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Owning a small business or start-up can be exhilarating and fulfilling, but it also comes with the stress and pressure of being successful. , can lead to long working hours, anxiety, fatigue and burnout.
Even the most motivated small business owners can encounter obstacles in working towards their business goals. The key is to recognize burnout before it’s too late.
Fatigue, overwhelm, overwork, stress, and anxiety can all be signs of entrepreneurial burnout. Learn how to spot and treat symptoms of burnout with his 7 self-care tips for small business owners.
How to Recognize the Signs of Burnout
It’s not easy to recognize and admit that you’re feeling burned out, especially if you’re running a business. Keeping your mental and physical health in top shape is just as important as running a successful business.
Striving for a sustainable work-life balance is a good goal for every business owner. Healthier well-being can have positive knock-on effects for your business and productivity.
Here are some physical signs that you may be approaching burnout.
- lack of motivation
- can’t stay focused
- Sudden or frequent health problems
- Feeling tired even after a good night’s sleep
- Feel frustrated or angry at minor inconveniences at work
Why is self-care important for small business owners?
Self-care refers to making a positive contribution to your physical and mental health, especially during stressful times.
Taking the time to practice self-care may seem like a waste of time or a sign of weakness, but it’s especially important for business owners and leaders. Practicing self-care can prevent burnout, reduce stress, and increase creativity and productivity. When you’re performing at your best, you’re ready for business success.
7 self-care tips to beat burnout
Below, we’ve compiled seven helpful self-care tips that can help small business owners avoid immersing themselves in their business to the point of mental, physical, and emotional burnout.
1. Learn to Say No
We live in a world that is always ‘on’. Going to work mixers, conferences, networking events, or taking on every client/customer/project that comes your way may seem like a big deal, but there are limits.
Being overworked isn’t as productive as prioritizing the most valuable tasks and saying no to the rest.
A key lesson for all business owners is that you don’t have to do everything. Learning to say no to things that don’t serve you is just as important as saying yes to things that do.
Saying no is not always easybut setting personal boundaries at work is a must for your mental and physical health. You will be able to devote your time to productive work that will help you prosper.
A helpful tip to start saying no with more confidence is to create a “not to do” list. Make a list of activities and tasks you want to avoid in order to stay focused on what is essential to your business success. This includes meetings and conferences, working weekends, and attending networking events at least twice a month.
Anything that doesn’t contribute to the success and well-being of your business, add it to your list. Then check before accepting or rejecting new offers.
2. Find a coworking buddy or support network
Burnout is not only feeling overworked and extremely stressed, it can also make you feel unsupportive. You may feel alone and the fate of your business depends on you.
Instead of turning inward when these feelings arise, reach out to others for support. Surround yourself with friends, family, colleagues, and colleagues who support your ideas and share a similar vision.
To keep you motivated, there are peer support groups in your industry that you can reach out to when you need to vent, ask questions, or share your wins. Having a community to rely on during difficult times can reduce stress.
If you need to build a support system, we encourage you to explore networking events, local meetups, conferences, or online forums to meet like-minded people and build a network of support.
If you happen to be a sole proprietorship founder, work inevitably becomes lonely. Consider leaving the house for coffee with a friend or setting up a working lunch where you can brainstorm ideas with each other. You can also do this with an online work friend. Set up a weekly conference call or create an online chat to hold each other accountable.
Creating a support network of like-minded business owners and friends who can empathize with what you are going through can help you manage your mental health.
3. Take a break
If you suffer from burnout, Natural break. Many business owners tend to be hard workers, but setting aside time to rest and recharge increase productivity in the long run.
Taking breaks during the day is also essential. Have lunch, go for a walk, and chat with employees and business partners. You need to recharge and reset your brain between work so that you can focus and feel energized.
A smart way to do this is to set reminders on your phone to leave your desk at regular intervals throughout the day, or block work and break times on your calendar. Scheduling breaks like meetings holds you accountable.
Taking vacations is very important. Take time to spend with friends and family, book a vacation, or plan a spa while you’re on vacation. Make time for whatever you think works best for you.
4. Ask for help and delegate tasks
Don’t be afraid to rely on your team when you feel overwhelmed. Outsource tasks that waste you or areas of the business outside of your expertise. These activities can consume large amounts of unnecessary energy.
Investing in a team that can help your business scale and grow can put pressure on your budget, but in the long run you can recoup your costs in more ways than just revenue.
Training your team to manage day-to-day responsibilities and delegate work will take the pressure off and help you focus on growing your business instead of worrying about small tasks.
Common tasks such as bookkeeping, payroll, and maintenance are all great jobs to delegate to employees or external agencies.
5. Don’t sacrifice routine
Starting a business can be a hassle, and when you have a busy day, week, or month, it’s easy to skip your personal time. Establishing a morning and evening routine can help you feel in control during stressful times.
Even if you’re not very familiar with everyday life, start your day by doing something just for yourself over a cup of tea or coffee. This includes meditating, journaling, stretching, and scrolling through social media. Incorporating “me time” into your daily schedule is valuable for new and experienced business owners.
Taking time after work to reflect on the day and assess your mental health is also a great way to end the day.
If you write this “me time” in your daily schedule, you can secure your own time every day even at work.
6. Set office hours
When working as a small business owner, long working hours are generally the norm and perceived as part of the job. But it doesn’t have to be that way all the time.
If you find yourself constantly taking work home, staying up all night, or having no downtime at all, these are all telltale signs of overwork. Setting reasonable work hours for yourself and your staff can help prevent burnout.
By setting specific work hours and sticking to them, you can get more done every day. Setting precise break times and working hours will allow you to work more optimally to meet your work goals within your designated working hours, giving you time to unwind and relax before returning to work the next day.
7. Set goals
Something as simple as setting and achieving achievable goals can remind you that you are working hard.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed with work, set short-term goals to motivate and reward you and your team’s hard work and dedication.
Goals you can set include hiring employees, outsourcing menial tasks, getting your company noticed by posting regularly on social media, incorporating, and securing your first new client.
When you hit one of your goals, be sure to celebrate.
bonus tip
Lack of funding can also be a stressor for startups and small business owners. Looking to small business financing opportunities to alleviate financial pressure can be a great source of relief.
If your business is in urgent need of working capital, financing solutions such as Merchant Cash Advances, Small Business Lines of Credit, and Small Business Loans can help you get the financing you need.
AhMerchant Cash Advance A company can receive lump sum cash at a discounted price in exchange for a portion of the company’s future accounts receivable.
funds from Merchant Cash Advance It can be used to overcome unexpected costs such as reduced cash flow, hiring new employees, and monetizing bookkeeping and payroll with new software.
Ahline of creditA flexible financing option that provides fast access to a fixed amount of working capital. Businesses can conveniently withdraw working capital as needed and are only responsible for repaying the funds used.
line of creditIt’s the perfect way to support your marketing and advertising needs, optimize your business technology, and invest in growing your business.
small business loans A flexible financing option that provides working capital for businesses with set payment amounts and dates. Once the fixed amount is approved, the working capital is deposited into your business bank account and is ready for use.
small business loans Help with cash flow gaps, equipment purchases, etc.
overview
Starting a business is hard work. And when your life is your job, it can be hard to separate the two, but consistency is key. Don’t forget to practice the self-care tips described in.
By integrating boundaries, setting goals, saying no, delegating tasks, putting yourself first, and asking for support, you can become a more productive and successful business owner. Taking care of yourself is also taking care of your business.