I type this blog having just returned from an unplugged week away with my spouse and my friends.
I can hear what you’re thinking…
“Unplugged, really?!?”
That is what the younger version of myself would have thought if I read a similar statement from a fellow small business owner.
Years ago, I would have skeptically asked, “But what about______? And what about________?” Back then, SOMETHING always seemed to need my attention while I was away.
To be totally transparent, the vacation that I just returned from wasn’t the “completely unplugged from all tech” sort—one of my daughters was on a school trip out of the country—I was *totally* available and connected to hear about the trip and keep up with other people and updates I wanted to be aware of personally.
But I was NOT plugged in for working “in the business.” I was not part of any projects or deliverables provided to clients while I was away. I was not checking and replying to work-related emails and chat messages.
You might think that this “luxury” is possible only because I now have a small but mighty team of employees at DH Leonard Consulting who are always collaborating and working on client deliverables. That is indeed something that allows me to unplug from the “in the business” work; but I was able to unplug even before I had employees, by setting and *keeping* boundaries during my time away. Have I always been perfect at either? Absolutely not, as I disclosed in my earlier post, “Keeping Boundaries.” Do I improve each time I unplug from the “in the business” work? Absolutely.
The reason I keep trying and keep improving at this skill of truly taking time off is that I experience the real benefits:
1 – A chance to truly recharge and reduce my risk for burnout.
2 – The opportunity to remind myself that my worth extends well beyond my work and my business.
3 – The space for my brain to be creative.
When I unplug from “in the business” work, even if only for a period of 48 to 72 hours outside the regular weekday/weekend cadence, all sorts of ideas blossom and grow that help with the “in the business” work that needs my attention upon my return.
What have you found happens in your work and your approach to work when you actually take time off? I’d love to hear. Let me know in the comments.