Putting in a day’s work is hard and stressful on anybody. For the Practice Owners it can be even more so. Successful Practice Owners are so used to the ‘always on 24/7 mentality’ that it can be particularly hard for them to turn it off and relax! But, that is all the more reason why they need to!As the old saying goes, ‘All work and no play, makes Johnny a dull boy’. Furthermore, countless studies have shown that stress, rather than being a motivator, eventually will have a negative impact on success.I recently had the opportunity to ask some of my clients how do they ‘unwind and chill out’. In addition to the answers you might expect – such as meditation, yoga, exercise and golf – I also got some very surprising and fascinating answers.

You may want to consider one or two of these next time you need to just chill!

Time to Get your Hands Dirty

Whether it’s restoring old cars, working on your boat, building furniture, or just some DIY project for home improvement, a good number of practice owners I spoke with said they can’t wait to get their hands dirty and go at something with some tools to melt the workday stress.

Kung Fu

Martial arts have the double stress relief of meditation and introspection with the added ‘punch’ of hitting something! If you want to downplay the more aggressive aspects, Tai-chi and Qigong are more ‘moving meditations’ then they are combat, and are great stress relievers.

Let’s Cook

I was surprised by how many people – myself included – said that cooking is great fun and pure relaxation, whether for themselves, family or guests. Many I spoke to also love to ‘compete’ in local cook- offs whenever they can, and are prouder of some of their award-winning recipes than their business accolades!

Party Like a Rock Star

A few of my closest friends are successful business owners today, but they had that garage band and dreams of rock stardom back in the 80s. Many of them relax by ‘Rocking Out’. A few hove even gotten the old band together and are playing gigs at local pubs and coffee shops.

Ahoy Me Matey!

If you live and work near a beach, lake, rivers etc. then I hardly have to tell you the stress relief that can be gained by sailing. As with cooking many of those I spoke to, who sail for relaxation, also sail competitively and enjoy the camaraderie and team-building that it provides.

Let’s Hit the Open Road

As the old song says, `Get your motor running, head out on the highway’. Many I spoke with get their kicks on a motor bike or on a bicycle like me.

Fishing

Both rod-and-reel and spear fishing are very popular ways for hard working Practice owners to unwind. In terms of stress reduction, there is much to be said for fishing, or any sport really, that gets you into the great outdoors and offers an opportunity to commune with nature.

Flying

Quite a few Practice owners I spoke will take to the skies to chill and unwind. From skydiving to hang gliding, or piloting any number of small aircraft, many CEOs get high, by ‘getting high’.

The Write Stuff

Maybe not as sexy and exciting as some of the other things on this list but Practice Owners mentioned journaling – or otherwise writing as a way to decompress.