Even successful entrepreneurs have some bad habits. One of the big ones is not knowing when to take a break.

For many small business owners, it’s almost impossible to take a step back and relax. It’s easy to have an “always-on” mentality when you’re an entrepreneur. You own a business that depends on you to survive, so you never really get a day off – right?

This attitude can kill both your business and you as the owner. While you might feel uncomfortable or guilty taking time off, it’s essential to give yourself time to rest so you can come back strong and rejuvenated.

The “easy” solution, of course, is to take time off in the form of occasional days off or extended vacations. But those solutions don’t always work: If, as soon as you’re out of the office, you can’t help checking your email or worrying about what’s going on back in your business.

Too often, at the end of a vacation you might wind up feeling more stressful than before.

Of course, time off is necessary, but only if you can take it without adding more work to your load. So, how can you do that…

Here are 10 ideas that could help you take more time off:

1. Take Small Breaks Every Day

Work your way up to the idea of taking a vacation by adding these three exercises into your daily routine: First, go for a walk for 30 minutes in nature. Second, give your mind a break before and after sleep by limiting screen time. Third, try mindfulness meditation to reduce anxiety and gain greater control over your thoughts.

2. Set a Date And Stick to It

Set a vacation date and make it non negotiable. You can let your (internal/external) team know you’re available for an hour or two on certain days, but setting boundaries is critical to taking time off. You should also ensure your team has all the tools they need to complete their work while you’re out of the office.

3. Plan Ahead

Plan ahead of time so you can prepare the necessary tasks in advance. You can still do a ‘light’ check-in while on vacation to ensure those tasks are being accomplished.

4. Take It Slowly

Start by planning a long weekend with a couple of scheduled check-ins. Once you see how good it is to get a break and how competent your team is, you’ll be able to take the next trip without any check-ins. Eventually, you can work your way up to a summer vacation.

5. Add Off Days to Business Trips

You need to take vacations at different times of the year, not just during the summer. If there are times when you’re traveling for work to a conference or business meeting, then add a few days off to extend the trip. You’ve already organized your calendar to accommodate that time off, so adding a few more days at the end is easier.

6. Go During Your Off-season

Every business has ‘seasons’ when a business’s growth rate slows down. If you can plan your vacation around this time, there’s less need for you to be at work and you can afford to leave other people in charge.

7. Delegate or Postpone
For each task, including your day-to-day responsibilities as well as emergency situations that might pop up, decide whether to delegate or postpone your action. To delegate, designate one of your team members to take on the task in your absence. To postpone, title the task as “unimportant,” and know you’ll handle it once you’ve returned.

8. Make Yourself Unavailable
Schedule at least two days off and make yourself unavailable for most, if not all, of the day. Set boundaries and define the dates you are out. Otherwise, it’s too easy to say, ‘I’m just going to check my email and put out some fires before going for a walk.’ 

9. Establish “Worry Time”
If you find that even while disconnecting, you can’t help but worry about your job, try to refocus your efforts so you only worry for a certain period of time each day. For example, you might designate 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. as your “worry time,” to check emails and think about what’s going on back at work. But as soon as 1 p.m. hits, you have to pull yourself away from the screen and focus only on enjoying yourself.

10. Book Time to Catch Up On Work

Book 60-90 minutes a day to catch up on work. Dedicate one hour a day with your morning coffee or before you go to bed to go through reports and your email inbox. With the right planning, emergencies and setbacks are handled easily so you can take some rest.

Now It’s YOUR Turn

For five minutes… come up with as many ideas as you can… what can YOU do to take more time off?