I've been having countless conversations with business leaders lately, and there's one question that keeps coming up: "Caroline, are these 'sanity days' actually helping my team, or are they just another tick-box exercise?" It's a brilliant question, and one that deserves an honest answer.
As someone who's spent years working with executives and team leaders through one-to-one coaching sessions, I can tell you that the reality is more nuanced than you might think. Let me share what I've discovered about what truly prevents executive burnout: and why some initiatives work whilst others fall flat.
The Truth About "Sanity Days"
When companies like San-iT coined the term "Sanity Days," they positioned these mental health days as "just one of the ways we put employee happiness at the heart of our culture." The key phrase here is "just one of the ways." These days weren't meant to be a standalone solution: they were part of a broader wellbeing strategy that included redesigned office spaces and employee-led development programmes.
But here's where many organisations go wrong: they implement the visible, easy bit (the day off) without addressing the underlying culture that's causing the burnout in the first place. It's like putting a plaster on a broken bone: it might look like you're doing something, but it's not addressing the real issue.
Through my work with leadership teams, I've seen this pattern repeatedly. Companies announce mental health days with great fanfare, but their leaders are still sending emails at midnight and expecting immediate responses. The contradiction is glaring, and your team notices.
What the Research Actually Shows
Let me share some fascinating data that's emerged from recent studies. Comprehensive mental health programmes: not just occasional days off: deliver remarkable results:
- 25% fewer missed work days
- 24% increase in productivity
- Employees 1.6 times less likely to leave their jobs
- Over £5,000 in productivity savings per participant within six months
These programmes cost between £2-£10 per worker per month, but the return on investment is extraordinary. What's particularly interesting is that participants saw mental health improvements in just under six weeks on average.
But here's the crucial bit: these results came from comprehensive support systems that included accessible therapy, self-help tools, and medication management: not just the occasional day off.
Why Many Mental Health Initiatives Fail
Harvard Business Review highlights a critical shift in workplace dynamics that many leaders miss. We're now in what they call "a new age of self-reliance," where even executives can't rely too heavily on any one employer for support. This means mental health initiatives that feel employer-controlled rather than genuinely supportive often fail to gain trust.
I've seen this firsthand in my coaching work. When leaders tell me about their company's mental health initiatives, there's often a disconnect between what's being offered and what people actually feel comfortable accessing. Research shows that two out of five people admit mental health discussions aren't common in their workplace, with over a third avoiding these conversations due to stigma and potential discrimination.
This is particularly challenging for executives and senior leaders. In my experience coaching women in leadership roles, there's an additional layer of complexity: the fear that showing vulnerability might be seen as weakness or incompetence.
What Actually Prevents Executive Burnout
Through years of working with business leaders, both in individual sessions and during our leadership retreats, I've identified what truly makes a difference:
Cultural Transformation Over Quick Fixes
Real change happens when we shift from a culture of presenteeism to one of genuine wellbeing. This isn't about offering perks: it's about fundamentally changing how we view work and leadership. During our retreats, I work with leadership teams to identify and address these deep-rooted cultural issues.
Realistic Workload Management
As Harvard Business Review notes, "time constraints on a job are crucial to preventing burnout." You simply cannot offer mental health days whilst allowing people to work 18-hour days. It's contradictory and, frankly, insulting to your team's intelligence.
Comprehensive Support Systems
The most effective organisations provide multiple touchpoints for support: accessible professional help, peer support networks, and leadership that models healthy boundaries. This is why our one-to-one coaching programmes are so effective: they provide that personalised support that group initiatives often miss.
Addressing the Root Causes
In my coaching work, I've noticed that executive burnout often stems from deeper issues: imposter syndrome, perfectionism, the inability to delegate effectively, and the pressure to be constantly "on." These require targeted intervention, not just time off.
Building Resilience Through Embodied Leadership
What I've found particularly powerful in my work with leaders is focusing on embodied leadership practices: helping executives connect with their physical and emotional responses to stress, rather than just intellectualising the problem. This approach, which we explore deeply in our retreats, creates lasting change.
The Gender Factor in Executive Burnout
Let me address something that's often overlooked: the unique challenges facing women in leadership roles. Research shows that 64% of managers have considered leaving jobs where wellbeing isn't prioritised, but for women leaders, the stakes are often higher.
In my coaching practice, I've worked with countless women executives who face additional pressures: the need to prove themselves constantly, the emotional labour of supporting their teams, and the challenge of navigating workplace cultures that weren't designed with them in mind.
This is why our women's leadership coaching programmes are so vital. We address not just the symptoms of burnout, but the systemic issues that contribute to it.
Real Solutions for Sustainable Leadership
So, what actually works? Based on my experience and the research, here's what I recommend:
Start with Self-Awareness: Before you can prevent burnout in your team, you need to recognise the signs in yourself. This is where one-to-one coaching becomes invaluable: having someone who can help you see your blind spots and patterns.
Create Psychological Safety: Your team needs to know they can speak honestly about their workload and stress levels without fear of repercussions. This requires consistent modelling from leadership.
Implement Boundaries: Not just policies, but actual, enforced boundaries. If you're sending emails at 10 PM, your "work-life balance" policies are meaningless.
Focus on Prevention, Not Just Crisis Management: Rather than waiting for burnout to occur, build resilience and wellbeing into your leadership development from the start.
The Way Forward
Here's the truth: "Sanity Days" aren't inherently corporate fluff, but they become meaningless when they're used as a substitute for addressing the real issues. They're like offering someone an aspirin for a broken leg: it might make them feel slightly better temporarily, but it's not addressing the actual problem.
What your organisation needs is a fundamental shift in how you approach leadership and wellbeing. This requires commitment, vulnerability from leadership, and often, external support to guide the process.
Ready to Create Real Change?
If you're reading this and recognising patterns in your own leadership or organisation, you're not alone. I've worked with hundreds of executives and teams who've felt overwhelmed by the challenge of creating sustainable, compassionate leadership cultures.
Through Caroline Mason Coaching, we offer several ways to support you on this journey. Our leadership retreats provide intensive, transformative experiences where teams can step back from the daily grind and focus on building healthier, more effective ways of working together. These retreats are particularly powerful because they address the systemic issues that contribute to burnout, not just the symptoms.
For more personalised support, our one-to-one coaching sessions offer a safe space to explore your individual challenges and develop strategies that work for your unique situation. Whether you're struggling with boundaries, delegation, imposter syndrome, or the pressure of leadership, we can work together to create lasting change.
Our women's leadership programmes specifically address the unique challenges facing female executives, combining practical skills with the emotional support needed to thrive in leadership roles.
Remember, preventing executive burnout isn't just about protecting your own wellbeing: it's about creating organisations where everyone can flourish. As leaders, we have the opportunity to model what sustainable, compassionate leadership looks like.
The question isn't whether you can afford to invest in real mental health and leadership support: it's whether you can afford not to. Your team, your organisation, and your own wellbeing depend on getting this right.
Ready to move beyond corporate fluff and create real, lasting change? Let's work together to build the kind of leadership culture that prevents burnout before it starts. Contact Caroline Mason Coaching today to explore how our retreats, one-to-one coaching, and women's leadership programmes can support your journey towards sustainable, compassionate leadership.
