The first time I thought about how to avoid burnout was when I was a rookie newspaper reporter fresh out of journalism school.
Eager to be the next Bob Woodward or Hunter S. Thompson, I hung around the newsroom late into the night looking for hot stories and sage wisdom from one of the veterans.
The latter happened one evening when our salty-town desk editor took me outside.
“Hey, go home,” they told me. “The last thing we need here is another burnout that’s totally worthless.”
The advice was poignant, but I took it to heart, limited my time, took breaks here and there, and shared big stories with other reporters. Earned and kept the enthusiasm going (at least until newspapers ceased to exist).
Well, the lead is buried, but here it is: everyone needs to think about how to avoid burnout.
What is burnout?
The first step in knowing how to avoid burnout is understanding what it is. And we’re not talking about getting overly obsessed with Netflix series until your eyeballs melt.
In fact, burnout syndrome Ward Health Organization As, “…a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from poorly managed chronic workplace stress”.
According to the WHO, burnout has three main symptoms.
- low energy or complete fatigue
- Feelings of indifference or cynicism towards work
- I can’t keep my A game
In other words, your own venture ends up kicking your butt so long that you stop caring and actually start hating the dream.
Hmm… that would be pretty awful. It’s good to have strategies for fighting and avoiding burnout. Let’s dig in.
What to do when faced with burnout
Burnout is no joke. In fact, according to a recent survey, he 63% of business owners may face this problem. This is a significant number and shows that burnout can happen to anyone.
We reached out to leadership and career coaches to understand how burnout can be avoided or checked early Cathy CaprinoShe outlines three main strategies for employers to maintain mental health.
- find the cause – Use structured approaches such as journaling to identify sources of burnout, rather than lumping everything into one unfortunate mess. It is very useful to measure body temperature for later comparison.
- give 10% more – 10% more healthy activity like rest and relaxation, then another 10% less unhealthy stimulation like late night. This small change won’t make you less productive, but it can bring big benefits.
- ask for help – Do not internalize your feelings. Talking to counselors, friends, and others can generate new strategies and perspectives.simple Hey, are you okay? There is something truly eye-opening.
A word about perfectionist hyperfunction
If you manage to get your venture off the ground, it makes sense to want to get everything right. But this can quickly lead to what Kathy calls her “perfectionist hyperfunction.” That is, a business her owner cannot prevent herself from performing all the functions of the business.
If there’s a shortcut to burnout, it’s perfectionist overwork. No one can sustain maximum effort for an extended period of time. Smart entrepreneurs understand their limitations and ask for help when they need it.
How to avoid burnout
While the above strategies will certainly help get things back on track, learning how to avoid burnout altogether is an important part of professional self-care. , remember that they work together.
maintain a schedule
Set a regular wake-up time, work time, and bedtime. I also make time for breaks. gasping! – holiday. Maintaining a work-life balance can help you resist the urge to work all the time. It also allows you to quantify how much time you can put into a job before turning down a project or having to outsource it.
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Outsource what you can
As alluded to earlier, it’s important to avoid perfectionist overfunctionality. You don’t have to deal with unskilled or tedious tasks all the time. Scheduling allows you to assess whether the project will be needed beyond the allotted work hours. If so, please adjust your proposal to include the cost of additional assistance.
practice healthy habits
Make sure you get enough sleep and exercise. Make sure you are eating right and maintaining proper hygiene. This may seem basic, but it’s too easy to ignore these things when you’re overwhelmed. Even the most lucrative deals aren’t worth your happiness.
check the head
There will always be projects you dislike more than others, but make sure it’s an objective feeling, not proof that you’re resentful of your work. As mentioned earlier, it’s helpful to write down your thoughts and solicit feedback from others. Enthusiasm and a positive outlook should be the norm. Don’t fall into negativity.
Final Thoughts to Avoid Burnout
Now that we’ve covered how to avoid behavioral burnout, let’s take a quick look at where technology fits into all of this. Try it.
It’s a game changer.
Today, many technologies have been developed with the everyday entrepreneur in mind. For example, managed WordPress and managed WooCommerce stores are built to handle a lot of the heavy lifting that comes with running a website or online store. If you manage clients, be sure to look at The Hub by GoDaddy Pro.
The point is, with the right mindset combined with the right technology, burnout is completely out of the question. A life-changing venture awaits you. Let this year be your year.