Do leaders take enough breaks?

As an entrepreneur I don't do a great job of sitting down and taking the time for breaks and recharging. While life is good, we are all faced with challenges and stresses that can impact us mentally, emotionally and physically.

I am saddened when I hear of stories or news articles of business leaders and family "men and women" who were so impacted by business stress and potentially unhealthy choices that it impacts them in a negative way, and in some cases costs them their life. While we have all heard it many times, life is short and ideally we should "work to live" and not "live to work."

If you are feeling overwhelmed and stressed out, get support from friends or organizations that can help. Click here for more information from Canadian Mental Health Association. Mental health is about finding a balance in all areas of your life: physical, mental, social, spiritual, and economic. Reaching a balance is a learning process.

A longtime friend of mine, Eden Hampson, told me years ago that I should always plan and book my next vacation before returning from the vacation that I was currently enjoying. In theory that is an excellent idea, but I must admit, I haven't followed his advice as well as I should have.

Taking time to recharge has so many valuable benefits:

• Improve your overall health and wellness.
• Reduce stress and fatigue.
• Enjoy real moments with family and friends.
• Enhance creativity and ideas for your life and business.

On a positive note, I am taking my friend Eden's advice, and will enjoy two trips in the next 90 days, including Germany in July and Italy in September. I am looking forward to a recharge with my wife and coming back to my business full of new and creative ideas.

Enjoy your summer and take good care of yourself! Your family, friends, colleagues and community need you!!!!

I welcome your thoughts or comments on this important topic.

Mike Mack is President of X5 Management, a Western Canadian-based company that offers comprehensive Training, Coaching and Consulting services that include: Improving Sales growth, Enhancing Customer Service, Building Cohesive Teams, and Leadership Development. His passion is to make businesses and their people better by “turning soft skills into hard assets.” Mike is an entrepreneur, author, business consultant and professional speaker. He holds an MBA from Athabasca University. Mike is a member of CAPS (Canadian Association of Professional Speakers ) and he is also a TEC Canada speaker.