Heading to Dallas from Kansas City recently, I heard the familiar tone of the voice over the intercom start up and to Self Care When Burned:
“Ladies and Gentlemen, we’ve got a full flight to Dallas today…”
Travel is BACK and flights are almost always full again, so I couldn’t be surprised by what came next:
“This is a full flight so not everyone is going to be able to fit their bags but you can check your bag here at the gate, complimentary!”,
Ah, yes! The good old gate check. I find this announcement brings out the 2 kinds of flyers:
THE OVER MY DEAD BODY FLYER: The fliers who will not give up their bag unless you physically harm them by not being Self Care When Burned. You see them grip their bag and begin sweating instantly, as if their bag is now about to be sold at auction and they’re not going to be given any of the profits.
THE WAIT WHAT IS HAPPENING FLYER: The folks who don’t fly much and have no clue what a gate check is. They’re just happy to be at the gate and aren’t sure what to expect on this flight but they’re here 2 hours early and Over the years, I feel most folks fall into category #1 – they brought a carry-on and wanted to keep it – and for this flight, no one moved an inch to check a bag.
But the gate agent did something I didn’t expect – he sold the bag check: a step further he tells people not only can they check their bags right now. He goes on to list the benefits of checking your bag.
Including:
#1 It’s completely free.
#2 You don’t have to drag your bag through the Dallas airport, which is genius.
#3 You don’t have to worry about that awkward struggle to find a spot for your back, because there is limited space
#4 You could really help out the flight crew who is serving you today and they appreciate it so much
The 10 folks that checked their bags before we started boarding were happy to do it – and as I sat down in my seat that day, I was in awe – That was such a great way of encouraging people because it really spoke to people’s pain points, and it got me wondering:
What if we talk about burn out or self-care using a similar way, selling the benefits for themselves, others and their future instead of focusing on what’s “wrong” or what needs to change with them to Self Care When Burned?
If you reflect on it, how many times as a leader have you told people to take a vacation or encouraged them to turn off their email but they don’t listen and then they are burned out.? Feeling frustrated that they don’t listen, you retreat back to letting them do what they’re going to do and they continue their chronic stress cycle.
So how can we encourage someone to take care of themselves before they’ve hit massive Self Care When Burned? Here’s 3 ideas to sell the idea of self care and burnout prevention to someone who isn’t buying it:
#1 – Brainstorm + share the forgotten benefits of self care.
Tailored to the person and what they value, consider what are the benefits that we can sell that would actually be impactful for them. Are they family oriented? If so, remind them their upcoming vacation shouldn’t be for R&R but instead connection and family time so they should start getting better rest now so they can really enjoy the vacation. Are they going for top salesperson in your org? Shower them with the facts – happier people sell more, make more and are more likeable. Or how about the employee or leader who is pragmatic – sharing that Cold and Flu season is approaching leads to sharing “Why not make sure you are getting good sleep so that you don’t have to use up all your sick days- So you can use them hopefully for something fun in the future?”
What’s going to touch them deeply and move the needle for them?
#2 – Try, try and try again
No one likes to be rejected or ignored, but if someone brushes off your suggestions that doesn’t mean give up, it means try again later or try differently. For example, a recent mortgage company I was working with had a high performing team that was struggling with burnout from their top leaders.
They’d been going for months without a single vacation, pulling a lot of late nights ahead of a big launch and internal process change. They saw their leaders run down, yet they were refusing to take a day off because their team needed the more Self Care When Burned.
While the typical encouragement didn’t stick, the persistent encouragement did. Leaders scheduled emails through Boomerang for Gmail to be sent on Friday AM every other week, reminding managers to log off a few hours early and start their weekend early. Working 100% remotely took away their ability to swing by their office to scoot them out, but these emails we were received. We noticed that when folks logged off on Fridays early, they were more productive on Mondays based on personal reflection studies.
