Think you don’t have time to take a holiday?
Holidays are vital for tired, stressed business owners. Not only is the habit of taking regular holidays linked to reduced mortality and lower incidence of heart disease, but holidays have myriad benefits.
Going away with friends and loved ones, or taking solo time out is great for your mental health, reducing risk of depression and also alleviating stress. Extra sunshine helps boost Vitamin D and a few hours’ extra sleep helps our well-being in general.
Holidays also allow more time to bond with family and make exercise fun. Go for walks on the beach, a city walking tour, hiking and tramping or playing backyard cricket.
Depending on your destination, you are likely to expand your mind also. All that botany, marine biology, history and culture leave little room to stress out about the banalities of the office. And there is the added benefit of keeping your mind challenged and taking young family members on a voyage of discovery.
Make that holiday happen
If you are a business owner, you’ll know that the more stressed out you are, the more you need a holiday and the less easy it is to make the time. Here are a few tips to help you plan a holiday and make the most of it:
- Put systems in place. If you write down your procedures and practices and ensure your team are following them, you can lie on the beach without worrying. The earlier you put systems in place within your business, the earlier you will reap the benefits.
- Plan. Use your most productive time of day to plan your holiday. Don’t try and do it once you get home, after the kids are in bed. Put aside 30 minutes each working day to really plan your holiday and book airfares and accommodation. You’ll have less risk of booking incorrect dates and times and your holiday will be more cohesive.
- Rethink how you use your time. If you spend your working day rushing from A to B, book a holiday that involves lying in one place. If you spend your work week on a wheelie chair in front of a monitor, go somewhere with plenty of places to walk and explore. Make sure your holiday is a real break from reality - not just the same behaviours moved to a different location.
- Shut off. Leave your mobile and laptop behind and don’t check your emails. Holiday like it’s 1989 - if you are away from the office, you are out of contact. If it’s an emergency, your team can call the hotel, but do not give any way to contact you directly.
- Take a mini-break. If you really can’t get away for a week or two, take a long weekend, unplug and relax. Explore your nearest large city and visit the theatre or get your blood pumping with a live sports game. If you are in the city, find your closest rural retreat, have a massage then get your gumboots on and step out into that invigorating fresh air.
Mini-holiday ideas
Roughing it: Visit the Department of Conservation’s website for free or low-cost back-to-basics camping sites.
Take a Zest food tour - these walking tours in Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin will get your feet moving and your gastric juices flowing.
Night-time Ghost Tours, available in many cities including Auckland, Napier, Hamilton, Arrowtown and the most famous, the Dunedin Hair Raisers Tour. Even if you don’t believe in ghosts, it’s guaranteed to be novel and interesting.
For a dose of history, wherever you are in New Zealand, check out the Historic Places Trust’s website. They list historic New Zealand sites such as Pompallier Mission in Russell and Pencarrow Lighthouse in Wellington.
Try an ‘experience’ - test your hand at race car driving in Taupo or sleepover with the kids at an Auckland Zoo ‘Safari Night’. You’ll be talking about it for years!
For more information about setting good business practices to make your holidays easier, please don’t hesitate to come and see us.