Taking time out to relax is probably one of the most important things that you can do when you’re running a business. But with so much to do, many entrepreneurs forget to have this crucial ‘me’ time, working well into the evenings and over the weekends when their employees are home having fun.
As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to fall into the trap of feeling like time spent relaxing is time wasted. When your time is your money, it makes sense to spend as much time as you can working so that you can grow your business and make a larger profit. But, forgetting to relax can cause a number of problems with your health – including stress and anxiety, high blood pressure, headaches, muscle pain and more, which can add up and take their toll.
How to Relax
If you’ve been running a business for a long time and it’s getting increasingly busier, you’ll be forgiven if you’ve forgotten what relaxing feels like. Many entrepreneurs find themselves incorporating work into the time that they’ve set aside for relaxation, such as taking their laptop on holiday, checking emails in front of the TV, and taking conference calls during dinner time. But, it’s vital that during the time you set aside for relaxation, you forget about work. This helps you to truly wind down and release the stress of the day, leaving you refreshed to take on the remainder of what you have left to do.
Relaxation Tips
Relaxing doesn’t always need to involve sitting on an exotic beach sipping a cocktail – although if you can afford to do that it definitely works. There are many things that you can do to help you to relax, and this can be as simple as spending half an hour in a hot bubble bath when you get home from the office. Spending time with your family on a strict no-work basis is also great for helping you to wind down – visit an amusement park together, go for a walk or bike ride, or simply have a movie night and order pizza.
Having Fun
If you simply can’t put your laptop or smartphone down, then don’t worry as there are loads of websites and apps out there which you can use to have fun, forget about work for a bit and relax. You could choose to watch a favourite movie or TV show on Netflix or Amazon Video, or browse weird news, top ten lists and funny quizzes on BuzzFeed to take your mind off work for a while. Online gaming is also great – especially if you’re on the go a lot, as you can download a number of gaming apps to your smartphone or tablet. Playing bingo games, casino games and slot games can also help you to relax and unwind whilst being in with the chance of earning a few extra pennies.
Do you run a business? Which are your favourite ways to relax and unwind? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.