Do you feel as though too much in your business is relying on you? That you’re working too many hours, but nothing seems to be getting done? Do you feel overwhelmed by all of the things you need to do to keep your business going, to the point that you’re tired, stressed and sometimes even sick? And do you find that even if you do keep up with everything, you still have no time to learn, be proactive, or plan for the growth of your business?

If any of that sounded familiar, then you might be suffering from burnout. Burnout is a really common thing among business owners, especially if you’re trying to actively grow your business. And the pandemic has made it so much worse for many of us. So today I wanted to share how to figure out if you’re burnt out, what to do about it, and how to stop it happening again.

 

What is Burnout?

Burnout is just a really fancy way of saying you’ve been stressed and overworked for a very long time. It’s when you get to the point of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion during a long period of stress, and you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet the constant demands being made of you. It’s the end of the line when it comes to stress. So if you feel exhausted, start to hate your job, and start to feel less capable at work, you’re probably on the road to burnout.

Burnout has been an issue for business owners for a long time. Passionate people who start businesses tend to be quite high achievers and have pretty high standards for themselves. And many tend to try and do everything themselves, even if their business has long grown past that point. But there’s no doubt the pandemic has made this a whole lot worse, and after a year and a half of very high stress living, I’m seeing a lot more business owners barrelling towards burnout.

 

The Signs of Burnout

Generally, your body and mind know you’re heading for burnout long before you notice the signs, and they might even try to throw up roadblocks to stop you. It’s one of the many reasons long-term stress can make you physically unwell – it’s your body’s way of forcing you to take a break and rest. Burnout can be sly though, and it can feel like it’s crept up on you out of nowhere. So it’s important you know what to look out for, so here are some of the more common signs that you’re heading towards business owner burnout:

  • You feel constantly tired or fatigued, even if you sleep well
  • You feel overwhelmed all the time
  • Lack of motivation
  • You make mistakes, sometimes silly little ones, sometimes big ones
  • Irritability and anxiety
  • Physical symptoms of stress – like headaches, stomach aches and digestive issues
  • Reduced capacity to handle setbacks
  • You’re working longer and longer hours without anything actually getting done
  • You start to dream of throwing in the towel

That last one is a real killer. Business owners who get burnt out can bounce back, and when they do they usually come back better than ever, going on to make a big success of their business. But there are those who don’t – who let the burnout get the better of them and throw in the towel on all of their hard work.

 

Can Burnout be Avoided?

Absolutely yes!

But if you’ve already reached the point of burnout, the reality is it’s not going to get better on its own. It’s a sign for you to take a step back House reruns. Do something that’s good for your soul, and seek support if you need it. Once you feel more like yourself, it’s time to get back into the business and tackle the problems that led to burnout in the first place. The way you do this should be personal to you, but here’s a few things that can help:

Manage your time better: Don’t let your work creep into every minute of every day. Get a handle on your time management. Prioritise tasks, even if you just focus on doing one thing a day and seeing how you feel once it’s done. Review your goals regularly. Learn how to say no, and to manage delivery expectations better with your clients. And most importantly, schedule time for everything so that it all fits into your work hours.

Get organised: An overflowing inbox and a cluttered desk can trigger anxiety as soon as you walk into work. Set aside some time to go through the backlog and organise things. Not just your workspace, but your workflow as well. Often we make our processes too complicated and when we review them, we find there are easier ways of doing things. Having processes in place can take a lot of the stress off your shoulders!

Carve out time for yourself: No matter how busy you are, make sure you always put aside some time for you. Think of the 5 keys to wellbeing – Food, Exercise, Hydration, Meditation and Sleep – and build them into your week and day. Self-care is really important as a business owner, so make sure you’re eating well, sleeping well, and making time to do the things that make you happy. After all, isn’t that the point of being your own boss?

Get support: This can be any kind of support you need to keep things on track and take some of the pressure off you. That could mean hiring a new employee. It could mean hiring a VA to take over some of the day to day admin work, reach out to a councillor or it could mean working with a business coach to make sure you’re doing things efficiently.

As an ActionCOACH, I’ve spent the last working with a lot of burnt-out business owners. It’s my job to help them see where the inefficiencies in their business lie, and identify why they ended up burnt out in the first place. It’s also my job to make sure it doesn’t happen in the first place! With a combination of planning, goal setting, process creating and accountability, I help create efficient businesses and happy owners. If you’d like to know more, or if you’re just feeling burnt out and want to talk, I’d love to help. Just book a coffee chat using this link.