A Business Owner’s Guide to Navigating Burnout
We’ve all been there. No matter how efficient or organised you try to be, burnout somehow finds its way to sneak up when you least expect it. Instead of fighting the feeling and ignoring the signs, it’s okay to accept that everything has its limitations, including you.
Learning how to navigate life’s limitations should be a familiar concept for many of us, especially business owners. With ample responsibility on your shoulders, trying to grow your business, manage your finances, and keep your customers happy, it’s easy to overlook the most vital aspect of your business— you!
When your mind and body reach their limit, it’s easy to feel lost or confused about what to do next. Sometimes you may not even know that you’re experiencing burnout or how to look for the signs in yourself.
What is burnout?
So what is burnout and how does it affect your work, body, and mind? The World Health Organisation defines burnout as a ‘syndrome conceptualised as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterised by three dimensions: feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and reduced professional efficacy.’
Knowing that burnout is a result of mismanaged stress is a key place to start navigating the unhealthy work habits that lead to it. Here are a few ways you can help avoid overworking yourself and manage your stress successfully.
#1: Set Boundaries
If you’re feeling overworked, chances are you need to reevaluate your work/life boundaries and start enforcing them. Try giving yourself a set number of hours in the day that you’re available for meetings, answering emails, and completing work. When you can help it, try not to work outside of these hours.
#2: Celebrate Your Wins
It’s easy to become overwhelmed and discouraged when we focus on the negatives and the hurdles ahead. Deterring burnout is recognising, celebrating, and rewarding yourself when you experience a win, big or small! Whether you crossed off more than you expected on your to-do list or landed two new clients for your business, take a moment to be present, mindful, and acknowledge how far you’ve come. Recognising the positives in your work-life can help place things into perspective and ground yourself when things don’t go according to plan.
#3: Recharge
The rest is just as important as the work! As a business owner, you’re passionate about what you do. Sometimes it’s hard to know when to push the brakes when you build momentum. Prioritising and enforcing your R&R can be more rewarding than you think!
You can’t pour from an empty cup, so take the time to recharge and rest whenever necessary. Whether you book a new vacation every year or take daily naps, rest can make all the difference and bring out the best version of yourself.
#4: Identify Goals
Setting realistic and achievable goals is a great way to motivate and guide your path as a business owner while reminding yourself what you’re working toward. Create a list of long-term and short-term goals to help identify your best course of action for the next year and daily basis! Goals will keep you on track and maximise your time without worrying if you’re doing everything you can.
#5: Stay Organised
Staying organised is a crucial tool to deter feelings of burnout. When we plan everything from our monthly, weekly, to daily schedules, we help ourselves meet priorities. Making daily and monthly to-do lists is a great way to zoom in on your current responsibilities without feeling overwhelmed. Staying organised means identifying your goals and taking a structured, clear approach to achieving them. This will help you avoid feeling overwhelmed or anxious about the future, ultimately leading to burnout.
#6: Delegate Tasks
As a business owner, you wear many hats and juggle countless responsibilities. While this is true, you can’t always do everything! When your to-do list overflows it’s okay to ask for help. You may consider delegating responsibilities to your team or outsourcing. This is a great way to lighten your workload and help you focus on running the areas of your business you’re best at!
You don’t have to be everything for everyone all the time, and our team at Daly Media understands that better than anyone! A key part to building a successful business comes with building a solid brand and consistent marketing strategy. We provide a range of marketing and branding services with a hands-off approach for busy business owners— so you can get back to running the aspects of your business you’re best at!
If you’re looking to outsource your marketing efforts, click here to take social media off your plate and with a team dedicated to strengthening your business.
Next Steps To Take…
Having the proper tools to help manage burnout will help pave the way toward a healthy work/life balance. As a business owner, it’s easy to believe you have to perfect everything yourself in order to be successful. However, knowing when to ask for help is a healthy boundary that supports and prioritises your mental well-being.
If you’re ready to take the pressure of social media marketing off your to-do list, our services at Daly Media are available to help you! Contact us today to get started and learn more about our services.
