3 Simple Steps to Prevent Burnout As a Business Owner
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As a business owner, you have a lot on the go and slowing down isn’t always an option in order to see your business succeed. But when you consider the fact that more than one in three Canadians are experiencing burnout, it might be time to reassess your mental, physical and emotional health to ensure you’re not running the risk of burnout.
So, what exactly is burnout and how do you prevent it as a business owner? Keep reading to find out.
What Is Burnout?
Any working employee can run the risk of burnout, but business owners might actually be more at risk. That’s because as a business owner, you’re often solely responsible for the success or failure of your business, and that can lead to a high amount of stress and anxiety.
Burnout is a mix of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion caused by stress over a prolonged period of time. The symptoms of burnout can include:
- Physical aches and pains
- Disrupted sleep
- Reduced productivity
- Irritation
- Anxiety
- Difficulty concentrating
- Fatigue
- Detachment
- Frequent illnesses
- Recognize and watch for the symptoms of burnout.
- Act on the first signs of burnout by seeking support and finding ways to manage your stress.
- Prevent burnout from occurring by building up your resilience to stress through diet, exercise, and by creating outlets to release stress regularly.
- Having a trusted person help monitor you for signs of burnout. This can be your significant other, your business partner, a parent, a friend, or anyone that you trust to know when something is off and help you act on it.
- If you start to feel overwhelmed, find ways to lean on your employees to help relieve some of the burden. After all, that’s what they’re there for!
- Build daily stress outlets into your life in the form of hobbies, exercise, and time with friends/family. Even just thirty minutes twice a day can drastically improve your mood and emotional health to stave off burnout. Consider this as protected time in your calendar.
- Take care of your physical health by eating well and finding exercise that you enjoy doing. Your physical health is incredibly important to your overall health and wellness, but it’s often a low priority for business owners with long hours and high stress.
- Reevaluate your time. When are you most productive during the day, and are you using that time block for the most important items on your to-do list? Are you wasting time on tasks that could be delegated? A weekly review of your time can help you not only be more organized and focused, but also help ensure you’re spending time on what matters most to the success of the business.