To my self-employed friends, this one's for you: How to take a break when you run your own business

All work and no play makes for a seriously stressed out business owner!

But it’s easier said than done to take time off from the 9 to 5 that’s become your whole life.

There are always clients to help, deadlines to meet and to-do lists to cross off. And it’s very tempting to make a lot of hay when the sun shines, especially when you know there will be business ups and downs.

If you’re going through a particularly sunny spell, the tendency is to keep on going — waving goodbye to vacations, days off and even your evenings in the process!

We’ve all done it. But in doing so, we risk burnout. 

Worse still, we risk falling out of love with the business we’ve worked so hard to create.

So perhaps it’s time to persuade that demanding boss (i.e. you) to give that hardworking employee (also you) a well-deserved break!

Why you have to take time off

We get it. You’ve built up great momentum. You love what you do. You’re committed to doing right by your clients. And you have a to-do list the length of your arm.

Notwithstanding, taking a break is essential for you and your business.

Downtime. Self-care. R&R. Whatever you want to call it, it’s good for the soul. And for the brain.

Down-time actually boosts your productivity. It improves your motivation and creativity. It helps you to grow both personally and professionally.

All together, that means you’ll return to your business brimming with ideas and able to provide the very best service for your clients and customers.

How to take a break when you run your own business

So we know why time off is important. All that’s missing is the how. 

Based on my own experience as a round-the-clock business owner, here’s my take on successfully planning time away from work (and actually enjoying it, too!).  

Start simple

Turn off your laptop and notifications

Making the most of your evenings is a great place to start.

It’s impossible to switch off when your laptop is humming away in the corner and your phone is constantly pinging. You’ll spend your nights checking (and potentially stressing over) emails or orders as they come in.

So set your working hours in stone. Stick your schedule on your website or in your email signature. Tell your clients when they can expect to get hold of you. And switch up your workflow so you deal with pressing deadlines first thing in the morning.

Then, when it’s time to clock off… (deep breath)… Turn. Off. The. Tech.

If that feels too drastic and/or there are matters that just can’t be put on hold overnight, try switching off notifications and limiting yourself to just one email-answering stint per night.

Reclaiming a little time for yourself in the evening can really help to restore a sense of balance.

Take one day

Evenings are all well and good. But there’s only so much fun you can fit into a few hours at the end of the day!

If the idea of a vacation ups your stress levels rather than lowering them, start by taking just one day off. Plan that day in advance so you can manage your responsibilities around it. You can still meet your deadlines and take into account any especially busy periods on the horizon.

With minimal business impact, you can get a full 24 hours to reconnect with yourself and your passions outside of work!

And when it comes to taking a few days off…or even a vacation…

Dreaming of a long weekend or a few weeks’ vacay? It’s possible for self-employed people too! You just need to do a little prep work first.

Let your clients or customers know you're taking time

Advanced notice means that clients and customers can get in any requests before you leave the “office”.

If your break will interrupt the normal operations of your ecommerce store, you can add a banner and pop up messages to your website, telling customers what they can expect in terms of their order and delivery.

Then, before you go, set up an Out of Office email. That way, anyone who’s forgotten your vacation plans gets a friendly reminder. And you won’t be flooded with emails from clients and customers wondering where you are!

Everyone needs a break. Your customers and clients will respect your need for one, too!

Manage your workflow ahead of time

Once you’ve booked your vacation into the diary, you can start arranging your workload around your time off.

Automate as many processes as possible. Organize the upcoming weeks so you can meet all essential deadlines. Get complicated stuff out of the way, ready to…

Leave someone else in charge

Being away is so much easier if you have someone you trust running the show in your absence.

It means you can properly relax knowing that business is progressing as usual. And you won’t return to hundreds of unanswered emails that double the normal workload.

You can outsource tasks or hire someone on a temporary basis to manage things while you’re away. Before you do, though, it’s a good idea to create a document listing your processes. That way your helper has a handy reference (it saves them from calling you several times a day!).

While you're away

Relaxation isn’t something you can program. We don’t achieve it through the right app integrations! It’s a mindset — and once everything is set up and ready for your break, you’ve just gotta relax into it!

Sure, you might experience FOMO when you’re away from the helm. Your fingers may be itching to check emails. But try to resist the urge to complete any work-related tasks.

If you’ve run through the checklist above, you can be pretty confident that everything is being properly taken care of. Or that things will wait till you get back.

So book, protect and enjoy your time away from work! Your mental health and your business will be much better for it — trust me!