The last two years have been demanding and exhausting for many business owners. Are you one of them?
The challenges have been relentless, and we know many small business owners have had to navigate unprecedented demands because of the pandemic and related government regulations.
Burnout results from long-term stress and can manifest in emotional and physical exhaustion, which may affect your enthusiasm for running the business you once loved.
So, What Can You Do About it?
We understand that as a business owner, you have many responsibilities, and often you do everything on your own. So we know how hard it can sometimes be to keep on top of all your legal obligations. And your invoicing. And chasing up debtors. And doing all that “stuff” so you can lodge your BAS.
The most important step is to acknowledge you feel burned out and need a break.
Take a break as soon as you can. Plan ahead for time away from the business. Schedule it in, like you would your work or your client. However, while getting some rest in the short-term will help, long-term stress will take commitment to recover from.
If you find yourself squealing (like I did) “But I have to get this work finished!” remember that working long hours doesn’t guarantee you will be productive. And tiredness or brain fog could impact the quality of your work.
Strategies to Help Recover from Burnout
What can you do differently to avoid prolonging or retriggering the burnout?
- Delegate – Look at the low-value tasks you spend time on and pay someone to do them for you. This will free up time and energy.
- Re-energise – If you’re struggling with a lack of enthusiasm or purpose, talk to colleagues or a business coach for support. If possible, connect with people in the same industry so you can share among others who may be facing similar challenges.
- Stand back – Take an objective look at how much you are working and how effective you are. For example, is it time to streamline your work activities and put boundaries around working hours?
- Reassess your goals – Do you have clear business goals for the short-term and long-term? Either set some realistic goals or revise them if they are too difficult right now.
- Commit to some regular self-care actions – Think about what you love doing outside your business that is nourishing. Regular exercise? Time in nature? Going on a retreat? Learning something for fun? Improving your diet? Get an app on your phone that reminds you to take mini breaks throughout each day. Whether that is movement, mindfulness or music, use technology to help.
- Celebrate milestones and achievements – When overwhelmed with stress or exhaustion, it’s easy to forget the positives. Remind yourself of just how much you have done in the last year!
Need Some Support?
You’ll be better able to face challenges, run your business well and assist others if you are looking after yourself well.
We’d love to help support you back to passionate engagement with your business. If you’re feeling burned out and need help in managing systems, technology, payroll or other financial and administrative management, talk to us today, and we’ll back your recovery.
This post was originally written by BOMA and has been updated to make it more personal.
