Home based business owners are notorious for immersing ourselves in our work. Oh, at first, we have good intentions. We revel in the idea of simply walking down the hall in our pajamas to get work done. We fantasize about all the days that we can take off on a whim, and we salivate at all the special time we’ll have to enjoy the no-boss-around atmosphere. Then reality hits. As we gain more business, we become obsessed. We burn the midnight oil, we wake up at 3 a.m., drenched in sweat, and mentally add more items on tomorrow’s to-do list. And as we build our clientele list and grow our business, we forget to take care of ourselves. We sometimes see our family relationships suffer, and we succumb to stress and anxiety. Well, maybe it’s not that bad. But sometimes we fell like it is. Maybe we need to learn from our corporate brothers and sisters who take advantage of days off. In face, almost one-third of employees say family and relationship issues are the most likely cause for a “mental health day,” or taking a day off to recover and recharge, according to a recent ComPsych Tell It NowSM poll. ComPsych Corporation is the world’s largest provider of employee assistance programs and the worldwide leader in GuidanceResources (EAPs, behavioral health, wellness, work-life and crisis intervention services). “With the growing complexities of family and personal life, it is not surprising that relationship and family issues tops the list of reasons for checking out of work,” said Dr. Richard A. Chaifetz, chairman and CEO of ComPsych. “Whether the employee is married, a caregiver or is facing the challenges of single life, relationship stress can be a major cause of distraction at work. We at ComPsych see this every day in our work, and relationship problems are consistently among the top two reasons for calls to our employee assistance program.” ComPsych asked employees: What would most likely cause you to take a "mental health day" (unplanned day off to recover or recharge)? - 30 percent said family/relationship issues
- 20 percent said work stress/workload
- 15 percent said personal issues (financial, legal, other)
- 12 percent said lack of physical energy/well being
- 5 percent said boredom/lack of motivation
- 18 percent reported not taking mental health days
So the question is this: are you taking off enough mental health days? You don’t have a boss to refuse your request, and you certainly have earned it. As a home business owner, your company success depends on your ability to deal with multiple projects at once. You must be the wearer of many hats, so your mental health is important. Go ahead, take a break, and de-stress. Your job could depend on it. |
