Entrepreneurs look at their businesses as babies, and rightfully so. They’ve built them from nothing and work tirelessly to grow and develop them. But in the midst of fast-paced lifestyles, almost non-stop hustle and never-ending to-do lists comes a very real problem for women entrepreneurs: burnout.
A Harvard Business Review study on entrepreneurs and burnout — not specific to women — found that the average entrepreneur experienced some level of burnout. Some felt it more than others. About 25% of respondents said they felt moderately burned out, while 3% felt strongly burned out.
The biggest reasons revolved around passions and mindsets. There is a dark side to passionate work, and that is it can be hard to detach, both emotionally and physically. Harvard Business Review said many of the burned-out entrepreneurs felt emotionally dependent on their work.
Here are some ways you can de-stress and perhaps avoid that burnout feeling that can hurt your business.
Follow a consistent work schedule
We know, this is easier said than done. But that’s perhaps why it’s so important. Business owners are prone to working around the clock, and the constant stream of work is one of the biggest reasons for burnout in entrepreneurs. You need to detach every once in a while.
A consistent work schedule essentially means capping the number of hours you work each day, and then trying to unplug to spend time on yourself or your family. This extends to your business as well. Set boundaries as to what kind of work you do when, and try to get your bigger projects/to-do tasks finished at a reasonable time.
Prioritize health
When you’re busy concentrating on your business, sometimes there isn’t time to take care of yourself. It’s essential to block out time for self-care, like exercise, reading a book, meditating or whatever task helps you destress. Sleep and eating balanced meals are of the utmost importance as well.
If you don’t prioritize your health, it could actually lead to loss of energy, anxiety and other issues that could directly affect your business.
Make a day ‘un-bookable’
Sometimes you’ve just got to put your head down and work, without the interruption of meetings or phone calls. Set a day aside every week or every other week for you to plow through your to-do list. Studies actually show that isolating yourself can actually improve productivity.
You’ll have time to be alone, avoid distraction and knock out those high-priority tasks, making you feel better about yourself.
Delegate
One person can’t do it all. In fact, they shouldn’t do it all. Delegating your tasks is a hard skill to master, but one that will help you avoid burnout and actually be more productive. This can extend beyond business, too. Delegate your tasks at home to significant others or children.
For example: If you hate cleaning your house or office, hire a cleaning person once a month.
Always re-evaluate
Inevitably, you’ll get off track. Some big project will come up that sucks up all your time and energy. Or a problem will arise that you’ll need to squash. Every quarter, re-evaluate how you are managing your time and take stock of your mindset. Do you feel like your passion is waning? Are you feeing burned out?
Take that time to get back to what was working. Take care of yourself and improve time management. You, your health and your business will be better off for it.