Being an entrepreneur is more than just having a full-time job. Being your own boss may give you some freedom and flexibility, but that freedom comes at the cost of a lot of blood and sweat and anxious calls to everyone from suppliers to customers at all hours of the day. Entrepreneurs are standing up on one foot all day long keeping their ventures afloat, and they deserve a well-earned break every once in a while, to keep their sanity intact.
Being a business owner has always been a hard job but due to the increasingly connected work environment due to technology, the difference between your work life and your private life starts to blur. This makes it even more important to switch off your phone and do something that you enjoy every once in a while.
Some of the perfectionists among us may see a break as a step-down, and it might seem like taking a break will just waste precious working time where you could cut down some of the work on your ever-increasing to-do list. But in fact, it is the opposite of that. Research has shown that taking breaks helps break the monotony of a task and helps your brain come up with fresh ideas to approach your work.
Trying to stay afloat while running your own business is a tricky job and sometimes it’s best to accept that you’re only human and need to step back a little. Here are some of the ways in which you can take a break that will make you a better entrepreneur.
1. Diamond Painting
Diamond painting is a relatively new craft that has gained popularity for its multi-faceted benefits (pun unintended). Diamond painting requires the painter to stick tiny diamonds made from resin (and cut with three or five facets on their sides to look like diamonds) on a printed cloth canvas. The canvas is printed with a guide of which diamonds to stick where, to complete the painting.
The reason diamond painting is especially beneficial for entrepreneurs and businessmen alike is because of its cognitive and motor skill improvement. It allows you to focus on a single task and helps you relax and improves your memory and helps calm you down.
2. Puzzles
This includes all sorts of puzzles such as crossword puzzles, sudoku, riddles, as well as jigsaw puzzles.
Puzzles allow your brain to some up with creative and interesting ways to solve problems, as well as helping you focus on the task at hand, which is an important skill to have as an entrepreneur. Puzzles are perfect to tease your brain and get the ideas rolling.
Solving crossword puzzles has been linked to improving cognitive skills, and the singular focus it provides has a meditative quality to it. Solving puzzles on a regular basis is a great way to keep your brain active and challenge yourself outside the work environment.
3. Cooking
Cooking is another hobby that not only allows to take some time to do something you enjoy, but the process of cooking helps you discipline yourself, while also experimenting with new things at the same time.
Cooking from a recipe also helps you learn control and strengthen the concept of what is enough, and teaches you the power of knowing when to stop. Following a recipe written on paper teaches you about the challenges of following a plan and how to adapt to changes in your environment at a moment’s notice.
4. Exercising
This is one of the most important hobbies that not only entrepreneurs, but everyone else should also follow. All kinds of exercises allow your body to learn endurance and allows it to face the challenges of a tough schedule without breaking down.
Your health is one of the greatest gifts you’ve been given by nature, and it is important to take care of your body, which is hard to remember when you’re on your feet all the time. Exercising will help relax your mind AND body and is beneficial for your mental health as well. Laura Land of EMPIRE Cell Phone Accessories said in an interview “I think all of our brains work a million miles a minute all day long, and there is something very stress-relieving about letting your body also move quickly.”
5. Gardening
Gardening may sound like it’s exclusive to people who have a lot of free time on their hands, but maintaining a small, low-maintenance garden will help you relax and learn about the power of doing physical work. Planting seeds, watering your plants every day, taking care of your garden, and checking for weeds, it all is a great exercise in patience and will help you when you are working on new things in your business too.
Watching your plants grow and thrive is a great way to relax and be around nature, which is great for both your mind and body.