| Many people concentrate most of their energy | | | | with fame and fortune, life can get lonely. There |
| and attention on business and become almost one | | | | can be a sense of isolation and distance from |
| dimensional. There are "artsy" activities that are | | | | others. Ripe time for burnout! Joining a choir is a |
| just as valuable as work because they help | | | | great "artsy" diversion because of the bonding to |
| maintain sanity and prevent burnout. | | | | a group and also the anonymity that we |
| Life should be a balance. It should not be all work | | | | sometimes crave. You get to be lost in the crowd |
| and no play. Play prevents burnout by | | | | for a while. Escape. It helps lift the spirits doing |
| re-energizing the spirit, relaxing thinking and | | | | something beautiful together with others. In a |
| reducing stress and tension. Even business people | | | | choir, nobody cares what your position is or how |
| need to stop and smell some roses once in a | | | | powerful you are. Again, burnout is reduced. |
| while. | | | | Calligraphy and Penmanship - Handwriting, in |
| Here are 10 fun, relaxing, "artsy," playful | | | | general, has declined dramatically over the |
| diversions that can reduce and even prevent | | | | decades. Precision penmanship is going the way of |
| burnout: | | | | the passenger pigeon. People used to send |
| Dancing - Watch the movie "Shall We Dance" with | | | | beautiful hand-written letters to each other. |
| Richard Gere. Notice the positive effect "artsy" | | | | Penmanship was their sign of education and |
| dance lessons have on him over time. Dancing | | | | personal statement. Now we type, twitter and |
| exercises the left and right sides of the brain by | | | | text in symbols and short forms using |
| causing them to communicate with each other | | | | computer-generated fonts. Calligraphy is absolutely |
| more. It's a form of mental gymnastics. Dancing is | | | | personal and requires great concentration and |
| excellent for people with learning disabilities | | | | effort to create something beautiful. Calligraphy |
| because it forces the stronger side of the brain | | | | shows off personal skills, talents and abilities in a |
| to work more closely with the weaker side. The | | | | way that machines can never do. There can be |
| result is better business because of better | | | | great pride in doing this kind of "artsy" activity |
| thinking. Try ballroom, line, hip hop, jazz, ballet, | | | | really well. Display your work prominently and help |
| salsa dancing lessons. Physical activity aerates the | | | | your business show itself more distinctively. |
| body and helps prevent burnout because it gets | | | | Hands-on Arts & Crafts - Clay pottery |
| the mind on other things besides work, work, | | | | making, model airplane building, leather craft, |
| work. | | | | glassblowing, windmill making are also therapeutic |
| Drawing, Doodling - Free-flow, unfettered drawing | | | | and fun "artsy" ways of adding to personal skills, |
| and doodling is relaxing. Let go of conscious | | | | talents and abilities. Hands-on activities reduce |
| control and just be a spectator to your hand and | | | | burnout by diverting the mind from daily work. As |
| pen/pencil producing lines, shapes, spaces and | | | | a bonus, what is produced in hands-on |
| abstractions. What is drawn can be symbolic and | | | | experiences can be used to add income to your |
| subconsciously meaningful. Great ideas can be | | | | business or used decoratively in the office, might |
| found in doodles. There may be some viable | | | | impress clients and visitors. Feeling good about |
| solutions, approaches, angles that can be used in | | | | yourself reduces burnout. |
| your business. If people can get ideas from | | | | Theater - Instead of going and watching others |
| reading tea leaves, you can get all kinds of good | | | | on stage, you might join an acting group. This can |
| ideas from your "artsy" doodles. Burnout is | | | | be done through local library and community |
| sometimes caused by using great effort at | | | | interest classes. "Artsy" drama lessons improve |
| thinking. Free-flowing takes no effort. | | | | communication skills and can help some people |
| Playing a Musical Instrument - A friend who is the | | | | overcome shyness and modesty. It is also fun to |
| head of a fast-growing software company plays | | | | sometimes live vicariously as someone else -a |
| violin in a symphony orchestra. He takes it along | | | | detective, explorer, etc. Acting helps people see |
| and plays at conferences. Playing a musical | | | | things from different perspectives. Again, the |
| instrument, alone or in a group, helps you get | | | | anonymity can be relaxing. Acting techniques |
| away from daily reality. It's a great escape into an | | | | might show you better ways of dealing with |
| almost spiritual world where there is no burnout. | | | | particular clients and customers who may be |
| Special Walks in Nature - How about letting the | | | | causing you to slowly burn out. |
| woods take you on a walk for a change? When | | | | Tinkering - Another "artsy" way of releasing |
| at the entrance of the woods, stop and | | | | negative energy that causes burnout is creatively |
| consciously release and submit to the woods. | | | | seeing and establishing new relationships with the |
| (sounds weird but it can be done!!) Become open | | | | material things of life. Taking machines and |
| to the energy of the woods and abdicate | | | | appliances apart and putting them back together |
| responsibility for the walk. Feel the relief and | | | | develops skills of analysis and categorizing. |
| reduced tension as you let go. Don't think about | | | | Tinkering exercises thinking. Become more |
| where to go. Instead, notice and sense when and | | | | attentive to details, more aware of relationships |
| to where you are drawn. Follow, don't lead. This is | | | | between parts. Seeing parts laid out and knowing |
| a great way to relearn how to go with the flow | | | | they are all related is practice for seeing the "big |
| which again reduces stress that causes burnout. | | | | picture" in life too. Better skills improve business |
| Gardening - What goes on in a garden is often a | | | | and attitude. |
| metaphor for life. There are good and bad forces | | | | Engaging in "artsy" activities has positive payoffs. |
| interacting - just like in a business. There is life and | | | | Decisions, strategies, relationships, problem-solving |
| death - of ideas, products, services, clients, work. | | | | can be positively affected. Incubation time for |
| There are predators - competition. Things happen | | | | ideas is increased. Business courses such as |
| and all we can do is keep doing your best. | | | | marketing, management, accounting, etc. are all |
| Gardening is a good way to get away from the | | | | valuable but "artsy" courses, make business |
| artificiality of buildings - plastic, concrete, arborite - | | | | people more well rounded. To top it off, "artsy" |
| and reconnect to the REAL world regularly. | | | | activities are often just plain fun, healthy, creative, |
| Become more accepting of what happens in life | | | | distracting, and have a calming effect. |
| instead of worrying about things that ultimately | | | | Business often requires heavy left brain thinking |
| are out of your control. Watch the movie "Being | | | | (logical, sequential, concrete) and less use of the |
| There" with Peter Sellers. A simple gardener's | | | | right brain (playful, random, abstract). "Artsy" |
| innocent statements about his garden help him to | | | | activities exercise both. They help the brain to |
| inadvertently become a highly regarded business | | | | bring about greater coordination and improve the |
| guru. | | | | ability to think more freely, analytically and |
| Singing in a Choir - Whether you are an | | | | creatively. Stress that often causes burnout is |
| independent business owner or corporate leader | | | | greatly reduced. |