It seems to be a growing trend that we are expected to work 24/7 if we expect results in our personal or professional lives. This is not true. We are human, and need breaks.
Here at Virtual Diamond we believe that you should never have to sacrifice your wellbeing, or personal time for your business success.
With four in five small business owners saying they have experienced poor mental health it is so important to avoid burn out and that as a small business owner you can take breaks and step back. Be able to take a breath. Over the Christmas period those who are on contracts tend to get more time off, where as small business owners who are self employed are expected to just power through. However, over the holidays we all deserve a chance to have a break and take in the successes and challenges of the past year.
This is a chance for all of us to reflect on what 2021 has brought us, how we have overcome it and then how we can improve in the new year. Whether that be through focussing on a specific project you've always wanted to kickstart in your business or to take a step back and trust others more. What do you think will be your next step for your business? Do you have the mind space to even think about the future or are you trapped in surviving the present?
A common side effect of being a small business owner is getting burned out. Burnout is when exhaustion from constantly being surround by stress begins to affect your ability to make decisions and focus. It can be a creeping effect that is hard to spot. If you are unable to focus and finding it harder to engage and find happiness these could be signs that you are getting burned out. If you are worried that you are headed towards burnout, or already feeling the effects of it there is more information from the NHS here
This article will have taken 5 minutes to read through, 5 minutes of your day in which you have been able to pause. You should allow yourself this moment to think about the past year and when you have been able to take a day to relax. If you can't think of one it will be time to hire someone else to support yourself and your business. You cannot have clarity of thought and the mind space for growth when you are bogged down with stress and admin. A virtual assistant is there for when you need a 5 minute break - we can respond to that supplier, we can chase the late payments from clients and manage calendar classes for you.
Your time is valuable, let's work together to make the most of it!