Next time you take vacation, give your Inbox a break too.

Earlier this summer, I spent two weeks overseas without checking email. How could I possibly afford that luxury? As a small business owner, increasing sales and staying connected to my clients are top priorities. My team can keep the business running smoothly in my absence. They publish my social media posts, edit my writing, manage my database, and send regular communications to my audience. But I’m the one responsible for increasing sales.

Unplugging was hard at first, but I did it. Sure, I checked email the first few days while I was traveling. But once vacation officially started, I turned off my devices and focused on the world in front of me. Two weeks later, I returned to work feeling refreshed and rejuvenated (at least after the jet lag wore off).

Why Your Inbox Can Wait

The great thing is, my clients understand “vacation,” and so do yours. Most people know it’s important to take occasional breaks from work, and we encourage others to do it. We just don’t always allow ourselves the same privilege.

That’s why I was riveted by Minda Zetlin’s article on Inc.com, entitled “5 Extremely Good Reasons to Stop Checking In While on Vacation.” She writes:

There’s plenty of evidence to show that taking regular vacations is not only good for your relationships, it improves brain function and might actually lengthen your life. If you spend all your time working, or even checking in about work problems, you dilute every one of those benefits. And whatever we may think, checking in with work during vacations truly is unnecessary. I’m going to prove it to you.

Zetlin goes on to list five great reasons:

1. In a true emergency, work will find you.

2. You are not indispensible. And if you are, that’s a bigger problem.

3. You need to pay attention to your family and relationships.

4. You need to disconnect to unleash your creativity.

5. You are not your job.

For more on these points, read the rest of the article.

When’s Your Next Vacation?

I don’t regret unplugging during my vacation one bit, and I encourage you to do the same. Your small business will survive without you for a week or two, and you’ll return with fresh ideas for increasing sales. (Maybe referrals will be one of them?)

Work is important, but it’s not everything in life. To borrow from AT&T: “It can wait.”

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