Holidays are good for your health
- Donna Page
- 3 November 2009
- Page 2 of 2 : single page
"You only have to look at what happened to Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting recently when he had 10 days off after the Ashes series," says Holmes. "It is a very good example of someone realising that they need a break, because exhaustion is no good for anyone. He took a break and came back and scored a lot of runs; it was that simple."
“As of December last year, Australians had 123 million days of accrued annual leave by full-time employees, which equates to $33.3 billion in wages”
There is no doubt that everyone needs time out at some stage. Holmes says for small business owners it's a question of balance.
"The business needs to be able to survive without you," she says. "Stress and depression are just some of the health problems that can arise from being overworked."
If lengthy holiday breaks are not possible in the beginning, Holmes suggests getting away for extended weekends.
"Even short breaks can give you a chance to catch up on sleep and recharge," she explains.
"This means clearing the decks of all work responsibilities. You have to remove yourself. You need to tell yourself you deserve a break and that you are entitled to time out."
Get a life
The benefits of holidays are well documented.
While most research into work-related illnesses focuses on the effects of long working weeks, a 2003 report commissioned by public-policy research centre the Australia Institute claims that similar afflictions are likely to affect people who don't take leave.
Problems include greater alcohol and cigarette consumption, unhealthy weight gain, disrupted eating and sleeping patterns, fertility and cardiovascular problems, gastrointestinal and psychological disorders and breakdowns in relationships.
Burnout, unfortunately, is something many small business owners can't see until it's happened, says Holmes.
"In many cases people don‘t actually unwind until the end of the first week of a break," she says. "Then you need an extra five to 10 days on top of that to really get the benefits of a good break."
Dr Greg Chapman, chief executive officer of Empower Business Solutions
and author of The Four Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success, says the majority of small businesses depend on owners to drive success. Most small business owners are micro-managers and feel that if they give tasks to
others they are "messed up", so they take on all the responsibility themselves.
"You need to have systems and reporting in place to ensure work is done when you are not there," he says.
"Those with good systems are able to take breaks and the business does not suffer. There is a saying in business that what gets measured, gets done. It's like a recipe for a cake, it needs to be written down in your operations manual so anyone can follow it." #
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Five ways to take a break with a clear conscience
- Start with the intention to take regular holidays; write it into your business plan
- Budget and plan time out each year; ensure you have the cashflow to take a break.
- Manage your time strategically and establish systems so the business is run repetitively.
- Delegate and outsource.
- Monitor staff performance and provide training.
