Pause, reflect, recharge, progress.

The average working day for an employee working from home in the UK, Austria, Canada and the US has increased by more than two hours since the coronavirus crisis, according to data from NordVPN Teams. 

Working long-hours has become synonymous with entrepreneurship, and intense work styles recognised as key drivers of success.  But it can also cost you.  Personally and professionally; mentally and physically. 

Burnout starts in the boardroom.  And the buck stops at the top.  

Stories of associates sleeping under the desks, business owners burning the midnight oil, and CEOs glued to their phones, firefighting problem after problem, raises the alarm.  

Tackling burnout might involve hiring more staff to reduce workloads, offering wellbeing perks, or boosting salaries and bonuses to offset increased time spent away from home. 

However, one simple solution is frequently ignored. Time off.  Working long hours is often unavoidable. But if we ignore the need to recover from those stressful and strenuous periods, productivity will suffer. Sleep deprivation causes cognitive impairment – it can lead to poor decision making and make us more susceptible to illness. 

Herein lies a dilemma: many avoid taking time off because planning time off is stressful in itself.  The next big project is just round the corner; delegating your responsibilities is too difficult. The need to plan a big trip away is too much to think about. Aligning your break with personal commitments is a challenge too far. 

This is an opportunity to lead.  If you have been chained to your desk every night and weekend to get that project over the line or travelled thousands of miles to meet stakeholders and reassure them all is well, take a day off.  Be the first out of the door for dinner with the family.  Go to that morning Yoga class and come in a bit later.  Rest, recover and reset.

Prioritising your health and wellbeing should not be an afterthought.  You can only bring energy to the room if you have some left in the tank.  

You never know, that moment of peace may provide the spark for your organisations next moment of brilliance.