11 Ways for Busy Entrepreneurs to Relax and Recharge

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Entrepreneurs are often on the go and rarely take a moment to slow down. However, time off is crucial if you want to prevent burnout and keep your passion for the business alive.

You might wonder how you can balance all your responsibilities and still take time for yourself. To help you combat the stress of building a business, members of Young Entrepreneur Council share some ways for leaders to unplug and recharge, even with a jam-packed schedule.

Q. What is one method leaders can use to unplug and recharge, especially when time is limited?

Here is what they advise you try:

1. Listen to Audio Books

It is often hard to find enough time to fit reading and exercise into my days, both of which are important tools to maintain a healthy balance. My solution has been to start listening to audio books while walking so that I can get short bursts to detach and recharge my mind while also doubling my daily average steps. – James Simpson, GoldFire Studios

2. Read Throughout the Day

Reading about topics is interesting and enjoyable, and can take place even when free time is limited. I will take quick breaks throughout the day, usually while I am eating, to read short articles. Not only am I better informed, but I am more relaxed. – Adam Mendler, The Veloz Group

3. Get Physical

Scour your local gyms, cross-fits and classes until you find one that you simultaneously lose yourself in and that pushes you to the brink of discomfort. Then dedicate your “all” at least five days a week, one hour a day. When we quiet the mind by exercising the body, work is magically more manageable. – Codie Sanchez, Codie Ventures LLC

4. Meditate

Meditation comes in many forms, but the simplest is to find a quiet place where you can focus on breathing and decluttering your mind. This helps in times of high stress, and finding even just 10 minutes a day can help you recharge and feel more focused. There are plenty of apps, like 10% Happier, Calm, or Headspace, to help guide you as you start trying this regularly. – Michael Averto, ChannelApe

5. Set Your Phone Timer and Walk Away

It’s hard to unplug, but it needs to be done sometimes. I set my phone timer for 10 minutes, turn it to vibrate, and put it face down. I do something not related to work and only check my phone again after the timer goes off. It’s a great way to relax and recharge. – Blair Thomas, eMerchantBroker

6. Take Breaks When You Feel Yourself Losing Focus

When time is limited, it is especially important to make it count. Recharge every couple hours to maximize productivity and stay charged throughout the day. Catch yourself before you switch to a time-waster (e.g. social networks, shopping, tech news) and recharge instead of losing focus. After a 30-minute break away from the phone and computer, you will be recharged and ready for more. – Stephanie Wells, Formidable Forms

7. Use the Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro technique involves working in short bursts or sprints, punctuated by breaks and rest times. I enjoy the time away from my phone or computer in between work sprints, and it helps me accomplish a lot more during the day while having true breaks in between. – Rachel Beider, Massage Outpost

8. Cook a Nice Meal

Cooking is very therapeutic for me. With a never-ending list of tasks, projects, and activities, I find it satisfying to start and finish a “project,” which is why I find whipping up a special meal so therapeutic. With cooking, there’s a sense of immediate gratification. Not only that, but it also offers a perfect opportunity to share something with loved ones. – Stephen Ufford, Trulioo

9. Take a Nap

Listen to your mind and body. Being a leader can get pretty exhausting, especially when you’re a serial entrepreneur. Running multiple businesses, dealing with multiple employees, and constantly trying to improve can get pretty tiring. Put your phone on airplane mode, silence your computer, and then nap. It is good to take a good 15 to 30-minute power nap throughout the day to unplug and recharge. – Fritz Colcol, ABN Circle

10. Do Whatever Energizes You Quickly

Recharging is always a matter of state of mind; not time. A quick jog in the park, some yoga at the office, shutting down with your eyes off and your wireless headphone playing your favorite beat — each would help immensely in no time. Adjust your mentality and optimize your energizing “hooks,” as NLP practitioners advise, towards your path to success. – Mario Peshev, DevriX

11. Devote 100 Percent of Your Attention to Unplugging

Mathematically, you can’t give more than 100 percent to any one thing at a time. And by giving away part of that 100 percent via multitasking, each task takes longer, falls through the cracks, and/or the quality is not as good. This goes for unplugging. Go 100 percent on each task individually. When you’re through that day’s to-do list, go off work 100 percent. – Kerry Guard, MKG Marketing

These answers are provided by Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most successful young entrepreneurs. YEC members represent nearly every industry, generate billions of dollars in revenue each year, and have created tens of thousands of jobs. Learn more at yec.co.