Firstly, what are executive burnout retreats?
Meeting targets. Making critical decisions. Navigating complex challenges. The list of executive responsibilities is long. Equally long are the financial and cultural costs associated with high turnover. Executive burnout retreats are a great answer.
Therapists say burnout occurs when we don’t properly process and release the emotions that come with daily stress. To combat this, it’s often recommended to finishing emotional cycles of stress at the end of the day by doing something that signals to the body that it’s safe to relax—think a walk, creative outlets, exercising etc.
Unfortunately, it’s easier said than done and burnout is at an all time high.
Burnout retreats offer opportunities for executives to recharge, rejuvenate, and enhance their overall effectiveness. They vary in length but often range from 2 days to a week, although some act more like month-long sabbaticals.
What are the benefits?
1. Perspective
Operating between the 30,000-feet view and diving deep into details on a constant basis is challenging. Executive teams often need to pull back even further when considering the longevity of their teams and the business. Burnout retreats provide a pause from the daily pressures without the need for a traditional brainstorming session (which isn’t always effective). They help executives realize what’s working and what isn’t.
2. Refocusing
Operating between the 30,000-feet view and diving deep into details on a constant basis is challenging. Executive teams often need to pull back even further when considering the longevity of their teams and the business. Burnout retreats provide a pause from the daily pressures without the need for a traditional brainstorming session (which isn’t always effective). They help executives realize what’s working and what isn’t.
3. Team Building
While some executive burnout retreats are solitary experiences, they can also be great opportunities for building stronger relationships. While the style of workshops should differ from typical leadership training sessions, similar key issues can be addressed, such as collaboration, trust, and cohesion, to strengthen the team from within.
4. Resilience Training
Change is hard, and change is constant. Resilience is often the quality that allows organizations to thrive during turbulent times. It is needed at every level of the organization, but executives who lead by example have a better chance of seeing the changes they desire. “Be the change you want to see” is the motto here.
5. Long-Term Organizational Benefits
While we won’t claim that burnout retreats aren’t enjoyable (because they can be), this type of investment is one that plays the long game. Executive teams that prioritize their well-being are more likely to make thoughtful decisions, foster innovation, and provide effective leadership, resulting in improved organizational performance. So while some may say it’s “woo-woo,” others say it’s exactly what the team needs.
What are some programming ideas?
We strongly believe that every retreat should be tailored, but after extensive testing, we’ve found the following programs to be effective:
1. Trust Banking:
Trust is like a bank (or a tank). You have to keep adding to it to keep it full; it doesn’t self-replenish. While there are fun 30-minute versions of this exercise, it can also be shaped into a half-day experience to not only fill the trust bank but also gather the collective skills to keep it full.
2. Stress Management:
Stress management can vary, from more active yoga sessions to simple breathing exercises, expert-led sound bath meditations, or talk therapy. This can be the primary focus of the burnout retreat with various practitioners and guides or incorporated as part of the overall program.
3. Wellness Workshops:
Massages are nice, but wellness goes beyond traditional massages to unlock deeper well-being. This can include bodywork, acupuncture, exercise, sleep hygiene, and much more.
4. Confessionals:
There’s strong data* suggesting that individuals and teams want to get things off their chests—within a safe environment—with confessionals. We’ve found this to be not only effective at increasing long-term confidence within teams but also at significantly reducing anxiety on an individual and team level.
5. Nature Immersion:
Whether it’s forest bathing sessions with a guide, hikes, or surfing, nature immersions consistently prove popular among teams and are highly effective at alleviating burnout.
While burnout retreats can be offered anywhere in the world, we currently focus on offering them in California, Switzerland, or Baja Mexico.
To book an executive burnout retreat for your team, head this way.
Sources:
*In 2022, r/AmItheAsshole was the number one most viewed subreddit globally, while r/TIFU (Today I Fucked Up) jumped the most spots of any Top 50 community YoY to #27 in 2022. r/TrueOffMyChest further illustrated this movement growing +345% YoY becoming a Top 30 most viewed subreddit.
** The practice of Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing) is a specific evidence-based practice which research has shown can improve an individual’s mental health and, when performed in a group, can support a sense of social connection.
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