Why Givers Need Getaways

Taking a vacation refreshes your personal ministry—and helps keep ours healthy and vibrant.

Want to know your current vacation/PTO balance? Visit the HR/Payroll Connection section of InsideCHI to find out.

People who work in health care are givers by nature, and it’s equally important for givers to take time to refill their cups. Your ministry is only as healthy as you are, and taking time off from work is an important part of self-care that contributes to overall well-being.

Good Stewards of Our Gifts
CHI recognizes that our ministry flourishes because our employees bring their gifts and talents to work every day. Taking care of the gifts we’ve been given so that we can offer our best to the people we interact with every day is an example of good stewardship.

CHI cares for those who participate in our ministry by encouraging the use of time off. Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds us “there is  a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” Stepping out of the normal routine of work frees up energy so we can be attentive to that which nourishes our spirit, including family, friends and hobbies.

Time off for recreation is a valuable tool for living a balanced life—one of less stress and more ease. It refreshes our purpose and perspective, thus allowing us time to recognize our participation in God’s work and bring our best self not only to the work we do, but to our families as well.

3 Tips for Stepping Away

If you avoid taking a vacation because the idea of preparing to pull back from work is daunting, these tips can help:

1. Enlist help early. A week or two before your time off begins, ask colleagues if they are willing to cover essential tasks while you’re away. Let them know you’ll reciprocate when needed.

2. Get organized. Spend time before you leave ensuring pertinent files and other information will be easily accessible to make life easy for the coworkers who will be covering for you.

3. Set expectations for accessibility. In your out-of-office message to coworkers, let them know you won’t be checking email and voicemail while you’re away, or, if you can’t disconnect completely, that you’ll be looking in sparingly. Keep check-ins to a minimum, if possible. Remember, it’s not a vacation unless you’re missing something.