How to Actually Switch Off When You Run a Small Business
Going on holiday and checking your emails twice a day does not count as switching off.
I know, because it’s exactly the kind of thing I’d be tempted to do too.
When you run a small business, especially if you’re the main point of contact — or the only point of contact — switching off can feel strangely difficult.
You book the holiday.
You tell yourself you’re going to take a proper break.
Then, a few days before you go, the thoughts start.
What if someone enquires while I’m away?
What if a client needs something?
What if I miss an email?
Maybe I’ll just check once in the morning...
And before you know it, “just keeping an eye on things” has turned into sitting by the pool answering emails.
Which, unfortunately, is still work.
The problem with being the person who knows everything
One of the trickiest parts of running a small business is that so much can naturally end up sitting with you.
You know which enquiries need following up.
You know where the client information lives.
You know who is waiting for a reply.
You know what needs checking before Friday.
And because you know all of it, it’s very easy to convince yourself that nobody else could really step in.
But if the business can only keep moving while you’re watching it, it becomes very hard to ever properly step away from it.
Even for a week.
You probably don’t need someone to “run the business”
This is where I think people sometimes imagine holiday cover has to be much bigger than it actually is.
You don’t necessarily need someone making decisions on your behalf or taking over everything while you’re away.
Sometimes you just need someone keeping an eye on the practical things.
That might mean:
Keeping an eye on new enquiries.
Managing a customer support inbox.
Responding to straightforward emails.
Booking meetings for when you return.
Making sure an important follow-up doesn’t get forgotten.
Keeping your CRM up to date.
Letting someone know you’ll come back to them properly once you’re home.
Small things, really.
But they’re often the exact things that make you reach for your phone when you’re supposed to be switching off.
“I’ll just check once a day”
Famous last words.
Because once you open the inbox, you’ve seen the email.
And once you’ve seen the email, you start thinking about it.
Then you reply to one.
Then another.
Then you remember something else you meant to check.
Suddenly you’re working.
The bit people forget is that switching off isn’t only about physically not being at your desk.
It’s about not carrying the running list around in your head either.
That’s much harder to do if you know there are things quietly waiting for you.
A bit of preparation goes a long way
If you’ve got time away booked, I’d start thinking about this before the out-of-office goes on.
What actually needs to keep moving while you’re away?
What could wait?
What would make you feel like you had to check in?
And could any of that be handed over?
Sometimes the answer is yes.
Sometimes you’ll realise most of it can wait quite happily for a week.
Both are useful to know.
You are allowed to actually go on holiday
I think this is the bit small business owners sometimes need reminding of.
Your business matters.
Your clients matter.
But taking a week off without checking your inbox every few hours is not going to make the whole thing collapse.
And if the only thing stopping you switching off is the day-to-day admin, there are ways around that.
A little bit of support while you’re away can mean coming home to an organised inbox, enquiries that haven’t gone cold and a business that hasn’t required you to be half-present from a sun lounger.
Which sounds much more like a holiday to me.
If you’ve got some time away coming up and you’re already wondering how you’re going to switch off, tell me what usually keeps pulling you back in.
We can work out what actually needs covering — and what can absolutely wait until you get home.
Tell me what needs keeping an eye on →
This Note started life as a post I shared on LinkedIn.
