Give Yourself a Break How long has it been since your last vacation?
By Carol F. Lett
Now here’s a moment of truth. If you can’t remember your last vacation, it’s probably for one of two reasons: It’s been far too long ago, or you are now so mentally overloaded that you can’t access your “pleasant memory” banks.
Small business owners are notorious for not taking vacations, citing myriad excuses such as “I don’t have time,” “There’s no one to cover the business,” “If I don’t work, I don’t get paid,” “I love my work, so I don’t need a break,” and “My customers’ needs come first.”
Good for Business Many small business owners don’t realize that the health of their business relies on their own health and energy level. The only way to maintain energy and creativity and stay engaged is to “re-create” and renew your body, mind and spirit at regular intervals. A vacation from your business is good for business.
Like all living things, humans have a rhythm of life. Healthy patterns of activity and rest are essential for maximum performance and sustained physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. Your body is good at signaling you when change is needed. Unfortunately, most people check their voice mail and e-mail messages more often than they check in with themselves. Even when they do check their body’s messages, they typically ignore them in favor of meeting the business needs first.
Signs and symptoms that a retreat from the daily grind is needed will manifest in your whole being and may include:
Frequent or chronic physical discomfort (headaches, back pain, shoulder/neck tension, high blood pressure, clenched jaw and sleeplessness)
Emotional edginess and instability (irritability, impatience, anger, depression and lethargy)
Lack of mental clarity, focus, creativity, vision and ability to quiet the mind
Spiritual emptiness, lack of purpose and diminishing contribution to the “whole” of your business, your family, the community and the planet
A True Vacation Most of you know by heart the features and benefits of your business. But do you know the features, benefits and return on investment of investing in your full empowerment and energy reserve? If you are as vital to your business as you would like to believe, then investing time in your renewal can only contribute to the positive performance of your business.
Not all vacations are equal, however, in their capacity to refresh the mind and body. It’s important to select the right type of retreat or vacation to provide the recharge that you need. Planning and scheduling is as important for a vacation as for a business meeting or presentation.
The length of the vacation also will have an effect on its rejuvenating power. You need at least four days to wind down, allow the mind to shift focus and flush the toxic stress hormones from your system.
“Power vacations” often include time with family and others who are important to you and who enhance your life. Beware, however, because spending time with family can be detrimental rather than beneficial if done out of a sense of obligation. For full therapeutic effect, your vacation should provide a change of routine and schedule, along with time for reflection and relaxation (i.e., “doing nothing.”) This means no “to do” lists.
Your vacation should provide a change of scenery and, preferably, include the opportunity to enjoy the beauty and rhythms of nature, as well as a change of activities and daily tasks, including experiences of pleasure, fun and adventure.
Vacation Benefits Vacations offer a number of benefits. You will experience physical recovery, relaxation, energy renewal and restfulness (compare how you feel on day four or five versus day one of your vacation). You will experience reconnection to self through a sense of inner peace, a shift of perspective, a feeling of being centered, strong and better able to “flow” with the inevitable bumps of a small business.
You will experience a renewed clarity of thought, ideas, possibilities, creativity and vision…for your life and for your business. And, you will experience a sense of confidence in your systems and your employees through their ability to sustain the business in your absence.
All of this sounds great. So, how do you make this a permanent change in your life and create the habit of taking vacations at regular intervals? First, you must learn to recognize and acknowledge your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual signs of needing a vacation.
Second, schedule vacation time now. Schedule your renewal time a year from now if you need to, and make it non-negotiable. Treat the importance of scheduling your vacation like you would a continuing education course, industry-specific convention or preparation of a proposal. Finally, notice the physical, emotional, mental, spiritual and financial rewards that you reap, and embrace the benefits of being fully energized and engaged.
Carol F. Lett OTR/L is owner of LifeCentrics, LLC, which provides solutions for holistic well-being through consultation and education services, including the Whole Person Wellness at Work program and The Movement Center in Overland Park. She can be reached at (913) 341-6607 or .
