If you are self-employed or a business owner than you probably feel like time isn’t on your side. According to this OnDeck study, only 57% of small business owners take a holiday during the year.
You may feel like you can’t afford to have time off or you’re worried about losing clients while you’re away, but the truth is, time-off is vital for your physical and mental health. Now more than ever, as restrictions continue at home and abroad it’s important to take time out to unplug from work and focus on you.
If you’re not able to delegate or ask for help it’s a great idea to prioritise and get organised so you are able to take time out when necessary. Let’s take a look at the top four reasons why you really do need to take time out.
Studies throughout the pandemic have found that people are working harder and longer than before. Bloomberg found that the pandemic has made workdays three hours longer, obliterating work life balance. The chances are that you have been working harder than ‘normal’ and have been feeling increased stress and anxiety.
The bottom line. You deserve to take a break.
It’s so important to be proactive in taking care of yourself both physically and mentally. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) even started a campaign to combat mental health issues amongst small business owners.
A Harvard Business Review has found that overworking leads to several health issues including lack of sleep, impaired memory, and heart disease. It negatively affects your ability to focus, reduction of interpersonal skills, and impaired judgement calls—making work-life balance an important part of building a successful business.
Taking time-off allows you to clear your mind of clutter and gain some perspective. Meeting new people, experiencing new things, and just getting some time to think will give you some much-needed distance from your business, and is likely to ignite creativity and innovation that you can bring back to the business.
It’s important to realise that there is more to life than just your business. Although it is of course essential for you to work on your business, you need to remember what exists outside of it. Make time for your passions and hobbies. Investing in your passions is necessary for a healthy mind and a thought process which is not overstressed or overworked.
That that we’ve convinced you that you need and deserve time-off, it’s time to look at how you can do it.
Find a time in your schedule that has the least amount of deliverables due, meetings, etc. Carve out those dates and book the time you need to get away.
Tell your clients and customers in advance if you’re taking time off to make sure you keep a good relationship and let them make other arrangements while you’re away if needed. Make sure they know who to contact in your absence (if there is somebody) and explain to that person what they need to know about any current issues clients are facing.
It’s probably unrealistic to expect that all business owners will be able to fully switch-off during holidays—in our technology driven world. So, if you are going to pick up work while you are away, make sure that you set strict boundaries on when and what you can do.
Outsourcing your financial services and allowing us to manage your accounts will save you huge amounts of time and will enable you to focus on what you do best. With Kalc Accounting, you are guaranteed excellent, accurate and meticulous bookkeeping and accountancy services, meaning that you can really embrace your time-off and make your working life easier and more stress-free.
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