They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself. Andy Warhol
Years ago, I attended a lecture on preventing **”burnout” (a term I detest, but the advice was sound). The speaker recommended taking 7-10 days a year AWAY, without family, to restore completely. This time doesn’t need to be contiguous but could include visiting friends or family, going on a retreat, a solo vacation, or traveling with friends or siblings.
The key is to encourage your partner to do the same while ensuring no shade, guilt, bad vibes, or complaining comes from the partner who stayed home—otherwise, it doesn’t count.
It’s a practice I’ve maintained for years, especially valuable when my kids were small because I experienced missing them. This absence sharpened my love for those in my life in every way. Recently, I went on a 48-hour yoga retreat at Sugarloaf Mountain in Maryland. When I returned, I felt dramatically renewed, as if I’d been gone for two weeks.
Like any business, we humans need to take inventory. We step out of our lives to look at our lives—to discover what needs to go and what needs to grow.
**A truer term is “over-deployment”—an occupational stress syndrome characterized by too few resources and too many demands. Burnout is an aeronautics term for when rockets exhaust their fuel—it’s by design and permanent. The metaphor doesn’t fit modern work.
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Wellbeing Resources
Stuff I’ve come across on the internet
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Fired Federal Workforce:
Pro Bono Executive Coaching
For the federal workforce who have been dismissed – this is a program I’m participating in where clients are matched with highly qualified, credentialed coaches to support the federal workforce and explore “what’s next?” Please pass it along to federal workers in turmoil. We want to support them.
For Fired Federal Workforce
Sign up here to receive pro bono coaching or email:
groundedidealist@gmail.com
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Doing Life with Your Adult Children: Keep Your Mouth Shut and the Welcome Mat Out
The term “Adult Children” does not even make sense.. how about “off-sprung? Jim Burns has some great principles on how we need to fire ourselves as parents… and do the hard work of changing.
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Free Online Hearing Test
Hearing loss is often first noticed by partners or family members before the person experiencing it realizes there’s a problem. It is a very gradual onset and often accompanies friction between partners- the person with hearing loss accuses others of mumbling, while their partner gets frustrated by being ignored or having to repeat. It might be worth it to bring some facts, and do this easy, pretty accurate free hearing test online. Requires headphones. It is a miracle I have bilateral normal hearing based on noise exposure as a teenager. Go to soundly.com
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The Body’s Emotional Map
This research explores how emotional states manifest physically throughout our bodies. The mapping, conducted across diverse cultures, reveals striking similarities in bodily responses to feelings—suggesting these physiological patterns are fundamentally human rather than culturally determined.
Understanding where and how we experience emotions physically can significantly enhance our emotional intelligence. By recognizing these bodily sensations, we gain valuable tools for identifying, naming, and processing our emotional states, ultimately raising our self-awareness and emotional consciousness.
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50 Ways to be Ridiculously Generous
Love this list. My favorites?
16. Put away your phone and close down your inbox for a day—or even just an hour. Give the world the gift of your undivided, non-digital attention.
45. Leave a rave review for your favorite podcast, your favorite book, your favorite product, your favorite anything. Five stars!
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Costa Rica Wellness Week
January 2026
Speaking of 7-10 days away from your life, just three rooms remain for our upcoming Wellness Week in Costa Rica. These accommodations feature king beds with private en-suite bathrooms, ideal for couples or friends comfortable sharing a bed.
The week offers a thoughtfully crafted experience focused on renewal and wellbeing in one of the world’s most revitalizing environments.
Previous participants are available to share their experiences for those seeking firsthand perspectives before joining.
Limited space available. Inquire soon if interested.
Stay Well!
Eileen
