Erin Thomas Wong (00:00)
Welcome back to the Life-Friendly Business podcast. I'm Erin Thomas Wong and today we're talking about something that often feels off limits when you run your own business. And that's taking a break.
When you're your own boss, there is no one to grant you annual leave or cover your work while you're away.
It can feel like the world might stop spinning if you step away and dare to switch off. And especially if your income depends on showing up, pressing pause can feel downright terrifying.
But the truth is that rest is not a reward for success. It's part of the process.
And taking a break isn't lazy or indulgent, it's actually necessary, strategic, and in many cases, exactly what you need to move forward.
So today I want to give you permission to pause, whether that's a holiday, a quiet week, or just stepping back to catch your breath. Let's explore how we can do that in a way that supports you and your business.
business.
If you've ever found yourself dreaming of taking a holiday and then instantly talking yourself out of it because it just feels like it would be too hard to implement, you're not alone. As a solopreneur, when you're the only person in your business, you can't put in a holiday request to your boss,
You can't expect that someone's going to cover your work while you're away. And sadly, often we are not getting paid for the time that we are taking a break. It's all on us, which is both freeing and liberating, but also downright scary.
It's not surprising that we feel worried about losing the income, but also like the fear of being forgotten. If we stop posting on social media and stop getting out there to networking events, what if, you know, another competitor comes into the space and takes over? What if we're forgotten? What if we lose the momentum in our business? And then that leads to feelings of guilt,
not being productive enough, but these are all, although real concerns, they're rooted in the hustle culture expectations that we put on ourselves to be able to work all year round without having any low moments or time to fill our cup back up.
but you are not a robot. You are a human being building a business around your life and that life needs space to breathe.
Rest can restore your creativity and motivation.
Stepping away can actually give you perspective on what's working and what's not working.
It also prevents burnout and resentment from building up.
And you often return from a break with clearer ideas, fresh energy, and a renewed sense of purpose. I know that as soon as I allow myself to step back and take a break, my creative brain goes, ā I've got an idea. I've got an idea for a podcast episode or a blog post. I've got an idea for something new that you can create and sell. And so we have to balance that with
actually saying, no, I am supposed to be taking a break right now, but what I always try and do is, you know, capture any of those download moments. I might not action them in that point because I'm determined to take a break, but I thank my creative brain for sending me these ideas, put them into a box, and then when I return to work, I know that I've captured them and I can implement them.
So there are lots of different ways that we can take a break from our business. So it might be an enforced break because you've got kids off school and you have to take that time to look after them, in which case make it as fun for you as you possibly can. Make sure that you're not only thinking about your kids' needs, but also your own. It could be taking a break from technology, you know, saying to yourself, I am not going to switch on my computer this week.
or for how many days you can manage, or you're going to remove your social media apps from your phone. It could be a week off doing content creation and things like that, but still fulfilling orders for client work or servicing customers. You get to decide. This is the great thing. Taking a break does not necessarily mean having to down tools and walk away and you are not allowed to do any work at all. You get to decide that.
It could be deciding that you need a low key month where you're not doing any big promotions or launches, but you're just doing gentle maintenance during that time. I find that the summer holidays are a great time to like work on my website and things like that because that can be done at my own pace when I'm feeling in the mood and it doesn't rely on having to be sat at my desk for a set time for a call, for example. Also, you could give yourself a little thinking retreat for
strategic reflection and taking this time to think about how things have been going and how you want things moving forward. So you don't have to disappear entirely to take a break, but it's about doing less and resting more.
So in terms of how to plan to do this and have the confidence that it is all going to be okay,
I do have podcast episode 84,
more practical tips on getting ready to take this break so that you can come back to a thriving business. But you need to be communicating clearly with your audience and your clients about when you're going to be available or not. You need to set up some automations or prep some content in advance or give yourself full permission not to, whatever you want to do.
I would say schedule lighter weeks before and after your break to ease in and out of it. It, you know, it, it fascinates me how many of us, and I'm talking about myself here too, we expect ourselves to just like be in holiday mode like that. Okay, that's it. I'm on holiday. I'm not going to think about work anymore. And then when we go back to work, be in work mode like that. It doesn't actually work like that. Like we do need to have that transition time. So don't feel like you're failing if that happens.
but actually plan for it and acknowledge it. And remind yourself that you deserve to have a break. You deserve to pause. It doesn't have to be earned. You know, this is the hustle culture that, you know, just being, being is enough. So just allow yourself time to just be there in life, living life. Like you don't have to always be achieving and be productive. ā Do read.
Do Less by Kate Northrup if you want to learn more about that.
So if you've been waiting for someone to tell you that it's okay to slow down, this is it.
You're not falling behind. You're not letting anyone down. You are honouring the whole reason you started your business in the first place.
to have more freedom, to have more flexibility and a life and business that actually supports your wellbeing.
If you're looking for a space where this kind of permission is baked in, where you're surrounded by women who actually get it, The Cocoon is always open for you to come and join us. But either way, know this, your business will not fall apart if you rest, but it might fall apart if you don't.
Take what you need and come back when you're ready. You will still be you. You will still be brilliant and you'll have so much more to give.
This is the final episode of season six. I look forward to seeing you very soon.
