Burnout is a very real problem, especially for solopreneurs and business owners . Even though partnerships can have their ups and downs, at least you have someone to handle some of the stress and responsibility. Solopreneurs and business owners are often by themselves and feel the entire weight of their success on their lone shoulders. This large responsibility often leads these business owners to work 14+ hour days and lose track of what’s happening at home with their families. But is focusing so much attention on your business a wise decision?
Look for these Signs…
No, not if you want to achieve a work/life balance that makes you and your family happy. Even if you’re single, making time for self-care and relaxation will improve your overall health and mental wellbeing. I know. You are busy and finding the time to set aside to take care of yourself can be hard. But if you don’t, you will be exhausted and grumpy and could even make yourself ill.
I should know.
I burned out and it has taken me a long time to get back on track.
Self care is not a luxury, its a necessity. Its not a one time deal, it’s a lifetime commitment.
Let’s talk about the signs to look for that indicate you might be headed toward a burnout.
1. Insomnia. If your brain can’t shut down because you’re consumed with work, your sleep pattern will get disrupted, leaving you overtired, lacking energy, and possibly lacking the mental energy to make wise business decisions.
2. Procrastination. Do you cringe at the length of your daily to-do list? Did these tasks once excite you but now they make you want to crawl under a rock? Procrastination leads to missed deadlines and opportunities to promote your business.
3. Fatigue. The human body is only capable of handling so much stress on limited sleep. Certainly you’ve heard the phrase “burning the candle at both ends”? That’s what happens when you work yourself to the bone and don’t give your body and brain enough time to recover before starting another high-stress day. At some point your body will want to give up, causing severe fatigue and possibly other illnesses that will keep you out of the office.
4. Changes in appetite. For some people, stress causes them to overeat; for others, stress reduces their appetites. Neither extreme is good for your body. For optimal health and mental clarity, take lunch breaks away from the desk and choose natural, healthy food choices instead of fast food items.
5. Anxiety. High stress causes anxiety, which can cause crippling fear or other physical symptoms. Keep in mind: there’s a big difference between the anxiety you feel when stepping out of your comfort zone versus stress-induced anxiety that doesn’t seem to go away.
Think about this: as a solopreneur or business owner, if you are not physically able to run your business, what happens to it? Chances are, you’d have to close your doors and any streams of income you currently have will disappear. Let’s avoid this happening! Take care of your whole body, mind, and spirit. Take quiet time to relax. Get outdoors and breathe in some fresh air. Unplug for a whole weekend and live in the moment with your family. Reconnect with old friends. Start a hobby. The choices are limitless.
Follow these 5 Tips for Easy Self-care – We all feel that desire within to be more serene, more grounded but we are often unsure how to pump the brakes and slow down to speed up. It took me a long time to understand how to look after myself and once I discovered how to make changes in my own business and my mindset I started taking care of myself and living life outside of work.
1. Meditate daily for 5 minutes in order to soothe your cells and undo the damaging affect of stress. Unplug and free yourself from the outside world. Set your phone for 5 minutes the moment you awake, and take a few deep breaths, allowing yourself to pause, get centered and clear the clutter in your mind.
2. Learn to say No. Its so easy to get into the habit of people pleasing and before we know it we are overwhelmed and feeling resentful, stressed and frazzled. Learn how to say no in a polite way and set boundaries. Start honoring your own needs and valuing your time and energy.
3. Get ample sleep. Yup, easier said than done, BUT so important for you to replenish, re boot and re charge, as when you are rested you will find you are more mindful around your responses to other people and will pause before over committing and saying yes when you want to say no.
4. Be still. Get into nature and sit somewhere green, and be quiet for a few moments. In the warm weather take your shoes off and firmly plant your feet onto mother earth for 5 minutes, let it hold all your stress, irritations, frustrations and anxiety and allow it to ground you.
5. Feed your soul. Read a positive quote or paragraph from an uplifting book or listen to an inspirational podcast daily, if only for 10 minutes.
I would LOVE to hear from you. In the comments below, write down one stressor that re occurs in your business life. Then write down how you could practice self care around it. Your feedback could be just what someone needs to hear to have a breakthrough.
Know someone who get stressed out and struggles around self care? Share this with them…
Thank you for reading and.. If you want more support GRAB my FREE workbook, giving YOU the confidence to take your life to the next level, a goals planner you can integrate into your plans for 2020, tips to reduce stress and overwhelm, productivity hacks, ways to work smarter, not harder and much more… so you can make 2020 your most productive year yet. www.annieashdown.com