Despite the flexibility and multiple benefits that come with entrepreneurship the challenges and demands alongside these are real. No matter what stage of business you are in, it can often feel as though you are wearing multiple hats and your energy is being pulled in multiple directions. There are many aspects to running a business that can add additional stress and create a sense of overwhelm, which in turn leads to entrepreneurial burnout.
What is entrepreneurial burnout?
Entrepreneurial burnout can come in many forms and looks different to each individual. It can be summarized as a state of emotional exhaustion, overwhelm, and frustration. Although stress can cause burnout they are two distinguishable things. Extensive stress that is not well managed is what leads to burnout.
Burnout can be displayed in various forms:
- A continuous feeling of overwhelm and exhaustion
- The feeling of dread for the week ahead
- Sleep issues
- Lack of productivity
- Loss of Motivation
- Extensive Fatigue
What causes entrepreneurial burnout?
Entrepreneurial burnout can be caused by things that are going really well within your business, or by things going not so well within your business. Either way, it’s this non-stop movement to keep going forward and not give yourself time to rest. Some other causes are:
- Having unrealistic goals and expectations
- Trying to do it all alone
- A lack of financial, informational, and social resources
- Skills Deficit
How can entrepreneurs avoid burnout?
When it comes to overcoming burnout, it’s best to take preventative measures that will allow you to be able to stay afloat within your entrepreneurial journey without going through cycles of burnout and having to crawl yourself right back into a steady state of business. I recommend that you:
- Set realistic goals that are achievable within a certain time frame.
- Avoid trying to over-perform and overwork yourself to reach goals beyond attainability.
- Outsource tasks to other professionals
- Enhancing your skill set and expertise to increase your value so that you can charge more
How to recover from entrepreneurial burnout?
If you or someone you know is experiencing burnout, it’s important that you take time to rest and take a step back. Step away from the things that caused burnout in the first place. Allow yourself to rejuvenate and do the things that you enjoy. It’s important within this time to also put measures in place in order to avoid this reoccurring. Adequate recovery allows you to take time to reflect as well as to better flow in your creative zone as an entrepreneur. Learn how to deal with creative burnout here.
It is possible to avoid entrepreneurial burnout, but if you do end up feeling burned out it’s important to put yourself first and take the time to rest. Be real and honest with yourself and accept the things that have led up to this point and seek ways to improve them.
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