When you are self employed, people assume that you can have all the time off that you want. The reality is often the complete opposite! In fact, seeing self employed and vacation in the same sentence is a rarity! Making time for a holiday when you are self employed is extremely important, perhaps even more important than when you are working for an employer.
There are many reasons why vacation time is important when you are self employed. It is very important to balance self employment and vacation time so that you give yourself a chance to rest and recuperate, restoring your energy for the work ahead as well as recovering and evaluating the work you have already done.
• Alleviate Stress
Running your own business is a stressful occupation! You need time away from work to rest and let some of that stress disappear, otherwise you are just adding more and more pressure to yourself, which can have an impact on your productivity.
• Rest
A good self employment and vacation time balance means giving your body a chance to rest and recuperate. When you are busy with work all the time you may find that your physical health starts to show signs of deteriorating. You may get ill more or find it hard to get rid of colds. You may suffer from aches and pains. A good restful vacation, or getting some physical exercise can be just the thing you need.
• Expand your horizons
Self employment and vacations are not always enemies! In fact, a vacation can expand your horizons, open your mind and give you a chance to have new ideas and come up with fresh new directions to take your business in. You don’t have to completely forget about work; use your down time to check out some professional development webinars or read a good self development book.
• Build Relationships
When you are working in self employment and vacation time feels like an impossibility, it is not just you who suffers; your relationships can suffer too. Use vacation time to spend time with the people you care about. This might be your family or friends, people you have lost touch with or just getting in some good quality time making memories with the ones you love.