The early days of my career were spent in a place that I loved.

I loved work and the people at work. I loved feeling like I was creating momentum for both myself and the agency. So much so that I rarely took time for myself, nurturing hobbies, or even going on vacations. I had an underlying (and maybe subconscious) worry that if I took time off, I wouldn’t be seen as committed. I wanted to advance my career, and so I did. But after a while, I also realized I was tired.

The truth is, burnout is real. Even the WHO has now labeled it a legit medical condition. But burnout isn’t solely about personal habits, it’s about creating a workplace where people can truly bring the best versions of themselves to each day. That means not just allowing for, but instigating, breaks from work. As an agency leader, I also know that is easier said than done.

Building that kind of atmosphere requires a commitment of our own. It requires constantly putting people first. Because the truth is, in this industry in particular, without people — we don’t have much.

Here are 3 things to consider in building a culture that can avoid quiet quitting and burnout.

Create an infrastructure that encourages taking time off.

This is a big part of why we have an unlimited vacation policy. Many have criticized this idea as one that actually doesn’t incentivize time off, but I’m a firm believer that it does. It releases a pressure valve of having to ‘count days’ and debate whether you can take that long vacation you’ve always wanted to take. We implemented this at the outset because we want people to enjoy life, and bring that enjoyment to work. We also close between Christmas and New Years to allow people space to actually enjoy the holidays. And, since the pandemic, we’ve also embraced hybrid working (even from afar) to allow for more flexibility.

Spotify just closed their offices for a week to give their employees a break. It surely ruffled some feathers of clients who needed things moving into the busy holiday season. But it’s a move I have mad respect for.

Nudge.

You know the saying “see something, say something?” Well, it doesn’t just apply to the airport. If you see someone on your team looking tired, or seeming a little more on edge — nudge them to take some time for themselves. That doesn’t have to be in rude, direct ways (no one wants to hear they look tired). Ask them if they’ve seen a particular movie lately and encourage them to. Ask them where they want to go on their next vacation. Plant some seeds. And yes, if after weeks or months of hints — you might actually more directly encourage them to go have fun for a few days — even if the work climate makes that seem counterintuitive.

Model the behavior.

In small companies in particular this can often be the hardest for leaders. To give your people space, sometimes the person at the top picks up some slack. That can be admirable, but the biggest thing we as leaders can do is also model the behavior we hope to see. To bring the best versions of ourselves to work, we also need to take time. Lead through actions: plan in advance, create a coverage plan, and detail expectations. It’s just what you’d want your team to do. There’s never a ‘good time’ for vacation. No matter how hard you try, things come up. But if you, as a leader, still make the decision to take a break it sends the signal that ‘me-time’ is as important as ‘work-time.’

At the end of the day, it’s proven that vacations reduce stress. And in a creative industry like ours, time pressures and stress reduce our ability to think creatively. We need white space to do our best work. We must build cultures that allow for creative breaks, self-care, and well-roundedness.

Work will always be there. Life experiences may not be. I still have to send myself that same reminder, but I’m working on that.