When you were younger, summer probably meant school break, time outside, and playing without a care in the world. But as working professionals, summer has lost a bit of its shine. With everything on your plate, it’s easy to let summer slip by as you work tirelessly away in your office.
You might even think that taking a summer vacation will harm you in the long run. You’ll miss work, fall behind, and create a nightmarish to-do list for when you get back.
But this doesn’t have to be the case. In fact, taking a summer vacay can be one of the best things you can do for yourself, and your business.
Here at Canada’s Virtual Assistant, we shut down for 1 week every summer before or after the August long weekend for a vacation – and we encourage all business owners to do the same.
Taking a summer vacation is part of creating a healthy work-life balance. Though our ‘hustle culture’ society makes it seem like you should be working 24/7, 365 days a year, this mentality can cause serious harm. Taking breaks and vacations allows us to disconnect from the pressures of work, to reconnect with our hobbies, interests, and loved ones, and to rest, so we can return to work energized and feeling good.
In the same way you take a coffee break every couple of hours at work to recharge, you should take a vacation every few months as well. With a nice vacation, you’ll notice you return to work feeling more optimistic and energized, and produce higher quality work with less stress.
But you might be thinking: That sounds nice, but what about my business? Who will take care of that while I’m gone?
If that’s you, you should consider hiring a virtual assistant. A virtual assistant is a highly skilled individual you can hire to help you in your business, who works entirely remotely. Different virtual assistants have different specializations, depending on their education and training. For example, some virtual assistants might be highly skilled in content creation and marketing, while others might be skilled bookkeepers. You can even find virtual assistants who will act as a remote personal assistant, helping you book and manage appointments, monitor your email, and more.
If you’re looking to take a summer vacation but worry about taking time away from your business, a virtual assistant can be a wonderful solution. Spend some time reflecting on what your business needs most while you will be away, then find a virtual assistant with the necessary skills. They will be able to take care of all pressing tasks while you enjoy your break.
You can also make the transition process easier by spending some time preparing for your vacation. About a month before your scheduled vacation, alert your clients of your break so you can do any necessary prep before you leave. 2 weeks before you leave, block time into your calendar to do this prep work. You don’t want to spend your vacation on your laptop or phone working. By preparing well in advance and alerting your clients of your break, you can fully disconnect while on vacation, knowing everything is getting done.
A day before your vacation, set your out of office alert on your email and then, delete your email app on your phone! It can be tempting to constantly check in on work while you’re away, so remove the temptation by deleting your email app.
Finally, on the day of, go enjoy yourself and step away from your business! We understand how much you care about your business, and how difficult it can be to take a step back, even if it’s just for a week.
But trust us when we say that taking a break is a good idea. You’ll come back refreshed and rejuvenated, and your business will benefit.