Downtime can be one of the most restorative, and even one of the most productive, gifts you can give yourself. But we’re often so busy being busy that we can’t find the space to take a break. And often when we do, it’s not a real break because we’re still sort of kind of working while we’re sort of kind of trying to be on vacation.

When we try to do two things at once (like work while on vacation) we end up doing a pretty sucky job at both. 

After too many years of being on vacation while also sort of trying to work, last year we decided as a company to take two entire weeks off in August. No blog. No podcast. No deliverables of any kind. Nada.

(We also take two weeks off at the end of the year in December because we want to have the space to reflect on our year, plan the year ahead, and be with our friends and family.)

The digital era we live in is relentless. There’s always a new post on your Instagram feed to comment on, a new blog to read, and a new YouTube video to watch. It doesn’t stop. And as a content creator it can feel like the only way to “make it” is to be on all the time too.

What if I take a break and then everyone forgets about me?

What if I miss an opportunity because I’m not checking my phone every 30 seconds?

What if my vacation makes me irrelevant?

I promise you this:

If you’re consistent with your content and it’s valuable, no one will forget about you. In fact, they probably won’t even notice you took a break because no one cares what you’re doing nearly as much as you think they do.

Your mental health, physical health, relationships with your loved ones, and even your business will thrive if you give yourself a real break.

While we could batch everything ahead of time so that our company “appears” to be operating for the two weeks we’re off with social media posts scheduled, and blog posts and podcasts ready to go, we’ve chosen not to.

Why? Because then everyone has to work overtime in the weeks leading up to the break and they go on vacation feeling fried and needing to spend at least half of it just recovering from overworking.

That is not the reality we’ve chosen to create as a company.

It’s a break. Full stop. No one has to hustle to get two weeks of work done ahead of time. We stop working for two weeks. Simple, yet revolutionary.

If taking a full break makes you nervous and you think you still need to be “checking in” while you’re supposed to be away, consider that research actually shows that time away, like really away, actually increases our resiliency in the face of stress and makes us more productive.

It would be nice if we could just take a break to take a break without feeling like we have to earn it by working our buns off or without having to trick ourselves into it by telling ourselves it will make us more productive (even if that’s true) but no matter how you get yourself to do it, the results are the same.

Taking a real break is good for every single area of your life, including your business.

To that end, you won’t see a new blog or podcast from me until the last week of August.

And then this fall, after 5 months of maternity leave, I’ll be back at it full time. With my return I’m excited to let you know about the new things we have coming for you:

• The Ultimate Online Business Playbook is opening for registration and is perfect for you if you’ve been in business a few years and have some traction but find you’re getting stuck on logistics, hiring, systems, and moving from running around wearing all the hats to actually running a business like a pro. Get on the VIP waitlist here.
• New episodes of The Kate & Mike Show with some super special guests that I’m so excited for you to meet! Subscribe here.
• Weekly insights and tips for having more by doing less, and love notes from me right here on the blog. Get on the list if you’re not already.
• More support for you to have more by doing less in the form of free content, programs, and perhaps even in person (Stay tuned!)

I hope you find time to take a real break over the next few weeks, even if it’s simply an afternoon where you give yourself permission to disconnect from work and reconnect with yourself and the people who matter most to you.

See you in a couple weeks!

OVER TO YOU:

When was the last time you took a real break? How did you feel afterward? Tell me about it in the comments!