5 Insights from a Decade of Taking an Annual Mini-Retirement to Reactivate my Impact as a Coach

When I am working with clients, I need to be able to remain fully switched-on at all times.

Senior Managers are often dealing with hard challenges. As a coach, I need to be able to grasp the situation, consider possible options, think about what stance may be best for the situation (eg. coaching, mentoring, teaching, etc), and help the client achieve a satisfactory outcome.

Doing this day-in day-out is exhausting and after a while I know that I am running our of steam and my creativity is drying. I know that I need a break for my body and my mind to recover.

So, for the past decade, I have been aiming to take an annual mini-retirement of 6–8 weeks. It is a practice that has brought me invaluable joy and benefits.

Insights from my annual mini-retirements

1. The necessity of mental rest
   After a while, our minds tire of dealing with tough challenges. I have seen lots of coaches (myself included) that look mentally drained. Switching off is essential.
2. The role of physical rest
   As we age, (i’m almost 50) our bodies don’t recover as well or as fast as they used to do. A long break allows my body to fully recover and recharge. It’s…