TAKING TIME OFF: COMMIT TO YOURSELF AND DITCH THE GUILT

Business owners all over are planning to take time off for the winter holidays. It’s a great opportunity to relax and spend quality time with those you love, but it can be a challenge for a lot of professionals to feel completely comfortable with taking their vacation.

Do you struggle with taking time off from work? And if you do take time off, can you stick to it and avoid re-entering work mode??

While on calls with clients, there have been many requests for support with something most of us have had challenges with at some point in our careers. That is, how do you take time off work without feeling guilty about it? Taking time off while minimizing feelings of guilt or stress involves a combination of practical strategies and mindset shifts. We're sharing what's worked for us here:

Plan Well in Advance

The first step in taking time off without the stress and feelings of guilt is to plan well in advance. By scheduling your time off months or weeks beforehand, you’ll allow yourself and your clients ample time to adjust to the new schedules and expectations. You can also try, where possible, to plan your breaks during slower business periods. Doing this will help minimize disruptions or stress for both you and your clients.?

Effective delegation of your tasks is very helpful when it comes to keeping your time out of the office stress-free. Work to identify tasks that can be delegated or outsourced during your absence to alleviate the stress on your plate regarding things not getting done. Tasks to assign to others could include anything from administrative tasks to social media management, or even urgent client communications that might come up.?

When it comes to handling urgent matters while you’re away, it can be scary to let someone else on your team take over this responsibility. In this instance, creating contingency plans and building a network of trusted colleagues is key. Find members of your team or peers that you can rely on and delegate the responsibility of handling urgent matters to them. Create an ‘emergency communication’ protocol which filters anything urgent through only one person to you.?

Set Boundaries and Communicate with Clarity

Taking time off and actually sticking to it requires you to commit to putting yourself first! This means doing things like creating time blocks on your days out of the office labelled as something fun or inspiring like "Me Time” or “Vacation Mode”, rescheduling all existing or recurring appointments during that time and honouring the time by not accepting new call bookings.???

When it comes to your clients, plan a specific communication which clearly and respectfully defines when you’re available for appointments and when you’re not. You can also assure your clients that you have contingency plans in place to handle urgent matters in your absence.

If you struggle to stick to your set boundaries, create some accountability by telling your peers about your time off or plans to be offline.

Proactively Manage Your Finances

Taking time off also means that you have to prepare yourself financially. It’s a good idea to start building the habit of proactively managing your finances in preparation for time off. This means budgeting and setting aside funds to cover breaks which can alleviate any potential stress about lost income while you’re off. Even if you plan on taking your vacation in the comfort of your home, lack of financial planning shouldn’t be a barrier to taking the time off. That’s why it’s crucial to build those proactive financial habits and plan ahead.

Encourage clients to book any sessions with you before your break rather than having them pushed to a later date following your time away.?

Use Technology and Automate Processes

Technology can be a great asset in making sure your time off is as streamlined as possible. By implementing automation tools for routine tasks like scheduling appointments, sending invoices, or managing email campaigns you’ll be able to minimize the workload leading up to your time off and upon your return.?

In addition to automation tools for tasks, be sure to set up email autoresponders and update your calendar availability.?

When it comes to streamlining processes and not being involved in the day-to-day, use a project management tool. This can help you keep things organized and provide a record of completed work and current status reporting for when you return. It’s also a great idea to remove email and other work-related apps from your phone during your time off so that you don’t accidentally get sucked back in to work-mode. That includes messaging apps like Slack you use for work or project management apps.

Plan for Post-Vacation

Have you ever felt the dread of returning to work after vacation… knowing you’ll be slammed as soon as you get back? It’s important to establish boundaries for the period immediately following your time off so that you can ease back into work and avoid feeling overwhelmed. Start by setting up your calendar booking tool to reduce your availability for your first week back and avoid scheduling back-to-back appointments or overloading yourself with tasks during that week.

It’s common to feel overwhelmed after taking some time away but it’s important to not feel discouraged from doing it again in the future. Take the time to evaluate what worked well for you and what could be improved in your planning process. Use this feedback to refine your approach for future breaks.?

Reframe How You Feel About Taking Time Off

Many see taking time off as something to feel guilty about when in reality, it should be something to look forward to and appreciate. We can improve our view on vacation by actively reframing how we feel about taking time off.?

Start by developing a self-care routine that includes regular breaks, exercise, and activities that promote relaxation, prevent burnout, and improve your productivity. This self-care routine should also include breaks for vacation!?

Planning for Out of Office time and vacations is an important form of self-care that is often overlooked but can now be prioritized. Make a point to schedule these dates as part of your annual planning and revisit them quarterly to ensure you put the proper contingencies in place for when you’ll be away.

Having a positive mindset about taking a vacation is directly linked to maintaining a healthy work-life separation . Creating a separation between your personal life and your work life can enhance your overall well-being and prevent burnout. Remember: time off is part of that healthy separation!?

Rest and rejuvenation are essential for long-term success and productivity - not just your own, but your team’s too. Many business owners feel as though they’re being selfish when taking time off, but it’s important to note that you’re actually improving your productivity by investing in time for yourself. In turn, you’re also setting an example, and walking the talk when it comes to the advice you give those supporting you.

According to Forbes , people look at you as the leader and will, in turn, follow your lead. Whether you notice or not, your team is most likely following your actions in that if you aren’t investing in yourself, they probably aren’t either. This can lead to a team full of people who are experiencing burnout and stress. The same can be said for the example you set for clients. Are you practicing what you preach? So, believe it or not, taking some time off for yourself isn’t selfish at all, it’s actually beneficial to your business, your team, and your clients!

By combining these practical strategies with a proactive mindset, coaches and consultants can plan to invest in themselves and take time off - without the stress or guilt that came along with previous vacation attempts.

Could you use some help staying accountable to your schedule, and effectively planning around upcoming out-of-office time? Reach out to us to discuss our guided accountability and project management package OR book a complimentary, no-obligation consultation to explore what working together might look like.