Avoiding Burnout as an Entrepreneur
A few years ago, I wrote about the emotional side of being an entrepreneur and focused mostly on overcoming impostor syndrome.
Throughout May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month, I’ve focused on different aspects of managing mental health as an entrepreneur in my Wednesdays with Wendy Facebook Lives. I also mentioned burnout in my latest newsletter.
Dealing with and even preventing burnout is so important not only for our mental health, but for the health of our families and businesses. That’s why I’m using today’s blog space to talk about it more in-depth.
I enlisted the help of my dear friend (and client!) Kristen Speer, LPC, to get this information, and I appreciate her willingness to be of assistance!
First, let’s define burnout. According to Kristen, it is “chronic stress that leads to both physical and emotional exhaustion,” and it's especially prevalent for those of us who are high-achieving and/or perfectionists. Many of us who are self-employed fall into this category, by the way!
Signs of Burnout
How do we know that we’ve reached burnout? Here are some signs:
Fatigue and sleeplessness
Irritability/agitation/anger,
Feeling ineffective, detached from your work,
Lack of productivity and overall performance,
Decreased focus and concentration,
Decreased appetite,
Isolation,
Overall negativity.
Preventing Burnout
We all experience stress, but chronic stress that is poorly managed leads to burnout. Here are Kristen’s tips to avoid experiencing burnout:
Boundaries: Setting boundaries with your time and energy will prevent a lot of difficult situations that are exhausting both mentally and physically.
Finding small joys throughout your day: Another friend of mine calls these “simple joys.” Finding positive moments throughout your day will help keep you in a healthy frame of mind.
Focus on small purposes and goals instead of the “big picture”: Focusing on the big picture will overwhelm you. Instead, focus on just doing the next right thing.
Increased self-care: Self-care is not just bubble baths and wine at the end of the day! Taking care of yourself, body, mind, and spirit will help you manage stress from outside sources.
Professional and/or social support, particularly for high-stress jobs: Having support from colleagues in your industry and from your social circles can give you different perspectives to help you set realistic expectations.
Hiring out challenge areas, if possible: The adage “do what you do best and outsource the rest” is true. Bookkeeping and marketing are two areas in which I strongly recommend that you outsource your business needs.
Taking frequent breaks: If you try to work for long periods of time without a break, you will wear out and increase your overall stress load.
Rest: Rest is not earned, it’s a necessary part of your day!
Increased focus on physical activity (mid-day walks if possible) and proper nutrition: Taking care of your body will help your mental and emotional health, as well.
As you just read, outsourcing tasks that are difficult for you or take your attention from your customers is a great way to help prevent burnout. If figuring out QuickBooks is one of those areas for you, especially as your business grows, I would love to help! Give me a call.