Why your next vacation should start on a Monday



Navigating breaks as an entrepreneur can feel like a project of its own. Here are great times to take a break and reset your brain.

Taking a vacation as an entrepreneur can be tricky. It never feels right to break away from your own company to reflect and relax.

After a decade of running a company and navigating the guilt that surfaces when taking a break, I have discovered a handful of times when it feels good to break away.

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Right After a National Holiday

Right after a national holiday, most everyone is playing catch up with their own work. They are also emotionally adjusting to getting back into the grind and have more flexibility with how things unfold.

I like to spend the holiday catching up on administrative tasks and organizational matters I don't usually have time for during the week. Then take a trip away the business day following the holiday. For example, the day after Memorial Day, Fourth of July or New Year's Day. The one or two days of break feels longer when it's not on the weekend.

Mondays and Tuesdays

If I am going to break away for a short trip, I like to to have the trip start on a Monday. Again, it's the day that most people are catching up and organizing their work for the week. Coming back to work on Wednesday, allows me to stay on top of the week without missing a beat.

It feels really good to break away when everyone around you is working. It also works really well if you spend the Sunday before you leave getting organized for when you get back from your trip, so you can fall right back into work with no downtime.

When You are Needed the Least

There will be pockets of time when you might not be needed. Maybe it's one day or half a day or perhaps even a few hours. This is a great time to break away, shut off your mobile phone and connect to anything outside of work.

These small breaks can make all the difference in your ability to focus and avoid burn out. Take them when you can.

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Right Before A Project Kick Off

As your business grows you will have projects, new systems, perhaps a new software platform implementation or shipment of inventory. Whatever it may be, there's no better time to break away than right before your project kicks off.

Even if it is a one day trip, giving your brain rest before the start of a project will allow your performance to surprise you.

One important closing note on traveling as an entrepreneur: make sure you turn off your phone and leave your laptop at home. Go somewhere with no wifi or cell phone reception. Really truly disconnect. You will not regret it.

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