Business Burnout - How to Prevent and Recover From it
One moment you can be hustling and bustling, getting stuff done left and right. Feeling great about life and business and then boom! You can barely peel yourself out of bed. You feel extremely tired, the things you used to enjoy don’t appeal to you anymore, and although you love your business you all of a sudden want nothing to do with it.
What happened? Why the sudden change?
Well, it sounds like you are knee-deep in burnout, baby.
Burnout can easily happen to any business owner.
It’s a sneaky little thing too! You can feel on top of the world one minute and the next you just want to sit on the sofa and binge-watching Gilmore Girls for days. (Ok, the truth is, I want to do that all the time because I’m totally addicted to that show!)
Hey there! Welcome to the Desire to Done podcast! I’m your host, Billie Gardner. I am no stranger to burnout. It happens to me occasionally but I now know the signs of it coming on and what to do when I hit that burnout stage. In today’s episode, I’ll be covering what to look out for, how to prevent burnout, and what to do if you find yourself burnt to a crisp.
How do you know when you’re burnt out?
The signs of burnout are feeling emotionally and physically exhausted. Not just sleepy or tired, but completely worn down and unable to function at a normal level.
Other Physical Signs are
Insomnia, Decrease or increase in appetite, Increased cravings (helloooo, chocolate!!), Inability to focus, Headaches or dizziness, tummy troubles, forgetfulness, chest pain, and fogginess.
Emotional Signs are
Anxiety, Depression, Anger or irritability, Hopelessness, Guilt, Mood swings, Feelings of depletion like you have nothing left to give, and dread.
Behavioral Signs are
Detachment from others, Loss of enjoyment in your work and the things you enjoy, Pessimism and negative self-talk, and Zero, zip motivation
I must say that I’m not a doctor so if you feel physical or emotional signs that you're concerned about you should see a doctor. It could be a sign of burnout but it could also be a sign of something else.
The most common cause of burnout for Virtual Assistants is overload or having too much on your plate.
Another common cause of burnout is feeling a lack of control when it comes to your work. If you don’t have the resources you need, lack boundaries with your clients, or struggle to make business decisions, you can very quickly reach the point of burnout.
Unfortunately, we live in a world where productivity equals value. Because of this, a lot of people have a hard time relaxing. We’re hard-wired to do more, hustle more, and cross more off of our to-do list. But MORE is not healthy for our well-being and leads to burnout and other feelings like depression.
Ideally, we want to stop burnout before it happens.
Repeat after me…
It’s much easier to prevent burnout than it is to recover from it.
Let’s say that again because it’s very important - It’s much easier to prevent burnout than it is to recover from it.
Luckily, there are several things we can do to prevent burnout. Here are my top 10:
Tip #1. Take Breaks – This includes taking several 15-minute breaks throughout the day away from your desk, taking weekends and holidays off, and yes, even vacations! Breaks are essential, especially for introverts, because we need to rest and recharge.
When you’re a new VA, it can be a challenge to take time off and I totally get that! You are in the “hustle” stage of your business. Just do your best to take breaks as needed throughout the day and plan for some time off regularly.
Tip #2. Practice Self-Care – If you don’t have a self-care ritual, now is the time to create one. Can you carve out some “me time” each day, even if it’s just for a few minutes? What about longer “me time”, perhaps on the weekend? Choose when to do your self-care and what you’ll do. Then stick with it. If you find your new ritual isn’t working out or isn’t as enjoyable as you thought it would be, try something else.
Some of my favorite self-care rituals are to:
- Sip coffee, read, and snuggle with my pups before I start my day
- Move my body after work (dance, stretch, or do a guided meditation if I’m too tired)
- Before bed, watch something I enjoy and drink a cup of Chamomile tea
- Take weekends off
- Take a week off every 3-4 months
A few more ideas: Take a hot bath, listen to soft music, read, play video games, watch a movie, or go for a walk in nature. Whatever brings you joy and fills your cup, that’s your self-care. Schedule time on your calendar for yourself because you are worth it!
Tip #3. Get Support – People who have support systems are far less likely to burn out. It could be your family, friends, biz bestie, a FB group, or some other group. (If you’re a Virtual Assistant, we have a super supportive group of introverts...and some extroverts..inside the Introvert VA Club forum. Go to introvertvaclub.com to learn more.)
You can even get professional support from a therapist. Let yourself be vulnerable and reach out to someone you trust when you feel yourself heading towards burnout.
Tip #4. Ask for Help – Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. We ALL need help from time to time! Just tell someone what you need, and I’m sure they will be happy to help. If not, ask someone else!
Tip #5. Listen to Your Body – Our bodies are always giving us feedback. Pay attention to your mental and physical health as part of your daily routine. You may need extra sleep, a healthy snack (or a chocolatey one), or a long weekend. Also, watch how your body reacts to certain things. I get burnt out if I watch too much news or hang out on Facebook for more than 5 minutes. Listen to what your body is telling you!
Tip #6. Be Stingy with Your Yeses – If you’re a people pleaser or tend to say “yes” a lot listen up! All those “yeses” can easily lead to burnout. Learn to say no and say it often, especially when your body tells you to.
Tip #7. Know Your Boundaries – It’s essential to create boundaries with clients, family, and friends. And if someone breaks your boundaries, let them know.
Tip #8. Work with Your Energy Levels – This is one of my favorites. We all have surges and drops in energy levels throughout the day. You might find that you have more energy in the morning and do your best creative work then. Or you might be a night owl and do your best tech work then. Each of us is different, so it’s important to listen to your body and work with it as much as possible.
Tip #9. Create Good Habits – Get enough sleep, eat healthy, don’t skip meals, drink lots of water, move your body, and do things you enjoy. These habits are the foundation of good health and having balance in your life.
Tip #10. Know the Signs – You don’t just wake up one day and feel burnt out. If you notice that you’re feeling more tired than usual, unable to focus, or craving a Netflix binge, check in with yourself. Are you on the road to burnout? If so, take more breaks, rest more, and take things off your list so that you can try to keep yourself from going up in flames. The earlier you can detect yourself burning out, the better you are at avoiding it.
Is it too late for prevention? Are you already feeling burnt out? Rut row! Well, let’s go over how to recover from it so you can get back on your feet!
REST. If you can, reduce the number of tasks on your to-do list and only do what’s most important. You must take time for yourself right now. The only way you’ll feel better is to reduce your stress and workload and rest as much as possible.
Do things you enjoy if you feel up to it, like reading, watching a movie, meditating, journaling, or just sitting and looking out the window. You might feel guilty and beat yourself up for feeling unproductive but know that you are being productive. Your body is doing a lot behind the scenes.
Make changes. If you don’t change things, you’ll keep burning out over and over. Take the time to see how you can reduce burnout in the future.
Ask for Help – Can you ask someone to help you to lighten the burden? Or can you pay someone to help you?
Go slow. If you try to rush your recovery, you’ll likely end up right back where you started, so ease into things and take all the time you need. Do something SMALL, then take a break. Repeat this process till you feel stronger to do more significant tasks. Remember, don’t rush it!
Create a plan. Once you feel better (again, don’t rush this), create a plan for keeping burnout at bay and what to do if you feel burnt out.
Keep in mind that burnout didn’t happen overnight and therefore you’re not going to recover in a single day. Change takes time. Just be consistent, give yourself grace, and things will begin to improve.
I have a few resources that I recommend for staying healthy. I’ll link to them in the episode description.
I hope you now have a plan in place to prevent burnout. If you’re already feeling burnt out then I hope you get sweet relief soon!
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Thanks for listening! Take care and talk soon!