As business leaders face continuous stress & pressure, the expectation is that they need to work more to be productive. That is not entirely true. Everyone has a stress saturation point and with a complex business environment, business leaders are experiencing higher demands and pressurised decision making. The result of this increased pressure on business leaders is the genuine risk of burnout, which ultimately makes us incapable of doing what we need to do to navigate our businesses.

Leader burnout is a reality and not only affects you as a leader but also impacts the organisation you are responsible for. Understanding the impact of this fatigue is essential if you are going to work at your optimum levels of performance, as is understanding the power of taking a break and knowing the positive business benefits you can enjoy when you decide to invest in a bit of time for yourself. Taking a break does not just give you more energy, but it also improves the way you respond to situations that are presented to you.

The reason for this comes down to the science of your brain, more specifically, your amygdala. The amygdala is the part of your brain that helps you cope in moments of crisis with the flight, fight or freeze response. When you consider the level of stressful situations that we have unexpectedly been presented with, it is not a shock to learn that this area of our brain has been used more than normal. This overuse not only causes you to feel exhausted both emotionally and physically, but it also affects your mental health and wellbeing, meaning that you are less likely to feel able to cope and make the decisions that you need to.

When you take time out to rest, your brain function moves from panic mode into reflective mode and means that you can take the time to make positive decisions for your business. The value of rest can then be measured in three key ways:

1. A fresh and improved perspective – once you have taken the time to step away from the stresses of work, you will find that your sense of perspective is more balanced and you are better positioned to deal more productively with issues that were troubling you.
2. A renewed ability to empathise – being a strong leader requires you to understand the needs of your team, and this can be hard to do when you are overworked. Taking time out will help you to regain your empathetic understanding and mean that you can better support those that need you.
3. An opportunity to let others shine – when you step away for some much needed time out, you are enabling others to step up and experience leadership for themselves. Not only is this a valuable experience for their career, but it also allows you to draw in new ideas and give people the chance to shine, making for a happier team.

No matter how appropriate it is for you and other leaders to take time out, it is also a difficult decision that is filled with a guilt feeling. Many of us feel that if we stop to take a break, we are letting our team and clients down. This decision is even more challenging if you promote a work ethic in which you expect everyone to work as hard as possible. Another common reason for avoiding time away is that we worry that something will go wrong. This is merely you catastrophising because the feelings of guilt are trying to win. In this situation, you need to let logic take over and remember that if there was a crisis that only you could solve, then someone from your team will likely contact you and you could give your input to help find a solution.

However hard it may feel, taking a break is essential, and communicating it openly and honestly is the best approach. Start by sharing it within your team and discussing how things will run when you are away. Once you have your plan in place, then let the entire team know when you will be off, who is in charge and how you will be kept up to date so that they feel calm and confident in your absence.

Failing to recognise the warning signs that you are heading to burnout will not only reduce your ability to run a successful business but also reduce your overall ability to function in everyday life. Resting, will give you more energy and a greater capacity to lead, so arrange some time away and re-charge your batteries.