Protect your career and yourself by taking steps to avoid entrepreneur burnout.
Entrepreneurship is more viable than it ever has been when it comes to career options. With business education part of the curriculum plus Youtube, podcast and article resources available for free learning, there’s an open door to building your own fortune, if you’re willing to put the work in.
Therein though, lies a huge problem.
The work involved in being an entrepreneur is huge, and you do have to dedicate yourself to the task at hand. With the internet, and international communications, it’s all too easy to put this effort in around the clock. And so, that dedication easily spills into obsession, and problems can occur.
Physically, you can become tired, and you might neglect your physical health, eating quick convenience food rather than healthy nourishing food. Mentally, you might find yourself slower because you’re tired and you’re burnt out. You might feel stressed, anxious and even depressed.
Eventually, you may also find your social life drops off because you’re either too busy, or too tired to see friends and family. You may also feel like you can’t afford to spend your time socialising when you should be building your business.
In the end, all of this huge hurricane of entrepreneurship effort in the extreme, can lead to burnout.
What Is Entrepreneur Burnout?
Entrepreneur burnout is where you literally work so hard, so much, and you neglect your own basic needs to the point where you are burnt out. Burn out shows itself differently for everyone but it can include symptoms like:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Brain Fog
- Fatigue
- Stress
- Difficulty completing tasks
- Emotional Exhaustion
- Feeling less passionate about your work, or even emotional numb about it
- Performing less effectively than you did before
- Feeling a lack of creativity
You can find out more about the symptoms of burnout here.
Why You Need To Be Aware Of Entrepreneur Burnout
Of course, getting burnout of any kind is something to avoid, but when it comes to the ambition that took you on this path in the first place, burnout should be something you really work hard to prevent. Forget the financial challenges, the logistical challenges, the growing pains you will face – burnout will stop you in your tracks, and isn’t as easy a problem to overcome. Doing what you can to prevent burnout is literally, an investment in your career.
How To Avoid Entrepreneur Burnout
Luckily, burnout is easily avoidable if you remain aware of it from the start of your journey. There is so much that you can do to prevent it, even if the process of being burnt out has started. Here are some key burnout avoidance strategies:
Lean On Ease
Everything that makes your life a bit easier, should be taken advantage of. Cheap self storage services with helpful business benefits, like accepting deliveries are a godsend. Freelancing hourlies and offers are so useful when you need work like articles writing, or websites building.
Lean on the affordable options that make your life easier and give you more time.
Be Social
Even if you have to force yourself to be social, make the effort. It keeps you grounded, it ensures you have support, and it gives you some mental space from your work.
Take Time Out
Probably one of the hardest preventative measures to take against burnout, but one of the most important – taking time out matters. Whether it is an hour steaming away in a hot bath, or half an hour every morning for yoga, taking timeout gives your brain a break.
Stop Working All Hours
When you work on a laptop for yourself, every hour of the day is available to work. However, if you allow yourself to do that, you will burnout quickly. Instead, give yourself a dedicated workspace, perhaps pop your spare room furniture into cheap self storage and make a home office. Then, give yourself a time to stop working and stick to it. Leave it behind for the night, so your brain gets a chance to rejuvenate.
Take Care Of Yourself
Eating well, moving and sleeping are the basics we all need to thrive. Nourish your physical and mental health and your business can only benefit.
Seek Help
It is important to seek help if things have gotten out of hand. Whether you speak to a friend, or your doctor, there is help available to you if you’re struggling. The first step is admitting there is a problem and reaching out.
Use the tips and information above to help you steer clear of burnout. By looking after yourself you look after your career and boost your chances of seeing business success.