If you’re a small business owner, you might find that the Christmas holidays don’t feel any different from your usual day-to-day. It’ll feel like you have a tonne of things to catch up on, or some plans and strategies you want to implement before next year. But the reality is that if you don’t give yourself a break, you’ll end up starting the new year just as frazzled and stressed as ever. To help you unplug from your business these holidays, try out these handy tips.

Plan ahead

To give yourself a proper break without needing to worry about running your business, it’s important to plan ahead. If your business is one that typically gets busy during the holiday period, get a team together to help manage things while you’re away, and delegate the bigger tasks to a manager you trust. If there’s a week or two where things tend to slow down, take advantage and plan for your break to be around that time.

Don’t go cold turkey

We get it, switching off from your business completely can sometimes be more stressful than relaxing. It’s important to find what works for you – you could set one hour a day to check your emails or work on your business plans. As long as you have some boundaries in place, you’ll feel as though you’re on top of things and can relax a bit easier. The key here is finding a balance between taking a break and running your business.

Communicate clearly

To make it clear that you’ll be away, it’s important to communicate with your customers and your team if you have one. Having an out of office email reply is great, but you’ll likely need to let people know in advance, that way, they can order what they need to before you shut up shop. If people are messaging you during your break, you can set up automatic replies that let them know you’re out of action or have limited access to emails.

Be present

Sometimes taking a break from your business is easier when you’re focusing on each moment as it comes. If you’re with family, be with your family and enjoy their presence – try not to let your mind wander to what’s going on in your business. Try to engage in some activities that require your full attention, like reading a book or playing a game of backyard cricket. Whatever helps you engage in the now and switch off from your business will be beneficial.

How are you planning to switch off these holidays?