• • •

For many babywearing consultants (or maybe just entrepreneurs in general), “vacation” ends up being nothing more than work + guilt. The laptop comes along “just in case,” two quick emails snowball into half an afternoon, and even when you’re off the clock, your brain is still quietly thinking about that outline you wanted to write. And then you’re kicking yourself for not being present during your “time off.”

Or, if you do manage to actually take a break from your work, you get totally overwhelmed once you get back, feel like you’re starting from zero, and take an extra week to get anything done because you can’t figure out where to start.

Sound familiar?

What you need is a simple, repeatable rhythm that makes true rest possible…without your business falling apart in your absence.

With the holiday season already upon us, it feels like a good time for us all to revisit these skills!

I like to break it down into four steps:

Ready. Set. Go. Return.

Each step is practical, and together, they allow you to actually step away and come back brighter.

• • •

Ready: Clear the Decks Before You Step Away

Think of this as tightening your shoelaces before a run: 10–15 minutes of setup that makes everything smoother later.

Start with a fast brain dump:
Every task, loose end, reminder, upcoming date, half-written idea, and “don’t forget” gets written down. Everything.

Then label each item:

• Do now: 30 minutes or less, and has real consequences if ignored
• Park: can wait without issue

Next, identify anything essential that must happen while you’re away (reminders, payments, workshop confirmations). Schedule it, delegate it, or automate it.

Finally, create a re-entry kit:

• a 90-second voice memo to your future self summarizing where each project stands
• a bright Post-it with your three most essential return tasks
• an email filter called Post-Vacation Review for anything non-urgent

You’re setting your future self up with a soft landing upon your return.

Set: Build Guardrails That Let Your Brain Rest

This is where you toddler-proof your work life so you can actually relax.

• Define the true emergencies that warrant contact while you’re away (website down, billing issue, hacked account).
• If needed, schedule one brief midpoint check-in…but only if it genuinely protects the business.
• Schedule any reminders or content that will need to go out while you’re gone.

Your job here is to make disconnecting feel safe.

Go: Practice Presence and Let Yourself Rest

This is the part many entrepreneurs sabotage.
But genuine rest has a measurable impact on creativity, clarity, and future problem-solving.

Aim for 70% of your trip to be truly work-free.
If you must work, do it at a consistent time so it doesn’t bleed into the whole day.

Anchor at least one simple ritual of presence each day: coffee on the porch, a morning walk, a chapter of a book, a tech-free dinner, a sunset.

These are investments in your brain and nervous system.

Return: Ease Back in Like a Human, Not a Machine

Most small business owners crash-land back into work, opening every inbox, tab, and to-do at once.

Try this instead:

1. Begin with a ritual. Tea, a comfy chair, and your 90-second voice memo.
2. Tackle your three Post-it tasks first before email, social media, or Slack/Discord.
3. Triage the inbox:
   • handle true priorities
   • bulk-process everything in Post-Vacation Review
   • delete freely
4. Give yourself a shorter first day back if you can. Life needs a buffer after travel!

This process protects your focus so your second day back is sharp, not scattered.

• • •

Why This Blueprint Works

Real rest compounds. Your ideas sharpen, your capacity expands, and your work quality rises dramatically when your brain has had a genuine break.

Your business needs strategy, consistency, and skill…but it also requires a well-rested you.

✨ This post is inspired by Episode 6 of our private podcast, “The Business of Babywearing,” available exclusively to members of the Carry-On Collective. Inside, we’re sharing real frameworks like this each week to help you build a business that’s sustainable, not just successful.