After a couple months, the entire team saw the benefit in taking time away to create better, more focused time when they were working and now half-day Fridays are the standard on this specific team. Another team in the banking industry I worked with chose 10am ET start times which helped their east coast and west coast teams kick off the day together more often, leading to less internal stress and Self Care When Burned.
Keep mentioning self-care and burnout prevention strategies – and eventually, someone might just try it to everyone’s surprise and delight.
#3 – Share your burnout prevention hows and whys
It’s easy to share what you think other people should do, but oftentimes I see folks sharing advice with no ground to stand on in their own lives.
If you’re encouraging your team to take care of themselves to reduce stress, prevent burnout and boost happiness, but sure that you’re doing the same.
Do you regularly take time off? Have hobbies and spend time outside of work? Have you rewarded exhaustion over efficiency with your words or actions?
A bit of self reflection can go a long way – and can inspire everyone around you, so be sure you’re taking time to live your advice for yourself.
In a world that’s moving faster and faster, taking time to recharge, rest and heal from the battle scars of life we pick up along the way can feel like something low on our to-do list until it becomes urgent through health issues, relationships ending by Self Care When Burned, and more.
But it doesn’t have to be that way – try some of these tips with your teams, leaders and important people in your life to Self Care When Burned. And yes – that includes yourself.
Interested in having Rachel speak to your association on Self Care When Burned prevention? Wanting Rachel to come and motivate your hotel partners and CVB teams? Let’s chat – contact us today!
Contact us at Speakers Inc and follow us on Twitter
Why Speakers Inc is the Top Speakers Bureau in California and Orange County When it comes to selecting the perfect speaker for an event, the choice can significantly impact its success. In the competitive world of event planning, the right speaker can captivate an audience, spark meaningful conversations, and leave a lasting impression. This is […]
The Unseen Turbulence: How Aviation Keynote Speakers Can Navigate the Industry’s Workforce Crisis The aviation industry has long been a symbol of human ingenuity, progress, and ambition. Yet beneath its sleek exterior and technological marvels lies a crisis that few are willing to discuss openly. A severe workforce shortage is threatening the foundation of the […]
Practice These Skills to Become a Great Resilient Leader When my friend Petra was diagnosed with cancer, not once, but twice, life gave her no choice but to be strong. When she went into remission for the second time, she decided she was going to wake people up to the precious gift of time. Through […]
Hispanic Heritage Month 2024, celebrated annually from September 15 to October 15, offers a unique opportunity to recognize the history, culture, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans. This month-long celebration began as a week-long event in 1968, initiated by President Lyndon B. Johnson, and later expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover […]
Empowering Voices: Celebrating Women’s Month San Diego 2024 In the vibrant city of San Diego, Women’s Month serves as a poignant celebration of the resilience, achievements, and contributions of women across diverse fields. As the month unfolds, what better way to honor this spirit than by highlighting and celebrating the impactful Women’s Month keynote speakers […]
If you’ve been having trouble concentrating recently, you’re not alone and here is an article on How to Conquer Burnout at Work. A recent survey conducted by FlexJobs and Mental Health America found that 75% of people have had work-related burnout, with 40% feeling burned out during the pandemic. And according to a July MetLife […]
Desiree-Anne Martin believes in the inherent ability of anyone to change. Her mantra is that there is hope, always, and she is a Change Catalyst and Inspirational Speaker. Desiree-Anne is a prize-winning published author and poet. Her writing on racial identification, GBV, the myths of parenthood, sex and feminism has appeared in numerous print anthologies […]
The Essence of Authentic Leadership: Embracing Genuine Influence with Erin Hatzikostas In an era where leadership is often synonymous with corporate jargon and pretense, the concept of authentic leadership emerges as a beacon of hope and integrity. Authentic leadership transcends traditional leadership paradigms by emphasizing transparency, genuine relationships, and a commitment to personal and organizational […]
No results available
ResetOur Mission:
© All rights reserved 2025. Designed using Voxel
Cookie | Duration | Description |
---|---|---|
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional | 11 months | The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". |
viewed_cookie_policy | 11 months | The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data. |