What Should Entrepreneurs Do Next? Put On Your Sunscreen and Get Outside

If you’re a business owner, when was the last time you went on vacation? One where you put your phone down and let your team handle the business for a week? Or even a few days? (please don’t say never, please don’t say never…)

In honor of National Sunscreen Day (May 27), you should know there are actual scientific reasons why you should go outside and go on vacation.

I live in southern California, and personally, I don’t step a toe outside during the day without slathering myself in sunscreen first. It feels like the sun is right on top of you…especially in the summer… especially here in the Coachella Valley.

But I’ll let you in on a little secret… I find it hard to actually take vacations. Partially it’s because I never think about it ahead of time so I keep finding my weeks booked up. I want to, but I keep finding excuses not to. 

My birthday is in late August (cheese and chocolate always appreciated, JUST SAYING) and so I end up going on vacation for my birthday. Not even really to celebrate my birthday. More because by that time I am absolutely flattened by the 120-degree days we’ve had by then, and I am desperate to get out of the CV. 

And every time I go on a vacation, by the third day or so, I think to myself, This is AWESOME. I need to do this more than once a year. 

I think it takes a couple of days to actually shake off the “real” world, and then you can truly enjoy yourself. Enjoying yourself is key. Last year I spent an entire day - a DAY - away from screens of any kind, which was amazing. (Try it if you haven’t!)

Outdoors

The human brain did not develop in a room full of computers. Instead, our ancestors were all hanging out on the African savannah in the middle of nature. 

Even after some of the ancestors started wandering away from Africa, they wandered into some more nature. Unlike the savannah - we ended up in places like Siberia, tropical islands near the equator, and everything in between - but we still weren’t sitting in chairs in front of screens in air-conditioned rooms. 

That’s why all the research shows that people are happier in nature, and less likely to be depressed or otherwise ill with healthy doses of getting outside. The human brain is also soothed by water, so take a trip to the beach, lake, or river. 

Daily exposure is best - take a walk when you can. In hot climates such as, uh, the Coachella Valley in summer, it’s best to be active either very early in the morning or late at night in the summer, when the sun’s not out.

Leave the office (home office or otherwise) to have lunch in the nearby park. You’ll be more refreshed for the afternoon.

If you have kids, make sure you’re having regular trips to the park or whatever feature of nature you have nearby. It’s usually cheaper than other man-made attractions too, so you get to have fun without spending a lot of money.

Vacations

Not everyone gets paid vacation in the US, which is silly but also detrimental to our health. We business owners and entrepreneurs don’t really have paid vacation. 

But everyone needs to “sharpen the saw”. Yet the sharpening isn’t all about work and reading only educational materials. It includes resetting, recharging, and enjoying life.

The research shows that people who take their vacations are generally happier, less stressed, are less liable for heart problems, and have better mental health.

Even solopreneurs can let their clients know they’re away for some period of time. If you do this in the summer when everyone else is on vacation too, it’s probably not going to be that big of a deal. (You can go on vacations at other times of the year, too. But if you haven’t done it for a while, start with an easy time like summer.)

Being away from your business periodically means you can return to it with fresh eyes. You might have some new ideas that were percolating in the subconscious once you finally gave your conscious mind a chance to rest. You’ll feel refreshed and ready to tackle even difficult problems when you return.

Human brains simply didn’t develop in an atmosphere of working with focused attention for 8 hour (or more) days, five (or more) days a week. When you don’t take vacations and instead keep pushing on, your health both mentally and physically takes a hit. 

You’re not doing good work when you don’t give your brain a chance to rest periodically - you might be busy and doing a lot of stuff, but is it moving your business forward? Probably not. Or it is moving your business forward, but slowly. You’d get there a lot faster if you work with your brain instead of against it, and give it the breaks it needs from attention and focus.

It’s critical for you to step away from your business completely during this time. Don’t take calls or emails, and stay off your social media too. Interact with the people that are physically in front of you. Your brain doesn’t recognize social media is being social so you don’t get any of those benefits- you need personal contact by phone or in person for that.

And of course, don’t forget the sunscreen, even if you’re not going to the beach!

Recap:

Vacations are crucial for mental health and productivity, so take them. Business owners too need to step aside periodically so they can come back with a renewed and different perspective.