Vacation Guilt: Move past feeling bad and enjoy your time off.

If you feel guilty taking time away from work, you aren't alone! Over half of people report feeling bad about taking time off (even when they are genuinely ill). If you have been following a while, you know that one of our core values is a healthy work / life balance. But how do you take that much needed break without the ick factor? Here are a few things to keep in mind to help you take (and enjoy) down time to pursue interests and relationships outside of your business.

1. 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝗯. Taking time with your family and friends, enjoying a hobby or travel allows you the mental and physical rest necessary for better problem solving skills, fewer mistakes and a better overall attitude.

2. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗶𝗿𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆...𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲, 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿. So many of us are spending more time than ever working from home and as a result, we are missing out on some of the natural breaks that happen in a workplace environment. This means many of us are actually working MORE than normal. So while it may feel weird to take time off when you're not physically in the workplace as much, it's especially important to create those boundaries.

3. 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿. It's so damn tempting to check that email while you're waiting in line at the airport, or a quick voicemail before you head to the beach, but don't do it. Seriously, STOP IT. Set an out of office memo on your email and voice mail and let people know clearly and firmly that you are out of office and when they can expect a response. Then stick to it!

What strategies do you use to get past vacation guilt? Let us know in the comments.