I am writing from the beautiful beaches of Tahiti! Things have been hectic with work (in a good way), but sometimes you just need to escape to the beach for a little R&R. Prepping for my trip made me realize just how important taking a vacation is! Overworking yourself can hurt your business. Here are my 4 reasons why we should take a vacation this year.

When was the last time you took a vacation? It is important to slow down and make time for yourself. It can be hard to step away from the laptop, or turn your cell phone to “do not disturb”, but it is SO important to try. Taking a vacation can mean taking a trip to Tahiti, or just having a spa weekend staycation. Whatever form the vacation takes, just make sure you are giving yourself a chance to relax.

1. Taking a vacation will actually make you more productive! You may be focusing on how much work won’t be getting done, but if you know you are about to take a week off, you will be surprised to see how much work you can complete before your vacation starts. Having deadlines keeps our work flow going. Never scheduling breaks or vacations just invites you to work the same amount over a longer period of time. Work smarter, not harder.  I went through a pile of papers that were nagging at me just before we left.  Pushing myself to get through them felt great once they were done!

2. Relationships can suffer when you are over worked! When you work late, you miss out on your friends and family. These relationships are important in life and for home-based businesses. Working from home makes it especially hard to start and end work at reasonable times, but trust me, your friends and family will thank you for it! Take a vacation with your kids or husband – make time for the ones you love. Every year my best girl friends and I take a weekend trip to Napa for a weekend of fun and wine tasting. I don’t always get to see them, so this time is so important to keep those bonds strong.

3. Taking time to do something you love is a major stress reliever! After a few hours (or even a day) away, you might come back to your work much more refreshed and ready to accomplish a difficult task. Sometimes, when you get stuck, all you need is to walk away from what you are working on and you might find the answer right in front of you!

4. If you don’t take time off you can burnout! Burning out happens when people do not take breaks from their work. When you are working too many hours a day, you will start to hate the work that you once loved!  Think of your long term career – you have a lot of time to accomplish everything you need to. Take a vacation and focus on something else for a week so you can come back to the office refreshed and excited to work.  Hope you enjoy these photos of Tahiti.  We are having a blast and I expect to come home refreshed and ready to go again!

I hope I have inspired you to put the phone down and take sometime for yourself! Slow down and take a vacation.  It is summer – my favorite time of year to take a break!  Invite some friends over for a summer party and unwind with the people you love and cherish.  And plan that next get away.  The beach is calling me….

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