We, as entrepreneurs, know that in order to grow our businesses we have to work tirelessly, not only in the beginning but always. And when we love what we do it doesn’t seem like work, but this workaholic attitude is cool when it is controlled. Excess can be dangerous, for your health and your business.
My recommendation: Take a break!
I’m not talking about taking a full time vacation for a week or so. I mean during your workweek, schedule a few minutes a day to just relax and clear your mind.
I know, the idea of having less time to do the work of a day can be a little stressful, but see it in a positive way, it can make you focus in the real work that has to be done. Better efficiency.
But also, taking a break entails great benefits, here’s a list of some of them:
1. Recover from work:
The first benefit is the obvious one. Taking a break helps to regain strengths and focus. I highly recommend taking a nap, maybe not every day but on those days when you are feeling more exhausted. In a few days you will feel the difference. If you don’t believe I invite to read this article about napping.
2. Isolating the really important things to do:
When you take a break, you can focus on the really important things. Analyzing what’s best for your business and the tasks you have to be doing. Than after that little break you can focus on all those things, making you feel your work was way more productive.
3. Remember things that you haven’t done:
There are tasks that sometimes we forget to do, more often than you think. Maybe buy something, pay something, send an email or even make a call at certain hour. Taking a break makes your mind clear, it’s like when you go to bed at night and then you just remember everything you had to do, but without the inconvenience of “it’s already night!”
4. Opportunity to keep in touch:
Disconnected from all the work, you have the opportunity to make some calls or send a text to your friends you haven’t seen, to call your family or whoever you miss and want to call. To maintain your relationships when you become an entrepreneur is sometimes hard, but always try to keep in touch with the people that have always been there for you.
5. Finding new ideas:
This happens to me a lot, doesn’t matter if I’m taking a break or enjoying my weekend, there’s always a new idea that pops up onto my head. To be honest not always the idea has something to do with work, but the few ideas that pops out have helped me in changing my business model and create more value to my customers. Taking a break allows your brain to generate new ideas and new concepts can at the end can benefit your business a lot more than keep working non-stop.
Taking a break, it sounds counterproductive but really it isn’t. It has great benefits for you (health, focus, helps maintain relationships) and your business (gets work done, help creating more value). The next time you’re working like there is no tomorrow and you feel a little sleepy or exhausted remember these 5 benefits and don’t feel guilty after.
Cristopher Ramírez is a Mexican entrepreneur and small business investor.
Image Credit: www.animicausa.com
