The benefits of taking a break

Incessant work on behalf of clients can be flat-out exhausting. That fatigue can leave PR professionals tired, uncreative, and lacking the inspiration to put together unique and innovative ideas and campaigns. Yes, I’m talking about the dreaded b-word: burnout. For many PR pros, that word is one never to be uttered, due to the nature of non-stop client work.

Creativity is a concept of cognitive function. Described as “sought after” in a 2005 article in the Creativity Research Journal, researchers stated “creativity…[is] key…to sustained competition.” But how can you do that when that little red light keeps blinking? Let’s think about this from our clients’ point of view. Would you want to hire, or let alone keep around a firm or an individual who only came to the table with unoriginal ideas? Where’s the risk? Where’s the reward?

Unplugging and spending a week in the woods is not really allowed. So when you’re feeling burned out, in what ways can you rejuvenate yourself without going off the grid? How do you tap into that imaginative zone when a week long vacation is out of the question? There are a few ways to find your zen and do incredible work for your clients at the same time.