An Entrepreneur’s Recipe To Stop Feeling Guilty About Taking A Break

By simply saying that you deserve a break! That’s correct. Just saying you deserve a break will ease the discomfort you feel about taking a break.

I am often asked this question and as an entrepreneur, I have personally experieknced the guilt of taking time off of work. But let me tell you, working constantly can result in less productivity and recurrent burnout which is not good for business or health.

I know you might say, ‘But I’ve just started, it’s a start-up, I’m not as successful or a big shot yet to take a break.’

The reality being?

The biggest secret to becoming successful or achieving success is by taking a break every now and then. Yes! There have been countless researches that have been conducted which support this fact.

Actually, taking breaks and vacationing will not only help at work but also at home, it increases happiness and reduces stress. Taking time out increases creativity. It’s when you take a break that you experience an ‘aha’ moment. That’s your creativity talking. Constantly working can lead you to become mundane and your thinking becomes stagnant.

Why do we feel this guilt?

You may ask, if taking a break is so effective why do we still work non-stop?

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Here’s why:

• Fear – We as humans are usually afraid. Fear is one of the strongest reasons for our nonstop work. We are afraid of losing our mojo, we are afraid of becoming lazy and irresponsible.
• Myths – We take advice from millions of people who we think ‘know their stuff’ and we blindly follow their trail. Sometimes it works, and at other times it doesn’t.

The biggest myth about work is, “If you don’t work for hours you won’t make it big.” Heard of it? No?!

How about this? – “If you don’t work hard you will fail!” – Yes! We’ve all heard this one.

“The idea is not to work hard for long hours and time, it is what you do in all those hours and time.

Remember S.M.A.R.T.E.R ? – Let me remind you just in case – Specific, Meaningful, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound, Evaluate, Readjust your approach.

Remember to ask yourself these questions each time you feel guilty about taking a break

When was the last time I took a break and didn’t think about work?

It is important to take at least a day off each week and at least 14-15 days off in a year.

How many hours of work have I really put in? 

In a day, take a break after a good 50-90 minutes of work.

Am I creating something that is fun and productive?

If the answer is No, immediately take a break

Do I feel more tired or exhausted and less excited and enthusiastic?

If the answer is yes, schedule time at the spa or yoga and unwind.

Am I happy with the results?

If the answer is No, take that break. Do something fun!

Taking a break should be fun and should leave you happy. Your mind needs a break every now and then.

Image via Unsplash

First published at author’s blog

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