Do you work all the time? Does you small business have you running circles morning, noon and night?  Guess what? You need to take a vacation.

As small business owners we’re often reluctant to take time off. Why? Because we think our business is going to crumble the minute we leave. Hopefully you’ve setup some systems to help with that, so let’s talk about 3 reasons you should get away periodically.

Take a Deep Breath: Dude, you need to catch your breath. Superman is only real in the movies. You’re not him. You have got to get away, take a deep breath (better if you take more than just one), and regain your focus. It’s amazing what a little breather will do for you energy when you get back in the game.

Regain Your Creativity: If you’ve been slugging it out on the ground for the past six months, ignoring everything else, there’s probably a pretty good chance your creativity has taken a hit. Why? Because you don’t increase creativity by staying in the same environment. Why do you think writers head for the beach, the deserted lake house or the mountaintop cabin to knock out their latest work? Because places away from home and office offer new things to see, smell and touch. Regain your creativity by going somewhere new.

Your Health: Look. Life is really too short. How fast do you want to end it? Me? I want to be around for a while. I learned a couple years ago that if I burn it from both ends around the clock and year-round my health took a hit. I was exhausted, my weight went up, I felt like crap even though I told myself I didn’t. Take care of yourself. There’s only one you. We want you to be around to see the fruits of what you’ve built.

So find some time to get away. Make it at least two days (uh, Saturday and Sunday?) and get out of town. It doesn’t have to be fancy. It doesn’t have to be expensive. Take a vacation and come back ready to kill it.

Originally posted on Carlos Cooper "A Swift Kick" blog.