The last two years have been demanding and exhausting for many business owners. Are you one of them? The challenges have been relentless, and we know many small business owners have had to navigate unprecedented demands because of the pandemic and related government regulations and societal changes.
Burnout results from long-term stress and can manifest in emotional and physical exhaustion, which may affect your enthusiasm for running the business you once loved.
So, What Can You Do About it?
As a business owner, you have many responsibilities, and often you do everything on your own. So we know how hard it can sometimes be to keep on top of all your obligations. The most important step is to acknowledge you feel burned out and need a break. Take a break as soon as you can. Plan ahead for time away from the business. However, while getting some rest in the short-term will help, long-term stress will take commitment to recover from.
6 Strategies to Help Recover from Burnout
- Delegate / Automate – Look at any low-value tasks you spend time on and pay someone to do them for you. Also look at things you can automate, whether this is via internal systems or systems that connect and integrate your platforms like Zapier. These will free up time and energy.
- Re-energise – If you’re struggling with a lack of enthusiasm or purpose, talk to colleagues or a business coach for support. If possible, connect with people in the same industry so you can share among others who may be facing similar challenges.
- Stand back – Take an objective look at how much you are working and how effective you are. For example, is it time to streamline your work activities and put boundaries around working hours?
- Reassess your goals – Do you have clear business goals for the short-term to long-term? Either set some realistic goals or revise them if they are too difficult right now.
- Commit to some regular self-care – Think about what you love doing outside your business that is nourishing. Regular exercise? Time in nature? Going on a retreat? Learning something for fun? Improving your diet? Get an app on your phone that reminds you to take mini breaks throughout each day. Whether that is movement, mindfulness or music, use technology to help.
- Celebrate milestones and achievements – When overwhelmed with stress or exhaustion, it’s easy to forget the positives. Remind yourself of just how much you have done in the last year!
Need Some Support?
You’ll be better able to face challenges, run your business well and assist others if you are looking after yourself well.
We’d love to help support you back to passionate engagement with your business. If you’re feeling burned out and need help in managing marketing, business strategy or systems, talk to us today, and we’ll back your recovery.
