BYOB Be Your Own Boss: Give it a Rest

When you're self-employed there are never enough hours in the day. After-all, if you don't do the work then who will? Sometimes we fall into the trap of overworking and thinking if we put in more hours then we'll be more successful-- but I don't think that's the case. One of the best tools you have at your disposal is rest. It helps your mind reset and step back to see things differently.

Now that the shop is a little more established and I have an awesome staff, I’ve learned how to let go and take a break. This past Saturday I did absolutely nothing. Like, didn’t  even leave my apartment levels of nothing. It was marvelous. I ordered delivery, chilled on the couch with my dogs, and consumed copious amounts of netflix and HBO now. The next day I went back to work not only feeling relaxed and refreshed, but also more optimistic and excited about my business. I had new ideas, worked more efficiently and overall just felt better. Rest isn’t just a good thing, it’s essential to surviving entrepreneurship.

Part of the reason I've had such a hard time taking a break is guilt. I’ve put so much of my life into the shop and when I’m not focused on growing my business I fall into feeling guilty because of a should-have mentality.  I also struggle with anxiety over an ever-growing to-do list and fear of missing something important (part of why I don’t have extensive to-do lists anymore but practice a morning ritual). 

So the moral is the story is to take a break. It's okay, you deserve it. In fact, you need it not just for your own health, but for the health of your business.

What's your go to way to relax? Also, what other topics would you like me to write about in the BYOB series? Comment below.