How to Prevent Burnout as an Entrepreneur
As I became a full-time entrepreneur, I saw myself all of a sudden as the owner of my own schedule. From an employee perspective, leaving your 9-5 for an online business may sound like the beginning of a more free and relaxed lifestyle, but on the other side? I can tell you it’s way more likely you’ll be putting on a lot more hours at work than you did. That is not to mention those who have a side hustle while working on their 9-5! So how can you prevent burnout as an entrepreneur?
When we decide we want to get our own online businesses off the ground, it involves a lot of work. Before we know it, the first thing we sacrifice in order to get more time to work is: sleep. I am not going into detail about how much sleep deprivation can cause damage to you physically and emotionally, but you can read it here for more on that.
And then we continue to work without taking breaks and giving ourselves a rest, because we tend to believe we will be more productive that way!
The Productivity x Rest Equation
So what is wrong with that assumption? 10 hours of work, after all, are more productive than 8 hours of work and two hours of rest, right? Well, actually – likely not. You see, the human brain is not wired to focus on work for long uninterrupted periods of time, so it cannot keep focus for hours nonstop. If you are not proactive and give it a break, it will just naturally slow down to get the rest it needs. In the end, you will have stayed “active” for 10 hours but really not achieving more than 8 hours of work, for example. And will be more tired at the end of the day after all that effort to maintain your focus. So, better to go ahead and give yourself that break.
When we are discussing lack of sleep, it gets worse, as it negatively impacts your cognitive abilities if you are not sleeping as much as you need. So if you are staying up late to finish doing work you could have done the next day, consider shortening your work day. You may find that you will still be as productive as before (because you’ll be more alert), without the grumpiness from being sleep-deprived.
Does that mean lay down on the couch and rest all day long? While there are some people on the internet that claim to have reached that level of evolution, I’d still recommend taking action on your business daily (or almost daily). That said, my conclusion is:
more rest breaks = a more productive and happier you.
Lack of Rest and Burnout
As we move through our days doing as much work as our bodies and minds will physically allow, we are not only harming our productiveness and ability to do a job well done. We are also putting ourselves at risk of burning out.
It is so easy to fall into the trap of working longer hours and working during weekends and holidays to “feel” more productive. What we fail to see is that, in the long run, running a business on empty will hurt our health. And when you reach burnout, you will wish you could go back in time and followed the tips below to prevent it. Most online businesses, even the ones we call passive, demand some daily activities to be performed. If you are feeling sick from burning out, you will not be able to put your best into it, or nothing at all – which could cause your business to come to a halt.
Actively Prevent Burnout as an Entrepreneur
As entrepreneur Emmanuella Ndukwe-Obuikwu, a Fitness and Lifestyle Blogger cleverly put:
We all have a particular goal in mind, and sure we are working towards it day in and day out, but one thing we really shouldn’t forget is Rest. For some reason, the word ‘Rest’ has gotten a bit of bad rep today, especially as an entrepreneur and with so many people yelling at you to go hustle 24/7. Don’t get me wrong, you need to hustle, hustle smart and hustle hard, but you also need to take a break. Taking a break from work, and closing your eyes for a little bit and resting your mind, has so many benefits. It refreshes you and gives you more energy, to tackle problems in a new way and from a different perspective. Besides, if you aren’t well rested, it will show in your work and how you perform as an entrepreneur.
The next time you feel overwhelmed, take a break, even better take a nap, and then open your eyes refreshed and you will tackle anything that comes your way.
Emmanuella Ndukwe-Obuikwu is a Fitness and Lifestyle Blogger. When she isn’t writing and working, you can find her chatting with friends, or watching WWE. Find her on her website.
And what she says is right. We need a lot of our creative juices to be flowing to make the smartest decisions in our businesses, and these are less likely to happen when we are tired!
Even when I worked on my 9-5, I would take a coffee break with a colleague for breaks, and noticed time and time again how much easier I resolved problems after coming back from it! Feeling refreshed is not only good for your health, it is good for business!
How About a Nap?
In some countries, taking a short nap during the afternoon is common and can provide an energy boost. It is actually a remedy to sleep deprivation according to a french study. If you can fit this in your schedule, throw out the window any feelings of guilt and shame associated with it and go ahead and take a nap. Science backs you up on this.
In other words, a lot of times, the amount of stress that you will face in your life is out of your hands. But when it is, consider reducing the stress levels in your life. And this is probably more under your control than you think – but it takes deliberate action.
Some Practical Tips
If you’re like me, you could probably use more actionable tips on this. Check these ideas out:
- Keep a schedule of how much time you spend on work each day
- Schedule breaks for yourself so you can relax, even if it’s just for 10 minutes
- Get enough sleep – going without sleep will make you feel more stressed and less productive
- Take care of your mental health by practicing self-care activities like meditation or yoga
- Focus on the big picture – think about what your goals are and why you’re doing this in the first place
- Find ways to enjoy your work – find something that makes it fun!
- Ask for help when needed, don’t be afraid to reach out when things get tough
- Make sure to take some time off every week, rest or do something fun!
Hopefully these will help, and you will be watchful and ensure you are always keeping healthy and preventing burnout!