of Radical Rest, combining my intention (radical rest) and duration into one unique name.
Create intentional time and space for reflective and/or deep thinking
This could be part of a defined sabbatical, or part of your daily and weekly practice.
“Self-reflection, at its simplest, means taking time to slow down and think about you and your experiences, as part of increasing your self-awareness, learning and growth. Self-reflection in leadership means devoting time to think about yourself as a leader and is critical for your leadership development.” – Forbes
Whether it’s day to day, or something new you begin during your break, it’s important for leaders to set aside time for reflection. Often, we move from one meeting to another without the space to reflect on what just happened in the previous meeting. Try using tech tools like Calendly or the automatic buffers included in Google Calendar to create on- and off-ramps between meetings.
Where possible, carve out bigger chunks of time to drop deep into your thinking, or even to have unstructured time to create something new. Breaking up your day gives the mind a chance to move and rest in different ways.
Take time away from technology
We heard stories about tech-free retreats, no-screen weekends and even phone-free mornings – but the resounding theme was to carve out tech-free time as often as you can. This could be going on a weekend retreat at a place like Unplugged (an off-grid digital detox resort) or even just saying no to the TV a few evenings a week and choosing a book instead. This tech-free time allows the brain and nervous system a chance to unwind and settle, giving the body and mind the feeling of rest, even if just for a few hours.
Set boundaries around personal time each day
This can be as simple as making sure you take time each morning to do something for yourself – before doing something for your team or workplace. Stretch, eat breakfast, go on a walk. Recharge your battery before you give your energy to others. If you’re a parent, this might mean getting the kids out the door and taking a 10-minute break before logging on, so you can arrive at work with a feeling of calm and rest. I personally love using Headspace meditations to rest my body and get my mind ready for what’s next.
Another way I draw a boundary around my time is: no meetings before 10 a.m. Since we’re an international team, I know I’ll have to work into the evening to connect with my team, so giving myself some space in the morning makes this cross-timezone collaboration more sustainable over time.
So, does meaningful rest really make a difference? I can personally attest to its value, and to how it has affected my creativity and attitude toward sustainable growth. Victoria has felt the power of reclaiming her attention, and how this is helping shape her self-care into the future. The results of rest can be as different as the people taking it, but there’s one thing we find in common: meaningful rest is necessary.
To hear the whole conversation on our podcast Reimagining Work from Within, give the episode a listen, or read along with the transcript here. You can sign up here for Victoria’s fabulous newsletter.
Need a mini break now?
Give this lovely episode of the New Constellations podcast a listen: Rachel Coldicutt: The Courage Not to Act. Rachel is a technology strategist, specialising in the social impact of new and emerging technologies, and deploying them in ways that can nurture us all.
Or, how about reading more about the topic of leadership over on our blog?
How Intrepid Leaders are Redesigning Meaningful Work
Be a Human: The Key to Leading a Vibrant Hybrid Workplace
How to Rethink Your Business Growth Strategy in the Year of the Great Resignation