A recent survey found that 42% of small business owners say they experienced burnout in the last year. They’re experiencing burnout due to elements both in and beyond their control, such as inflation, financial instability, and the weight of responsibility for keeping things going while facing constant change and uncertainty in economic, political, and social factors all around us.
As a business owner, you wear a lot of hats – sometimes all of them.
There’s a good chance you perform the roles of owner, manager and top producer.
In fact, 56% of business owners say they feel alone in solving problems and making decisions.
Too many days or months of that in a row are a recipe for stress and burnout.
The good news is… Burnout has more to do with work styles and systems, mindset and behaviors than it does with specific work situations.
But when these go unaddressed, health, business, and personal life can all suffer.
Below are 12 warning signs and 7 strategies for beating burnout. Take a few minutes to review it. Good info to stay on top of!
If you’ve been through this and know that burnout – or getting close to it – is slowing down your business and keeping you working long hours, go here to sign up for a complementary business strategy session.
We’ll do a quick and powerful assessment together and map out a clear, personalized action plan, so you can reclaim your time, re-energize your team, and get you back to growing your business with clarity and confidence, no matter what’s happening around you.
The Best Way to Beat Burnout?
“My candle burns at both ends. it will not last the night.” — Edna St. Vincent Millay
Burnout resists simple definition, because it affects so many aspects of an individual’s life.
In their book, Beyond Burnout, authors David Welch, Donald Medeiros and George Tate describe burnout as a condition that affects us physically, intellectually, emotionally, socially and spiritually.
One of the first physical symptoms of burnout is fatigue.
Intellectually, there may be a loss of creativity and sharpness in problem solving; running ragged or even cynicism may replace enthusiasm. Emotionally, the loss of dreams and expectations can result in feelings of helplessness and depression. In the social realm, isolation overtakes feeling of involvement, and spiritually, the person experiencing burnout may feel a lack of meaning or purposelessness to their life.
If you are a business owner, this can affect you even more.
So how can you avoid becoming one of the burnout statistics?
Recognize the warning signs:
- Exhaustion – mentally, physically, and emotionally
- Brain fog, forgetfulness, or trouble concentrating
- Feeling out of control – like the business is running you
- Irritability, mood swings, or emotional outbursts
- Avoiding team members, clients, difficult conversations, or even family members
- Dreading work or feeling anxious at the start of each day
- Strained relationships at home
- Frequent illness, poor sleep, or stress-related health issues
- Coping through overeating, alcohol, or other numbing behaviors
- Feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure how to move forward
- Losing motivation and no longer enjoying your business
- Wishing you could walk away – but afraid of what would happen if you did
One of my clients was really burned out but didn’t want to walk away from his business, so we changed his work systems and mindset so now it takes him just two hours a week to run his business instead of the 80 hours a week it had been doing before
Taking a few days off or a vacation to Tahiti won’t contain the burnout – but it is a way to take some personal time for recharging and reassessing. Bigger changes have to be made for longer-term solutions. (No business band-aids here. Let’s chat and get real solutions for you that work)
As I said:
Burnout has more to do with work styles and systems, mindset and behaviors than it does with specific work situations.
In other words, burnout may be primarily an act of self-sabotage. But… you *can* learn:
How to Avoid Burnout
Better self-management 🎯
Take the time to set goals and objectives, review them with others, make sure they’re attainable and clear, and that your time to accomplish them is plentiful.
Stress elimination (yeah, obviously this is a big one) 😅
When I work with clients, the term “stress management” is a misnomer. If you’re manage stress, you are trying to willfully keep it at bay. You are trying to push it down and suppress it. That can work in the short term, but it leads to bigger problems in the long-term. What you want to do instead is embrace emotions that we normally try to willfully subdue. If you’re feeling stress, find where you feel it in your body. Allow it to be there. Be present to it. Just breathe. And if you can, even send it love. Going through this process will allow you to get past the stress without it constantly popping up and getting in your way.
Support systems 👯
Family, friends, co-workers, professional organizations – all these support systems can help in times of stress, giving you inspiration and thankfulness.
Skill building 💪
Look for challenges and opportunities to learn new skills that excite you and participate in activities that use your natural skills, talents and abilities. Rather than becoming stagnant, you’ll be able to grow.
Balance 🙏
Seek a balanced and well-structured lifestyle. Embrace boredom once in a while – and definitely downtime. Determine what’s important to you and create a schedule that supports your emotions and your energy. Focus on building your personal and work to-do lists with goals and tasks that inspire and energize you.
(Another big area I work on with clients that often cuts their work hours by 25% to 50% while growing their business, is by helping them focus at least 80% of their daily schedule on activities in their businesses and personal lives that excite them, energize them, and light them up. It’s amazing how much, and how quickly, everything changes when you put yourself in that energy zone!)
Be creative 👨🎨
Look for a different approach to the same problems or to unpleasant situations (on a personal note, had I not done this in one particular moment when we were dating, there’s a good chance my wife and I would not have been together the past 23 years – ask me sometime if you’d like to hear the story).
Humor and playfulness 😜
Humor reduces stress, promotes physical and emotional healing. It’s essential for mental health and can add years to your life. No wonder they say humor is the best antidote. Enjoy your work and life. And your coaching. When I work with clients, I love to laugh! Sure, we’re working on some serious stuff, but we also find the moments to share a laugh, even crack each other up, at what what’s working or even what’s challenging. It’s so important to find the humor and to laugh.
If any part of this list hit home – especially the feeling of being stuck, drained, or unsure how much longer you can keep going like this without seeing better outcomes – don’t wait.
Click here to schedule your complimentary strategy session and let’s figure out what’s really causing the burnout and map out your clearest, fastest path forward.
You deserve a business that fuels your life – not one that drains it.
Your friend and coach,
Jason
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