Small business owners often work more than one job – manager, accountant, salesperson, marketing department, and so on. For this reason, we are often overworked, take a few breaks, and suffer from a poor work-life balance.

Here are six reasons why you should take a holiday if you’re a small business owner – even if you think the business will suffer without you!

1. A tired brain works poorly

If you don’t take a break and relax from time to time, your mind will be so tired and overworked that it won’t know whether it is coming or going. This is bad for you – you won’t be able to process things correctly, you might make bad decisions, and your business will suffer. Get some rest so that your brain can perform at the top level.

2. Get some perspective

Some time away from your business can help you to get some perspective on what you need to do to get to the next level. Ever heard the phrase ‘work smarter, not harder’? Well, you can’t work smart if you don’t give yourself enough time to sit back and think about what that means. Some time away will show you the bigger picture more clearly.

3. Persevere for longer

Running a business from the ground up takes a long time. Many small business owners fail along the way, giving up because of financial difficulties, stress, and the hardships of trying to make it. If they held on for just a little longer, they might have got through that tough first period and into a profitable future. With a break, you will be able to keep going for longer and battle through.

4. Learn to trust

If you are leaving the business in the hands of an employee while you are away, then this will be a great exercise in trust. You have to give up the reins and believe that someone will do just as good a job as you would for a short time. This can be hard for small business owners, who are used to being in control of everything, but it is essential if you want your business to grow.

5. Enjoy the rewards

If your business is doing well, then excellent – good for you! But how are you enjoying those rewards? You work hard all of the time, just for the joy of… working harder? Spending some money on a holiday is a great way to treat yourself, and it could easily become a carrot that entices you to smash new goals over the next year in preparation for your next trip.

6. Self-care is important for everyone

Everyone should be practising self-care, especially those who live high-stress lifestyles. Guess what? As a small business owner, that’s you! You have to look after yourself and both your mental and your physical health. If you don’t, you risk driving yourself towards a breakdown, or even problems with your health later in life that could bring you to an early grave. We don’t want to be dramatic, but it is this important!

There’s one more important thing that you should know: as a small business owner, going on holiday also means leaving work behind – altogether. No secretly checking your emails on the hotel wi-fi, no scribbling down notes for your next product development by the pool, and no laying awake all night thinking about it. Disengage, and come back all the stronger for it when you return home and get back to work.