The Art of Taking a Break (How to Rest Properly for a Change!)

For many, rest is the opposite of not working.

But when you’re an entrepreneur, things become a bit trickier, to say the least, and you may soon realize you’re the worst boss you’ve ever had!

For example, how many times have you decided to take the afternoon off, only to find yourself full of anxiety and unable to unwind, just because you feel the pressure of not working?

That’s right – one too many!

However, hustling hard 24/7, 365 days of the year is not the recipe for success – it’s a recipe for disaster!

Read on to learn whether you’re resting the wrong way and find out what’s stopping you from taking a break.

Are you doing rest wrong?

If you’re feeling drained even though you took the time off, here are some of the ways to tell if you’re resting the wrong way!

• You’re not working alright – but you’re still thinking about work
• You can’t resist the temptation and check your email anyway – even if you know you won’t respond until tomorrow/the next day
• Even worse – you reply to emails and messages because that thing “takes just a minute” (we all know it doesn’t)
• You become anxious on the thought of being offline and/or away for a day or two
• You struggle to let your team take over – even though you know you can trust them!

Nodding your head here?

It all comes down to your mindset.

We’ve all been exposed to motivational quotes that told us to go big or go home, to stop wishing and start doing, yadda, yadda… you know the deal.

In that world, rest is never an option, nor a need, since only the “weak” may need a thing like rest! 

But in the real world, where real business and real life happen, you’ll soon realize rest becomes a priority.

Need a helping hand changing your mindset? Check out my Master Your Mindset Bundle and learn how to remove all obstacles to the life you’ve always wanted!

What you can do to start resting properly:

There are more than a few things you could do to rest more actively and improve your wellbeing in the long run.

Rest does NOT equal stopping!

Work on changing your mindset first.  

Is there a pattern in your thinking that needs to change? Let’s say, maybe your parents always used to say that only those that work hard succeed in life.

Grab a notepad and write down every single thought you have about taking a break.

Do you feel guilty whenever you take the time off? Do you feel as if you’re not allowed to rest? Don’t judge yourself – just make a list of your beliefs and try to identify the ones that don’t serve you.

Remember: rest does NOT equal stopping. Rest does NOT equal giving up on your dreams. You deserve to rest. And you can’t rest ONLY after you’re done – you have to prioritize it along the way too!

READ NEXT: How to Leave the Employee Mindset Behind

Have a system that lets you take care of yourself daily.

Resting actively isn’t something you only do during the weekend or whenever you feel tired. You need a system made out of all the right habits that allows you to keep yourself in good shape every single day.  

Here are some suggestions:

• Have a way to effectively deal with stress – for some people, meditation helps; for others, it’s kickboxing. Everything works, as long as it works for you!
• Eat good food, drink plenty of water and don’t get carried away with the coffee. 30 Jumping Jacks and a round of light stretching can give you a better energy boost than a cup of coffee!
• Get more of the good type of sleep. You know, the one where you wake up and go to bed at the same time every day.
• When you’re done for the day, be really done for the day – and if your business is purely online-based, stay away from all devices (and emails!) after you’re done with work!

Of course, feel free to additionally customize your system according to your lifestyle and needs.

Tell me – what’s your secret to resting?

What do you do to make sure you’ve recharged and ready to take on the world again?

Read NEXT: 7 Small Things to do Right Now for a Bigger Impact