At the heart of the successful Windcall process of renewal is the opportunity for residents to have unstructured time for individual reflection.
Seven key elements support that objective:
- Sufficient length of residency: 2 weeks minimum, four weeks preferable.
- A small group of like-minded companions. Four residents at a time.
- Space for privacy, as well as communal activity.
- The absence of schedule or determined end product.
- A natural environment open to exploration.
- Outlets for creative expression and exploration of new activities and interests.
- A human environment of caring regard.
We each have an individual support system that is crucial to our own wellbeing and the quality of our work. Chronic overwork destroys it.
To prevent burnout, identify the things in your life that relax, nurture, and refresh you: things as small as doing crossword puzzles or listening to music, or as large as spending regular periods of time in nature. Write them down. Keep them in your routine and do not let them be eroded or replaced by a growing workload.
Here are examples of activities that can bring balance to your work life: gardening, photography, playing a musical instrument, yoga, meditation, biking, swimming, hiking, an art class, cooking, reading for pleasure, time with friends, building something. And many more.
The trick is to identify the activities that are your particular counter-weights to the pressure of work, understand their importance, and keep them in your life.