Planning time off to spend time at home, catch up on life-admin or go on a well and truly deserved holiday can seem daunting for many business owners. However, ensuring you take time off to switch off is very important. As the lines between work and home have become blurred for many, it can become more difficult to switch off completely and take a few days of well-earned rest. Switching off and taking some time to relax is important for our health and wellbeing, as it allows us to take a step back from our day-day-day tasks and responsibilities.  

Tips to Help Business Owners Switch Off

Use Your Out Of Office

Before taking time off, ensure you delegate some of your usual tasks to a work colleague. This may require you to create a detailed handover document and meeting to ensure all tasks are taken care of while you are out of office. Spending some time to create this helps ensure your time off is less likely to be interrupted. Set up an appropriate ‘Out of Office’ message with clear boundaries for your time off. If you do not have a colleague that can take care of your tasks while you are away, it might be a good idea to include a contact number for urgent queries. This allows you to feel at ease by not checking your email, as any urgent queries are likely to call you.  

Switch Off & Unplug

We live in an always-on culture and tend to carry business around with us using our smartphones. Consider turning off your push notifications during your time off. This allows you to free yourself from business distractions. With constant notifications, as business owners we have the urge to check them as soon as they come in. If you have a designated work phone, turn it off and put it away. If that seems too daunting, use the do-not-disturb setting and set aside a few minutes during the day to check in on notifications.   

Live in the Moment

Whether you are hitting the beach, back garden or engaging in a fun filled activity or a day out, be present and make the most of every moment. Planning some activities can distract you from thinking about work and other responsibilities you may need time away from. Before you know it, you will be back at your desk so enjoy and appreciate the time you have off. 

The Benefits of Downtime

Downtime is an opportunity to take a proper break from work pressures. As a business owner it can be difficult to switch off, but it is important to think of the benefits that rest, and recuperation can bring. Fully switching off is essential for your personal wellbeing and can prevent burnout.  It will also leave you happier, rejuvenated, and revitalised, ready to hit the ground running when you are back rather than feeling like you never left.  

Looking for more business owner tips? Read our blog in relation to Business Owner Time Management Strategies.