August is “Me Time” Month

At Ann Albrecht Consulting, we have declared August “Me Time” Month. For the first time in a long time as a business owner, I made the decision to take a vacation with my son. It may not seem like a big deal, but as a business owner just the thought of being away from my clients was daunting. It seemed counterintuitive at first, but I soon realized taking a vacation has benefits to me, my family, and my business. 

This “Me Time” with my son was a chance to break away from the fast-paced life. I was able to recharge my battery – stepping away from the demands of everyday life and replenishing my energy. 

I wanted to share a few things I learned about taking some much-needed Me Time and what it can do for you as a business owner: 

Mental Health and Well-Being

Taking time to maintain your mental health and well-being, you avoid burnout. Sometimes you feel like you are in a vicious cycle. Taking vacation time away from your everyday stresses can break the routine and give you a chance to unwind. It gives you time for self-reflection and self-discovery. 

Confidence in your team

By taking a vacation, you are showing your team you have the confidence in them to handle the day-to-day business while you are away. Delegating duties before you leave not only gives you peace of mind while you are out of the office, it develops trust with your staff. 

Demonstrate your priorities

When you, as the leader of the business, take a vacation, it shows you place a high value on maintaining physical wellness and mental well-being. 

Plans in place

By making extensive preparations before your vacation, you are forcing yourself to set systems in place, testing processes and planning for unexpected situations. 

You may be asking yourself, how in the world could I ever take a worry-free vacation? The upside of running your own business is that you can set your own schedule and adjust it as needed. But the downside of being your own boss is that it’s not always easy to take time off; sometimes it even seems impossible. I wanted to share some tips on how I planned my much-needed vacation as a business owner: 

Planning when to go

Be aware of the time of year when your business slows down. Align your vacation with the best times to visit your destination. And be sure if you are taking your kids to check the school calendar. 

Set vacation boundaries for yourself

Once you decide the best time to take your trip, you will want to set boundaries for yourself while you are out of town. Ask yourself, how connected do you want to be? Do you want to completely disconnect from everything for the time you will be out of the office? Some business owners might have more of a choice in this decision depending on how many employees they have on staff. 

Unplug

Can you unplug completely while you are on vacation? If not, decide how much contact you want while you are away. Will you check and respond to emails or texts in the morning and the evening? Or is it more realistic to be available for an hour every day? Whatever you decide, making these decisions ahead of time will give you the best opportunity to really relax and decompress.

Delegate your work

Put a plan into place as far in advance of your time off as you can. 

Is there one person who can handle all your usual daily tasks? Can tasks be divided between team members, so you don’t overload one person? With clear instructions and trust in your team, it’s reassuring to address any potential issues that might come up while you are out of the office. You may want to even think about whether any responsibilities and projects you are working on could be put on hold until your return. 

If possible, it’s beneficial to have a second-in-command who can make decisions on your behalf when you are on vacation.

Let important clients know you will be on vacation

If your business demands you to stay in regular contact with your clients, make sure you give them advance notice that you will be out of the office. Being proactive gives you time to work out any potential issues together before you go. It also makes your clients feel valued and important to your business. Let your clients know who their main point of contact will be while you are out of the office – this will certainly give them the peace of mind they need while you are away. 

Enjoy yourself

It takes a lot of planning and work for any business owner to go on vacation – it can be exhausting. Thoughtful planning needs to go into your planning when you want to take a vacation and the more you can look ahead and put plans into place for how things will run of while you are away – and who will be responsible – the more you can relax, clear your mind, and let go of any guilt you might feel for being away.

You deserve some Me Time! Be kind to yourself and take that well-deserved vacation. I highly recommend it!