For entrepreneurs, having too much downtime can be seen as negative. Hustle culture tells us founders who aren’t constantly busy must be wasting time, standing still, or not striving hard enough. But that’s certainly not the case, and optimising your downtime is essential for productivity, creativity and growth. Like most things, how we perceive downtime is really about mindset. When you adjust your mindset, you see that embracing downtime can make you a happier, healthier person and a better business owner.

When we’re talking about downtime in this context, I would define it in three ways:

1. Time off:

Everyone needs mental and physical breaks from work. I definitely believe in putting in the effort to get results, which is likely to mean some late nights or weekend shifts when it’s your own business. That’s fine, providing it’s bringing you closer to achieving your goals, and you still take time to switch off. How and when you rest is really up to you, just don’t neglect it altogether. 

It can feel overwhelming to stop thinking about work when you’re the person responsible, but never giving yourself permission to unwind will negatively impact your wellbeing and ability to see things clearly. If you keep pushing ahead without stopping, you can soon compromise your cognitive ability, slowing down progress. Exhaustion is the enemy of good decision-making, just ask Arianna Huffington. Huffington talks openly about why she never interviews after a bad night’s sleep, because she tends to rush into making a decision.

2. Business thinking time: 

This is less about switching off and more about stepping back. I advise clients to schedule a period of deliberate thinking time into their diary every month to reflect on where they are and what their business needs right now. Minimise any distractions and remove yourself from the day-to-day business environment so you can focus on developing new strategies, overcoming persistent issues, and generating innovative ideas. This is critical, otherwise you can become so overwhelmed with operational tasks that you struggle to see the way forward. 

3. Quiet periods: 

Many local business owners dread the UAE summer and start worrying about falling sales months in advance, creating significant stress. Of course, quiet times are not unique to this region; business will always have ups and downs. Do your best to avoid worrying about lower revenue. Instead, if you know it’s likely to be a quiet period, you could push a little harder beforehand to build up your cashflow, then allow yourself to ease off. Or use this time to focus on strategising for the next chapter. Quiet times are a great opportunity for reflection, resetting goals and planning ahead so you can hit the ground running when things pick up. 

Banishing the guilt

Many people say they feel guilty for taking time off. It’s a common reaction, but it’s useful to understand what’s behind that feeling. Maybe you don’t think you deserve a break because you haven’t reached all of your goals yet. Or you’re constantly comparing yourself to others who seem to be smashing one milestone after the next, causing you to question your own success. All of these emotions require work to move forward. If guilt is a big one for you, stop to think about what you’re really telling yourself. Then, reframe those limiting beliefs by considering how this time would benefit you, your family and your business. If you worked for someone else previously, the guilt might also be the result of having dealt with an overly demanding boss for too long. Whose rules are you adhering to to create the guilt? Remember, you are the boss now, so you define the rules.

Tips to build downtime into your routine

• Start by reconnecting with why you started your business. What were your goals? What about your why? 
• Explore how you can use downtime to achieve those goals. Do you more need time off or space to think rather than being in ‘doing’ mode all the time?
• Planning is key – book holidays like you would as an employee. Block the time in your diary and plan how to handle the workload while you are away.  
• Book meetings with yourself in the diary – you wouldn’t miss a meeting with a client, so show the same respect for personal thinking time.
• Commit to having at least one day off a week and establish some rules that work for you. For me, it’s no time at my desk and laptop. My clients know that I am unavailable one day a week as it is built into my agreement. 

There’s a prevailing attitude that entrepreneurs can’t be successful unless they give it their all. However, there is a fine line between being dedicated to achieving your goals and pushing yourself to breaking point. If you don’t create intentional downtime you can also become resentful of the business. Often, we find ourselves pushing on when perhaps the most effective solution is to pull back, shift direction or even let go of an initiative. You can define what type of downtime you need and how much. If you’re happy and achieving your goals, you’ve likely got the balance right for you. But if you’re constantly exhausted, irritable, feeling resentful, and struggling to make progress in your business then there is something important to address. 

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