Running a business is hard work, especially if you’re doing it all on your own. You have to juggle every project, every client, every task & every detail. (Not to mention all of the stuff in between)
There are so many ups & downs with running your own business, it’s quite the rollercoaster.
When business is great, it’s seriously wonderful. You feel on top of the world.
When business isn’t so great…..it feels like your life is coming to an end (maybe not literally, but you know what I mean). You're spending more of your time worrying, than actually creating. It feels like you’ve just totally lost interest in your own business…and that’s scary.
What is Burnout?
Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress (kind of like the world we've been living in for the past year??). It occurs when you feel overwhelmed and unable to meet constant demands.
As the stress continues, you begin to lose the interest or motivation that led you to take on a certain role in the first place.
So, what’s Business Burnout?!
It’s when you become unproductive & totally unmotivated to do ANYTHING related to your business. Even if you love your clients, your industry & your business….too much of a good thing, can still be too much.
Running your own business & having to deal with all the highs & lows….and stress, can lead to some crazy emotional & mental exhaustion. It’s like, even though you have things you have to do (which normally you love doing)….you’d rather curl up into a blanket cocoon and watch Netflix for 47 straight hours.
I think the biggest culprit of the-big-bad-burnout…..is lack of balance.
Focusing too much on business & not enough on ourselves.
Always putting clients & projects in front of our own priorities.
Having to juggle so many things, by yourself.
All of this causes stress and the burnout is a direct reflection of that. I’m sure we’ve all felt this way, to some extent, in one way or another.
Sometimes, we totally know we’re in a burnout stage…and than we start to feel guilty about it, which just adds to the exhaustion….which just amplifies the burnout.
How do you avoid it?
Top, no-brainer tip to avoid burnout? Take time for yourself!
Do you know what the most important part of your business is? You. Without you, your business wouldn’t function.
Take a step back. Slow down. Not making time for yourself is a one-way ticket to burnout highway.
Don’t think there’s enough time in the day to take a little break for yourself? Commit to less. No one said you have to do everything, all the time, for everyone.
Sometimes, thinking about taking a little break actually creates MORE stress because you’re not actively tackling your to-do list BUT once you take the step away, you’ll realize it’s actually quite the opposite. Self-care is just as important as all of your business tasks.
Taking some time away from working can actually help you come back 10x more focused. So, instead of mindlessly working like a robot to finish tasks, you actually end up being more productive because you’re reenergized & refocused.
Put the work down & go hang out with your friends & family (safely, of course). Plan a weekend getaway. Go get a massage. Drink lots of water and eat more vegetables. Grab some friends and try a new workout class or go for a walk around your neighborhood.
Taking a break (big or small) helps you clear your head so when you come back to your work, you might just see things with a whole new perspective.
Or, maybe it’s time to reassess things?
One of the first things I do when a client tells me they feel burnout or unexcited with their business, is to re-assess their current goals and make sure they are still aligned to their long-term vision.
Chances are, the goals your planned out in January look different now, and that's ok! But that means you need to revisit those goals you set back then and make some adjustments.
Are they still aligned with your vision? Do they still make sense for how your business looks now? Are they still in line with growing you business NOW, given the current environment?
How is your progress on them? Do you still feel excited and lit up to work on them? Or do they feel like an energy drain and you dread opening your computer in the morning?
Really take a critical eye to your goals and take some time to answer those questions. I promise, they will keep you on the right track and away from burnout!
If you need an outside perspective on this, reach out! I have space in my revised, signature 1:1 program and this is EXACTLY what I can help you with! I'd love to work with you and get you back on track to scaling your business and reaching that next-level income.