Why Bank Holidays Can Be a Nightmare for Business Owners – And How to Take Back Control
By Jess Warr, CEO of The Virtual Colleagues
Bank holidays: we’re supposed to love them, right? Long weekends, extra time with friends and family, maybe even a proper break from work. But for business owners – especially when we’re hit with two short weeks back-to-back – the reality is often far from relaxing.
In truth, these weeks create pressure, overwhelm, and chaos. And unless you’ve got the right support in place, that pressure builds and builds until something breaks.
Let’s unpack why these 4-day weeks are so challenging – and more importantly, what we can do to navigate them better.
The Hidden Pressure of a 4-Day Week
When we lose a day from the working week, expectations don’t shrink – if anything, they grow. Business owners still have to deliver everything they normally would. That means cramming five days into four, without the breathing space.
But it’s more than just time. It’s mental load.
You’re suddenly re-prioritising, rescheduling, reorganising. That headspace you need to lead well? It’s already full – and now you’re being asked to sprint.
Things get dropped. To-do lists grow. Guilt creeps in.
And if you work on an hourly basis, the loss of a working day is either a hit to income – or more hours crammed into fewer days. Add in family pressure to enjoy the weekend, and you’ve got a cocktail of emotional and logistical stress.
What Gets Dropped – And Why It Matters
In short weeks, the 'must-dos' take over and the 'nice-to-haves' get pushed aside. Sounds sensible, right? But here’s the thing: the nice-to-haves are often the things that keep your business moving.
Admin, receipts, social media, strategy, networking – all gone.
Content doesn’t get posted. Invoices get delayed. Meetings are cancelled. Opportunities to market yourself fall through the cracks. And that means momentum is lost.
Over time, the cost of those dropped tasks adds up. It’s not just one chaotic week – it’s a ripple effect that can last all month.
The Emotional Toll of Scrambling
Business owners often end up feeling like they’re failing. Not just overwhelmed, but exhausted. And the emotional toll can linger far longer than the short week itself.
You go from working extra hours to try and keep up, straight into a weekend that’s meant to be fun and relaxing – but you’re too tired to enjoy it.
The result? No rest. No reset. Just another week starting with an already full tank.
So What Can You Actually Do?
The key is to plan ahead and get the right support in place before things get overwhelming.
Look ahead two weeks before a short week. Spread out the workload.
Front-load your content or meeting schedule. Even writing one extra piece of content can make a big difference.
Put out-of-office messages on. Set expectations with clients and reduce your pressure to respond immediately.
Use automations. Schedule LinkedIn posts, emails, and invoices in advance.
Delegate more than usual. Even if it's temporary – get help where you can.
The Role of a Virtual Assistant
This is where a VA can genuinely transform how you handle pressure.
A VA can:
Reschedule meetings strategically
Manage inboxes and client communication
Draft and schedule social content
Help reassess your to-do list using tools like the Eisenhower Matrix
Take on admin, invoicing, and the things you keep putting off
But most importantly – they give you relief. That emotional lightness that comes from not doing it all alone.
Clients often tell me they feel like they can breathe again. That things are under control. That they wish they’d done it sooner.
What If You’re Still Hesitant?
That’s okay. Most people are.
Maybe it’s the cost – but what if the time you get back creates new income? Maybe you’re worried about onboarding someone – but if you wait, it only gets harder. Maybe you don’t want to lose control – but are you actually in control right now?
Here’s one simple thing you can do:
Break your tasks into four buckets:
What you like doing
What you need to do
What you don’t like doing
What you don’t need to do
Now look at the last two. That’s your delegation list.
Final Thought
If you’re feeling the pressure of short weeks, this is your sign to stop trying to do it all alone.
Support isn’t a sign of weakness – it’s a leadership tool. The earlier you bring it in, the more space you’ll create to lead, grow, and actually enjoy those long weekends everyone keeps talking about.
And if you're still unsure – just have a conversation. That’s the first step.
We’re here when you’re ready.
Need help getting started? Reach out to The Virtual Colleagues for a chat: info@thevirtualcolleagues.co.uk | thevirtualcolleagues.co.uk
