“What’s the best advice you can give me?”

This is a question I've encountered countless times over the years, both personally and professionally. It's a question that has been posed to me and my peers in executive positions, often during pivotal moments in our careers. Typically, the answers we provide are tailored to the specific roles and responsibilities of the individual asking. Occasionally, you'll hear someone emphasize the importance of prioritizing family, a piece of advice that, while somewhat common, carries undeniable weight and significance.

In my own journey, as I've sought to impart hard-earned wisdom to my children, friends, and colleagues, I’ve often reflected on a similar question: “What actions or decisions have I made that have had the most profound impact on my job, career, and life as a whole?”

One recurring theme that continues to surface in my reflections is the immense stress that life—and particularly a demanding career—can impose. I’ve experienced firsthand how draining a job can be, especially in high-stakes roles. Like many, I’ve tried to alleviate this stress by spending more time with family and friends. I’ve made efforts to confine work to ‘work hours,’ though, like most of us, I’ve found that in practice, this is nearly impossible.

I can vividly recall an instance from the early 1990s. At the time, I was working for a company where my leader became completely overwhelmed by the relentless demands and tight deadlines of the job. The stress had reached a point where he decided to take drastic action: he booked a fly-fishing trip to a remote area in Montana. He informed our Chief Financial Officer that he would be away for a week to unwind and, crucially, that he would be hiking into a region where he would be unreachable. The CFO, recognizing the need for some level of communication, issued him a satellite phone. This example isn’t unique—burnout and the need for a genuine break have been realities in the workplace for decades—but I’ve noticed that this struggle has only become more common, particularly with the advent of the ‘hybrid’ work model that blurs the lines between work and personal life.

This leads me to a piece of advice that, while never explicitly given to me, I’ve come to understand is vital for maintaining one’s sanity: Seek out an activity outside of work that truly allows you to disconnect. This might sound like simple, even obvious, advice, but you’d be surprised at how many people neglect to put in the effort to find this escape. It often requires a bit of trial and error; you may need to experiment with various activities before you discover the one that genuinely clears your mind and frees you from the burdens of work.

Whatever you choose, it should be something that enables you to fully block out the stressors and anxieties that your job injects into your life. For me, over the past several years, I’ve found that writing serves this purpose. Writing allows me to isolate my thoughts and provides a complete mental disconnect, where my imagination can take over. Now, some of you might be wondering if my writing is related to my profession—after all, I’ve served as a Chief Information Security Officer for nearly fifteen years. But no, this old man decided to embark on a different creative journey: I’ve written a Contemporary Fiction Romance novel. And let me tell you, it has been an absolute joy. It’s not something I anticipate replacing my full-time corporate role, but I see it as a complementary pursuit that offers the mental breaks, we all need to avoid burnout.

If you’re interested in learning more about my experiences or my books, feel free to visit my website at www.slarrington.com.

And please, I encourage you to share what activities, or hobbies have helped you disconnect from work and prevent burnout. Your insights could inspire someone else to find their own path to balance and well-being.

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