Learning to Relax in Your Business

I am finally getting back into the swing of the week after being on vacation. My boyfriend and I scheduled a last minute (i.e. 3 weeks ago) trip to Nassau, Bahamas for my birthday, which was amazing! I would highly recommend Nassau for first time travelers or any travelers for that matter.

Before going away, I was anxious about "leaving" my business and teaching positions for 6 days (I teach online and face-to-face at a local community college). Don't get me wrong, I was excited to go away; however, this would be the first time that I was this busy AND going somewhere with no cell service and an unreliable WiFi connection.

The first couple of days, I was still able to get on my email and check-in with my classes. After about the 3rd day, the WiFi tapped out. It was honestly a blessing in disguise for me. It made me focus more on relaxing versus trying to stay on top of everything. Instead of checking email on the beach, I was reading a leisure book. Instead of grading papers in the morning, I was writing or doing a crossword on our balcony. I could really just relax and de-stress since there was nothing I could do about the cell service and WiFi. I actually felt like I had a break and was on vacation, which is how things should be!

After coming back from vacation, I had a few days of catching up on emails and calls; however, everything was perfectly fine. There were no major issues and the small issues that did come up were resolved quickly in an email or call. I did all of that worrying in the beginning for absolutely nothing. What was even better was that I felt super recharged coming back. I was excited to get back into my business and teaching. I had some new ideas for my business and also mental clarity about issues I was getting hung up on.

My goal for the next couple of months, especially with the holidays coming up is to really just take that time to relax and step away from my business/teaching. This means turning my phone off at the gym (and not answering emails on the treadmill). This means putting my phone on silent while doing other things I enjoy like cooking or reading so I am not tempted to answer. This means not having my phone out at the dinner table so I don't break conversations for insignificant emails. This also means setting and sticking to the boundaries I set between my business and personal life.

All in all, I had a wonderful vacation and I look forward to taking some more time for myself, without giving in to temptations to multitask with my business. I know that this will improve my motivation and also recharge my batteries when I am feeling burnt out. I challenge you to take the time to step away from your business (or any job) for a few moments, hours, or weeks for just yourself!