The Power of Unplugged Time Off as a Business Owner

Photo by Thomas Griggs on Unsplash

It can be hard to take time off, especially if you’re self-employed. As a solopreneur (single-employee company), it can feel impossible to fully unplug from your business. I’ve worked for myself these last seven years and only in the past two years, have I started to embrace the power of fully unplugging.

PTO, paid time off, is a normal part of any paid job. Some people get more than others, even unlimited at some companies, but when you work for yourself, it can feel like a luxury that doesn’t apply to you. Unlike working for a larger organization, where you can delegate your tasks while you’re gone, when you’re self-employed it feels like it all comes down to you.

But does it?

I burned out hard as a business owner in the fall of 2021. I was having one of the best years of my business on my books but I was mentally fried. I ended up taking most of December that year off from my business but it felt like too little, too late. Since then, I’ve been working to figure out the right cadence between my work and time off. I’ve also been working on re-learning how to take full time off, where I’m fully unplugged from work, not checking email or taking calls. I’ve found it can be easier said than done.

While I’m by no means an expert, these are three strategies that I’ve used to create…