Not every boss will encourage you to take a day off and go to the beach – or get a massage, or eat a pint of ice cream in front of the television. Even fewer bosses will insist that you take a mental health day. But in the world of hospice care, things are different.

For several months, we've been interviewing hospice caregivers of all sorts for our series "This Is Terminal," in which we initiate conversations around death and dying. We noticed early on that a pattern was emerging as we talked to caregivers – each of them talked about the emotional toll of working in hospice, and each mentioned a strategy that they suggest to employees (or practice themselves) for handling that toll.