Holidays are becoming almost extinct for sole traders and small business owners. Across the nation, there’s a growing workaholic ethos, with nearly 30% of employees admitting they struggle to leave work at work.
Recently, I was mentoring a CEO who was preparing for a long-awaited holiday to two destinations her family had been looking forward to for a while. The trip had been postponed due to the pandemic. I asked her who would manage her email inbox while she was away.
“I do,” she replied.
I asked if this proved tricky or caused any problems.
“Not for me,” she said. “But it’s a problem for my family. They sigh a lot, but it doesn’t bother me.”
I pointed out that if it was a problem for her family, it was a problem for her to solve. Family holidays should be sacrosanct, especially when you work as hard as she does. She also had a full team, including a personal assistant who never took a holiday at the same time as her.
So, why couldn’t she just let go for two weeks and focus on her family?
Several reasons explain this inability to switch off completely and put on that out-of-office message:
- Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)
- Fear of Something Going Wrong – which often stems from a lack of confidence in your team
- Being a Workaholic
- A Business That Revolves Around You Without the Resources to ‘Close Shop’
- All of the Above
Let’s address these issues together, as they often go hand in hand.
The common denominators are confidence and resources. If we had confidence in our team, we would trust that they would only contact us if absolutely necessary. The team we hire should be capable of handling any issues that arise, along with their operational duties. If they can’t, then it’s time to reevaluate the recruitment process or management approach. CEOs and department heads should understand that the most effective strategy is making themselves redundant in the day-to-day running of the business. Similarly, business owners need to build a sustainable model that, at the very least, allows them to take time off. Once this is achieved, you can focus on innovation and seizing opportunities—activities that require mental space. That’s the best part, and it’s the mark of a successful business.
Statistics from August 2023 show that in Britain:
- 35% of 25-49-year-olds did not take a holiday.
- 37% of 50-64-year-olds didn’t either. (Statistica)
Research by the charity Spana revealed that four in ten British adults struggle to disconnect from work, and one in six spends more than 11 hours a week working while they’re supposed to be on holiday. That’s nearly two days!
A business mentor can help identify and address the barriers preventing you from switching off and enjoying a holiday. Reset, recharge, and re-energise.
Setting an example for your team and colleagues is crucial. Harvard Business Review found multiple benefits from taking a holiday, with three key takeaways:
- Mental Health: Rested cognitive functions lead to better problem-solving and mental relaxation.
- Physical Health: Relaxation boosts health, recalibrating any sleep debt.
- Emotional Well-being: Time away helps prepare you mentally and emotionally for future workloads.
For parents, family holidays are an important time to connect with partners and children, offering long-term benefits.
Interestingly, an EY study highlighted that for every additional ten hours of holiday, year-end performance increased on average by 8%. This boost is due to refreshed creativity, happiness, and productivity, as well as a decrease in the “warrior and martyr” mentality. Of course, there’s a limit to this effect.
In conclusion, taking a well-deserved, uninterrupted holiday is highly encouraged and should be embraced across all work cultures. However, if the idea of a complete break causes anxiety, don’t go cold turkey! Work with your business mentor to plan what needs to be handled by you and your team while you’re away. Communicate with your family or travel companions to manage expectations and avoid frustrations.
Finally, embrace—don’t fight—the benefits of switching off as much as possible from the moment your out-of-office is on.
The CEO I mentioned agreed to limit her work to two hours each morning, then fully join her family. She later reported that, while it was challenging, she returned to work with new ideas, feeling relaxed, and with a very happy family.
