You’re burnt out, now what…
Refinding focus when you're running on empty.
Burnout. A constant challenge for busy business owners.
Sometimes even when you’re riding high, it doesn’t take much to knock you down.
And this week has been one of those weeks.
A conference, a big project launch, onboarding a new sales manager, and trying to keep up with month end targets and admin. It never stops, until BOOM, I’m taken out with a January cold, knocking down the enthusiasm and motivation in a month that’s already grey, miserable and draining!
That got me thinking…
… for business owners I don’t think it’s a matter of ‘if’ you’ll get burnt out, it’s ‘when’.
And if that’s the case, it’s something that we need to be mindful of, recognise the warning signs, and learn what to do to rebuild momentum, focus and motivation.
Recognising Burnout
I think everyone’s different here, but for me:
Withdrawing / emotionally distant
Unmotivated to do anything
Exhausted
According to the World Health Organisation, ‘occupation burnout’ is
“Burn-out is a syndrome 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.
So that checks out. But what’s unique for business owners and entrepreneurs is that there’s no-one to manage this for you - It’s on you!
That means it’s on you to find balance, step back and learn when to put the foot on the gas and when to ease off.
Burning out as a business owner
Sometimes it feels like you’re on your own, so here are some of the tools and tips that I’ve found to help in the moment:
Dial back the pressure
Focus on the small wins - keep things simple, take tasks in small chunks, and do enough to just keep your head above water.
Get outside, get moving Just a small 10 minute walk + shower is enough to partly reset.
Make space for yourself Clear the calendar, get out of the office, pause and breathe.
Let it all out, vent to friends, share the challenges or even look to ChatGPT for tips to keep moving forward.
I find stopping altogether doesn’t really work, as the todo list still piles up, and it’s harder to get moving again. So the best thing I’ve found here is just dialling back the pressure. Focus on just doing the next small thing, and build on that.
Plus, there’s a weird satisfaction when you achieve anything whilst feeling burnt out.
Speeding up the recovery
The biggest things I learnt from the pandemic were that it’s easy to get drawn into a negative spiral. Inaction breeds inaction, overwhelm leads to panic leads to more overwhelm and paralysis.
The best thing you can do for yourself as a business owner is recognise:
when you’re flirting with burnout
how much you can still do to keep moving forward, whilst dialling down the external pressure
how quickly you can rebuild momentum to get out of the mental funk
Be mindful when you’re at a low ebb. Note down the reasons in your notes app or a journal. Remind yourself that you’ve been here before (and you’ll be here again).
The real skill isn’t avoiding burnout entirely. It’s shortening the gap between stopping and starting again.
The quicker you can rest, refocus and reset, the quicker you’ll be back at full strength, for you and for your business.