If you don’t catch it quickly, burnout will catch up with you. And that’s why it’s so crucial we understand what it is, and what to do about it.
It was a cold winter night, and I couldn’t fall asleep. It was 2 am. My mind was racing, full of all of the open tasks on my to do list. I had thought that now that my business was really growing, and I had a team to support me, all the stress, overwhelm and sleepless nights would go away.
But I was wrong.
In fact, it only got more intense. Now, so many more people were relying on me. Not just my family, but my employees, my customers, my stakeholders. I couldn’t let them down. The weight of the pressure felt paralyzing. I had a bad case of burn out.
Can you relate?
If you’re a business owner, I’m willing to bet you’ve experienced some form of burnout. Maybe you felt bored and unmotivated. Maybe you felt so overwhelmed by the rat race that you lost touch with your “why.” Perhaps you felt depleted and sleep-deprived from putting in so many long hours. Or maybe it was a combination of the above.
I’ve seen first hand from entrepreneurs I speak to every day the physical, mental and professional consequences that result from ignoring feelings of burnout. They make bad decisions. Their relationships suffer. They become depressed. The people around them get hurt, too.
If you don’t catch it quickly, burnout will catch up with you. And that’s why it’s so crucial we understand what it is, and what to do about it.
Luckily, I overcame my own burnout, and in the process, I learned a lot about how to recognize it and prevent it. Here are three Ptex Practical Pointers for avoiding or minimizing burnout.
1. Don’t try to just push through it.
Don’t ignore the physical and emotional warning signs of burnout. Take time to relax, and banish your feelings of guilt about it. It will enable you to be much more clear-headed and productive long-term. It also helps to have a routine that you stick with regard to your health and personal well-being, and to make that routine a priority.
2. Reconnect to your purpose.
If your passion for running your business revolves around money or status, and you have no deeper “why,” you’re actually at high risk for burnout. Take time out to figure out why your work is meaningful to you and others, and what you find fun and exciting about it. Make sure to pursue the opportunities that align with those things.
3. Learn how to delegate.
As your business evolves, it’s more and more important to delegate daily tasks so you can focus on your long-term growth—and minimize risk of burnout. A study showed that CEOs who were skilled delegators had three-year growth rates that were 112 percent higher than those less skilled at delegation, and they generated 33 percent higher revenue.
If you are experiencing burnout, you’re not alone. The best way to deal with burnout is to take it as a sign that you need to pause and gain clarity about your business. Finding a mentor or coach to support you with the above is crucial. Attending business events and joining groups of entrepreneurs can also give you support and inspiration to help keep burnout away.
Above all, know that many other entrepreneurs have gone through burnout and come out the other side better, stronger, and even more successful.
Have you ever experienced burnout? How did you deal with it? What did you learn through the process? Please go ahead and hit that comment button! I am sincerely interested in hearing and learning from you.
