Who this is for
This guide is for managers, administrators, founders and senior staff in Muncie who feel stretched thin and want structured help. It covers non-clinical coaching only. If what you are dealing with feels larger than work strain, speak with a qualified health professional first.
Step 1: Map a normal week
For one ordinary week, jot down when you start work, when you stop, and when you check messages after hours. Note which meetings drained you and which ones gave you energy. In a town where so much runs on the Ball State calendar, a week in the middle of a semester may look very different from one in the summer, so mark which kind of week you recorded.
Step 2: Name two or three goals
From your notes, choose a few concrete changes you would like. Examples: leaving by six on most days, handing off one recurring task, or protecting one morning a week with no meetings. Specific goals make it easier for a coach to help.
Step 3: Decide on format and timing
Will you meet in person in Muncie, by video, or a mix? Which time slot can you actually protect? Early mornings and lunch hours work for many people who commute or sit in campus meetings in the afternoon. Be realistic. A coaching plan that relies on time you rarely have will fade quickly.
Step 4: Build a short list of coaches
Use the listings on this page to choose two or three independent coaches. Read how each one describes their approach and the kinds of leaders they usually work with. This directory does not review backgrounds, so plan to ask questions directly.
Step 5: Interview each coach
On a short call, ask:
- How do you structure the first month?
- What do you ask clients to do between sessions?
- How do we decide whether the work is helping?
- What do you charge, and what is the minimum commitment?
Notice whether the coach asks about your week from Step 1 or jumps straight to a set program.
Step 6: Plan one recovery day
Ask your coach to help you schedule a day away from screens within the first month. Two state parks are within an easy drive of Muncie; drive times here are approximate and depend on traffic and your starting point.
Mounds State Park, on Mounds Road in Anderson, is roughly half an hour southwest. The Department of Natural Resources describes ten earthworks built by the Adena-Hopewell people and six marked trails, including a 2.5-mile trail along the White River and limestone bluffs.
Summit Lake State Park, near New Castle, is also roughly half an hour away. It spans more than 2,680 acres around a large lake, with hiking trails, canoe and kayak rentals and Zeigler Woods, Henry County's first nature preserve.
Put the date on your calendar as firmly as any meeting, and tell your team you will be offline.
Step 7: Tell the right people
Decide who at work needs to know about the changes you are making. A short note to your team about new meeting-free hours or delegated tasks avoids confusion. Your coach can help you word it.
Step 8: Review after six weeks
Return to your notes from Step 1 and map another normal week. Compare the two. Talk with your coach about what shifted, what did not, and whether to continue, adjust the focus, or wrap up.
Step 9: Plan for the next busy season
Before you finish, sketch how you will handle the next crunch, whether that is the start of a semester, a year-end close or a big grant deadline. Write down which boundaries you will keep no matter what, which tasks you will hand off early, and which recovery day you will book in advance. Share the plan with your coach and, if it helps, with a trusted colleague who can remind you of it when the pressure builds.
Keep it sustainable
Rest is easier to protect when it is routine rather than a reward for surviving a hard stretch. Many Muncie leaders find that a recurring park walk or a fixed evening cutoff does more than an occasional long weekend.
The university and park details in this guide come from official sources cited on this page. Confirm park hours, rentals and trail conditions before you set out.