My parents both worked for the same government county office for 30 plus years. And while they didn’t love their job, they did love their benefits. From free health insurance, early retirement, and about a gazillion paid days off (I’m only slightly exaggerating). As a kid growing up I thought it was normal for a job to give you tons of paid sick time, personal time, vacation time, and every major/minor holiday off. But then I grew up and entered the world of entrepreneurship, where no one is going to pay you for time off.
I remember that one way my parents would use their personal time is that they would occasionally take “mental health days.” These were random days in the middle of the week where they would take off and just relax at home. It was their way of de-stressing and recharging. Now while their job definitely had it’s restrictions and downsides there was also a little freedom, especially when you compare it to todays corporate America. One of the main reasons why I wanted to be an entrepreneur and run my own business was so that I too could have that freedom. So that I could stay home when I’m sick, go on vacation whenever I want, and take a mental health day at my leisure. Of course it only took me a few months of running my own business to realize that as an entrepreneur you end up working way more then a typical 9-5 job.
The busier my practice has become the more of my precious free time has gotten eaten up. Days off become few and far between. I’m answering emails and doing research at 11:00 at night. And for the past few months my Sundays have turned into catch up on paper work day. Not exactly what I had in mind when I started this business.
But I get it, this is what I signed up for. As an entrepreneur I have to put in the extra hours. My schedule is going to be a bit erratic. However, the problem with continuing at this pace is that I am headed towards some major burnout, and fast. Which is why I decided to start taking my own “mental health days.”
As someone in the healing profession I feel that it is my responsibility to keep my body and mind healthy and happy. I’ll be no good to anyone if I am burnt out and sick from lack of rest. So for the past month I have been taking an occasional day off. A day to do whatever I want to do, as long as it’s not work related. Having a brief respite from my normal obligations has made such a big difference for my physical and mental health. Now I do have to schedule this time well in advance, and that can be a bit tricky sometimes. That means saying no to last minute appointments, which always makes me feel a bit guilty. I also do my best to detach from my business during the day, which can be tough as well. That means ignoring my email, and even turning off my phone for a bit. But by taking these days off I have found that my overall energy is so much better, and I am even more focused and productive when I’m working.
I know a lot of entrepreneurs who are really successful. They are bringing in a lot of money, their career is taking off, and they are also extremely sleep deprived, bitter, and have no life outside of work. Could I make more money if I just worked my ass off and never took a break? Sure, probably. But is it worth it? Is it worth sacrificing your health? Not to mention your relationships with your family and friends. I think not. I would rather continue to slowly grow my business and enjoy my life at the same time. I would rather feel healthy and happy when I am working, rather than burnt out and stressed. And I would rather spend more time making memories and having fun with my loved ones, than spending my time off doing paper work.
Yes sometimes you have to hustle. Sometimes you have to stay up half the night getting work done. But for all the times that you hustle your butt off there should be an equal amount of decompression time where you are just relaxing and having fun. No matter what your career or work situation is you have to be able to carve out time for yourself. Maybe it’s just one day off a month, or an afternoon every 2 weeks. Whatever you can manage find a way to make it work. This message is especially for anyone that is feeling run down. You owe it to your body to find some chill time. And if you can’t remember the last time you had a lot of fun, then you are long over due! Look at your calendar and book yourself some time off pronto!
Remember when you look back at your life you are never going to wish you had spent more time at the office.