Burnout is one of those universal experiences that every entrepreneur can relate to. Whether it’s tips for beating it or how to pull yourself out of it, there’s no shortage of anecdotal commentary. This is why it’s crucial to set up safeguards for the arrival of the fatigue, anxiety, and irritability that come with burnout.
Should your commitment to your business waver? No, but you can’t commit to your business if you aren’t committing to yourself first. Otherwise, how will your business flourish if you run into the ground?
The cost of entrepreneurial burnout on your business’ success can make or break it
Coming up with solutions to protect yourself and your business from entrepreneurial burnout can mean the difference between showing up and securing the bag or crashing and burning.
Research has found that entrepreneurs are the most likely to experience burnout. Why? Due to their extreme passion for what they do, higher tendencies of social isolation, and levels of uncertainty.
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When you’re burnt out, you’re not engaging in the business in a way that is meaningful or intentional. You’re well into survival mode and are too busy trying to get through the day. A study by The American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that overall “employee disengagement and burnout” amounted to over $5 million in annual costs at “the average U.S.1,000-person company.”
When you think about the impact that this could have on a smaller scale for entrepreneurs, the ramifications and consequences of burnout could alter the course of a business. You experience a diminished capacity to navigate the dips, hurdles, and delicate situations that may arise. If you aren’t feeling like yourself because you’re weighed down by burnout, it will reflect in your cognitive output.
Use delegation to help you foster an environment that allows you room to breathe
It is impossible to carry the entire load of a business, so it is key to figure out ways to work smarter rather than harder. Understandably, not everyone can afford to hire employees or a virtual assistant in the early years of the business, but there are still options.
Finding ways to use technology to simplify your day-to-day life can go a long way toward clearing a path that’s free of immediate burnout. Investing in tools that help automate your operations can help declutter some of the more menial and mundane tasks that entrepreneurs have to deal with (especially in the early stages).
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Once you get to a place where you can bring people on, establishing a team of freelancers and employees who can take over specific tasks or administrative details frees you up so that you may focus on innovation, growth, and scaling. When your mind is clear, you have more room to dream bigger.
Establishing a flexible routine that adheres to your body’s needs can help you move through the day with more ease
Our bodies are unique, powerful, and awe-inspiring. But to exert all of its potential, we need to listen to what it’s telling us it requires. If you are too busy spending all of your time in burnout and survival mode, you can’t hear its gentle whispers until it is too late.
Unaddressed burnout can lead to things like high blood pressure, gastrointestinal problems, diminished immune function, and, in extreme cases, suicidal ideation. This is why setting a routine that heeds the needs of your body is vital to your livelihood.
Paying attention to your natural energy cycles and determining when you have your highest bursts of energy can help you organize your tasks. If you feel your most creative later in the day, schedule brainstorming sessions or operation evaluations then. If you wake up feeling analytical, tackle the tasks that will require more cognitive effort early in the day.
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Using continued learning resources to create an adaptive and streamlined business and lifestyle
You don’t know what you don’t know, so entrepreneurs never stop learning. Whether you’re looking to grow professionally or in your personal life, taking the time to develop your skills can benefit you and your business in the long run.
Attending development courses and networking events and reading new material can help you learn new perspectives on doing things effectively and differently. While a meditation class won’t teach you to itemize your books correctly, it can teach you something else that could aid your overall well-being.
Learning also helps keep the entrepreneurial spirit alive by avoiding stagnation, which can take hold and lead to burnout. Staying adaptable allows entrepreneurs to deepen their resilience so that they may be better equipped to handle the inevitable setbacks and prevent overwhelm.
