Businesses across the country have faced a challenging year with COVID-19 related restrictions and, in many cases, enforced shutdowns. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have been particularly hard hit, with research conducted by MYOB in May finding 36 per cent of small business owners cited COVID-19 and its wider economic impact as a key business-related cause of mental health challenges, followed by financial concerns/cashflow (26 per cent), writes Mike Hines, Lead Psychologist – Program Content, Smiling Mind.

In the same study of 1,000 small business owners, a quarter of respondents (25 per cent) predicted disruption would impact the business for 6-12 months and a further 26% said it would take more than a year. Many of Australia’s 2.4 million small business owners could still be feeling the pinch despite restrictions easing across the country.

How to take time out without taking a break

After almost a year of irregular or unpredictable cash flow, it will be particularly difficult for SMEs to switch off over the Christmas period, with many using the time to rebuild their business and generate lost income. Uncertainty about how 2021 will play out may further fuel a sense that they need to keep the foot on the gas rather than enjoy time off.

Here are five ways that small business owners can give themselves some relief from work, even if they’re unable to take a formal break this year.

1. Incorporate mindfulness practices into your day

Try to carve out sections of time (no matter how small) during the day or week that are work-free. This is where mindfulness can be a valuable tool. There’s a well-known mindfulness saying, “wherever you are, be there”. When at work, try to be fully present. When at home spending time with family and friends, try to fully engage and be connected to where you are and what you are doing. Naturally, we are always physically ‘present’, but we need to work at being mentally present.

2. Put measures in place so you can detach from work

Psychological detachment from work is vital for stress management and work stress recovery. This is particularly valuable in the evening – after work. Not detaching from work in the evening can lead to increased fatigue and negative feelings in the morning. It’s important to put support measures in place so you can take time away from work without feeling stressed. And yes, switching off psychologically means switching off the work tech where possible. You could try activating an automatic response to emails to provide some breathing space or scheduling your social media posts in advance.

3. Carve out time to relax

It’s important to ensure you have some time dedicated to relaxation. When we are busy we can find ourselves spending extended periods of time in the ‘fight or flight response’ (also known as the ‘acute stress response’) making it difficult to wind down. This can have a detrimental impact on our physical and mental health. To counteract its effects, we need to activate the ‘rest and digest response’ (or ‘relaxation response’). Schedule time away from work to relax and switch off. This might be as simple as 30 minutes daily for a walk at lunchtime or taking a day off when you can to decompress.

4. Find the best way for you to relax

Finding the best ways for you to relax is individual. It might be as simple as listening to your favourite music, taking a long bath, walking in nature, or putting your feet up after a workout. Meditation and mindfulness are great pathways to relaxation and can assist people in navigating and recovering from stress and its impact on the body and mind. It is also an effective proactive and preventative stress management tool.

5. Think about your environment

Prolonged periods of time working from home will see many people needing to take a break from work elsewhere. The home may not currently feel like the sanctuary it historically provided. It can be helpful to be mindful of how working from home has affected you so you can make the relevant decisions about what you need at this time. That might mean working from another location or ensuring you have plenty of time outside the house.

Available resources for small business owners include the Smiling Mind Small Business Program, supported by MYOB, featuring content related to getting started with mindfulness, stress management, the importance of relationships, resilience and building work-life balance.

Find out more and try the program here