How can electricians take a break?

Summer is the perfect time to recharge those batteries, but if you own your own business, taking a break can be hard. We ask two pros how they do it.

In this Article:

Taking a break from work requires discipline to really switch off, but ultimately is a great business decision.

Finding hobbies where you lose yourself in the moment can provide a quick recharge.

Taking charge of your wellbeing is just as important as taking charge of your business.


OUR PANEL	ANTON GUINEA THE GUINEA GROUP – ELECTRICIAN TURNED BUSINESS COACH	DAVID PENGLASE BEHAVIOURAL SCIENTIST AND EXECUTIVE COACH
Is it important to take a break from work? If so, why?	It is important to take a break from work, to recharge, to revitalise, and to re-engage with others in our lives, like our significant others. Taking a break is about self care, it allows you to take a mental break from the pressures of work, and it allows you to unwind and give your cortisol response system (stress hormone) time to stabilise and normalise. Taking a break resets and refreshes your body.	From as far back as Aristotle, the importance of a recreational break has been highlighted across psychology, philosophy and behavioural science. If you consider the word recreation as a re-creation opportunity, taking a break allows people to re-create their emotional and physical energy, as well as re-creating focus on what’s really important in their lives.
Has ‘taking a break’ become more difficult in the digital age? What should we be doing each day to enable us to switch off?	Taking a break can be harder during this digital age, but it is not impossible.It takes discipline. Discipline to not check emails, or have to respond to them instantly. Discipline to understand what is actually your priority, as opposed to someone else’s. Discipline to switch devices off to allow you to be present and to be mindful.	We’re more connected than ever before, however, research shows we are reporting more emotional disconnection, less empathy, more loneliness and a range of other emotional problems.One thing to try is to stop or significantly reduce checking social media. This reconnects us with the here and now, we can live more in each moment, and concentrate on what we are doing.
How can you take a decent break, especially when you own a business?	When you own your own business, you are in charge of your calendar. You can set deadlines, you can put someone in charge while you have a break, you can let customers know that you will be offline for a day or a week. You can book a massage, or take time to meditate. The issue is that business owners don’t take charge of their wellbeing. Taking a break is a key business decision.	One of the reasons many people start their own businesses is to have more control over their decisions, when and where they work and the type of customers they want to work with. Taking a decent break is mainly achieved by two things: (1) Having the mindset that it’s an essential part of your life and (2) Prioritising work scheduling around that.
If you can’t get away for a few weeks, can a change of scenery or a hobby have the same effect?	If you can’t get away, a change of scenery or a hobby are great ideas. Even a night in a hotel can be enough to recharge batteries. Hobbies like sport or gym-related activities are best for those who want to create more energy, because exercise releases endorphins. Studies show that people who exercise regularly benefit from a positive boost in mood and lower rates of depression.	Hobbies have shown to be beneficial to our psychological wellbeing – listening to or playing music, for example, or any hobby that moves us toward experiencing FLOW in our lives (where we get to put our skills, talents, abilities into something we love doing to the point of pushing ourselves slightly – but not too much).
Should we always wait until summer for a break or should we let ourselves recharge at different times of the year?	Don’t wait until summer to take a break. There is no reason you can’t schedule and take breaks at different times of the year. Be committed to taking breaks, and it will happen. Set your business up for success while you are away. And who knows, you might even come back and everything will be under control!	For those who can regularly apply their character strengths and get involved in FLOW experiences and activities on weekends, taking shorter, more regular breaks throughout the year might work. For those who don’t have hobbies, or who worry about work on weekends, taking a longer break can be beneficial.