3 Reasons You Should Take Time Off from Your Small Business

Do small business owners ever get to take time off? Our culture tends to value hard work over selfcare, and when we add to that the fact that it seems like there’s always something to do for our business, thinking about taking time off can feel about as realistic as wishing for a million dollars to magically land in our lap.

​But we’re not robots that can work 24/7 without a break, and when you think about it, even computers get overheated and need to be powered down and recharged. So, why shouldn’t we power down and recharge ourselves? As most of us celebrate a big holiday this week and look forward to the start of a new year, a lot of companies give their employees time off, so as the owner of your own company, if you haven’t decided to give yourself time off, here are some reasons why you should.

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Productivity in Your Small Business Will Increase

You might think you need to work longer hours in order to get more done, but the opposite is true. Consider the four-day workweek: while most of us currently work five days a week with the occasional exception for holidays (and most small business owners work weekends and holidays), the companies that made the transition to a regular four-day workweek for their employees actually saw a significant increase in productivity – as much as a 40% boost!

So, if you want your business to really hit the ground running in January, consider taking some time off this week – and maybe next week, too.

You’ll Be More Likely to Have a Positive Mindset​

We’re seeing more and more data coming out in support of the idea that mindset is everything, and when you’re overworked, you’re less likely to be in a positive mindset. I know when I’m overworked and start skipping things like my daily meditation, or sleeping less in an effort to get more done, my mindset suffers and I have a harder time maintaining a positive attitude. That makes it harder for me to show up in my business and support my clients, and that doesn’t help anyone.

You’ll Be Healthier

This goes hand in hand with #1 because when you’re healthier, you get more done. When you take time off to rest and take care of yourself, you’re less likely to get sick, which means you get to plan and enjoy your time off, instead of being forced to take time off when you come down with a cold or flu. 

Getting adequate sleep is more important than a lot of people realize when it comes to maintaining a strong immune system, but feel free to take time off to do other things, whether that means signing up for an exercise class, or just taking a walk once a day. If one of your new year’s resolutions is to get healthier in 2021, you can get a head start by taking some time off from your small business now.

Another thing I like to do this time of year is take some time to celebrate what went right over the past year so we can start looking forward to the new year. On December 29th, I’m leading a webinar to help you celebrate 2020, despite how rocky it’s been. 

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It’ll be a great way to focus on the bright side of 2020 (however small that bright side might be), and get in the right mindset to start 2021 off on the right foot!