More and more people are saying that they’re struggling to tolerate the stresses of today’s pace of life. Figures from the Dutch Central Bureau for Statistics show that no less than one in eight employees suffers from burnout complaints. These complaints vary from emotional exhaustion, digestive issues and extreme tiredness to irritability, sleeplessness, broken concentration and high blood pressure. Depression, anxiety and memory problems also occur. Burnouts commonly affect those with perfectionist tendencies who set the bar high for themselves. For these people, a hectic time at work – with deadlines to meet or understaffing, for example – can result in burnout. Complete exhaustion is the consequence.
What is a burnout holiday?
The idea behind most holidays is simply to relax. You’ll go to a nice hotel to lounge by the beach or pool, enjoy good food and chill-out. A burnout holiday is much more than that. Yes, you’ll still be staying at a health or wellness resort. And sure, you can relax by the beach or the pool. But above and beyond that, a burnout holiday is specially designed to prevent exhaustion, as well as eliminate its symptoms and causes.
The holiday consists of various relaxing treatments, such as massage, acupuncture sessions or therapies, and sometimes 1-2-1 coaching sessions too. In this individual coaching, a professional will review your life with you: what challenges are you facing? What are your blind spots? How can you change patterns so that they work better for you? How do you handle setbacks? The coach, therapist or psychologist will help you successfully change undesirable habits, offer insight into how you can protect your boundaries and build in stress-free time.
A healthy diet is another important aspect on a burnout holiday. As is physical activity, such as fitness, yoga, Pilates, tai chi and walking. Burnout prevention is in fact about becoming more physically fit. Which is why active and sports holidays are other good options for an anti-stress holiday.
Who are burnout holidays for?
“At the moment, it is mostly those with very demanding jobs – managers and business owners – who are choosing for a burnout holiday as a means of recovering from their hectic lives, in isolation from the rest of the world.” Comments Marleen van Griensven, director at Puurenkuur. “They book this type of holiday to be able to relax their mind and body in a calming location; to take stock. Yet people’s awareness of the importance of a healthy work-life balance in today’s society is growing.” A burnout holiday is therefore a holiday in a luxury health resort for anyone who is feeling simply too pressured, and who wants to avoid this escalating into exhaustion and burnout.
Below is an overview of wellness resorts that are particularly suitable for anti-stress holidays, burnout recovery holidays or stress management holidays. Want to know more? Don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’d be delighted to inform you of the options.
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