Entrepreneurs know that working long hours can lead to burnout. It doesn’t matter whether you work outside of the home, are self employed or commute to your home office, there comes a point in every day that you need to step away from the tasks at hand and take a mental health break and give your mental batteries time to recharge.
For many people, the idea of self care doesn’t figure into their every day work life and they feel selfish if they even give a thought to taking a few hours, let alone a weekend, off from work. Your mind and body will thank you though if you take a break. Remember, at the end of the day it’s your friends and family that should be your priority, not your career.
If there are days when you feel as though your life is spinning out of control it could be your brain’s way of telling you to take a breath, step back and reassess what’s happening. You need to learn to not always put others’ needs ahead of your own.
Maybe all you need to do is to take a step back and ask yourself whether you feel you not only need, but deserve a little time off. Do you think you’d be more productive once you’re done with your time away? Will taking a step back help bring joy back into your other everyday activities? What will you lose if you take a day or an hour off from work?
If you come up with answers to these questions and realize that stepping away for a short time won’t negatively impact your business and could positively impact your life, you’ll see that taking care of yourself should be a priority. Begin with baby steps – a 15-minute break here or 30-minutes there. Work your way up to the hours at a time, or a day or two off. Your physical and mental health will benefit when you make time for yourself.