There’s nothing worse in business or in life than dealing with burnout. Spending long hours running your business and trying to balance it with family obligations isn’t easy. For some, burnout can be so overwhelming that it drives them to shut down their business for good. For most business owners, shutting down the business isn’t the best solution. It’s just the only way out that they can see. Here’s how to keep burnout from running your business and your life.
An Hour of Prevention
If you could prevent feelings of burnout, would you do it? Of course you would. No one wants to feel like their business is a burden. The good news is that you can drastically reduce the likelihood that you’ll experience burnout. The prevention is easy and it’s fun. Open the calendar on your phone or computer (or for those of you who still use a physical planner – get it out!) schedule an hour a day to do something that you enjoy doing. If you don’t feel that you can devote an entire hour a day, break up the time into increments throughout your day. Maybe you take 30 minutes in the morning and another 30 minutes in the afternoon or evening. Maybe you have four increments of 15 minutes throughout the day. In addition to preventing burnout, you’re also better preparing yourself mentally for things to come. Research shows that taking breaks helps your brain.
Say No More Often
Burnout is often caused by taking on too much. You must begin saying no more often. It’s hard for people to say no because they feel like they’re letting others down, but taking on more than you can reasonably handle can cause feelings of being overwhelmed.
If you feel like you can’t say no as a business, find a way to get more help in your business so that all of the pressure doesn’t rest on your shoulders. Clients ARM provides cost-effective business assistance for service-based organizations. We can help you in several areas including client intake, customer service, accounts receivable, credit management, and more.
Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness isn’t a religious belief. It’s an excellent technique that can help you develop peace of mind and improve your focus. Mindfulness is about how we recognize our current situation. When you’re at work, you’re focused on the project in front of you. When you’re at home, you’re fully engaged in your personal life. Being more mindful of what we’re doing has been proven to increase productivity. We feel more peaceful because we’re not constantly concerned with what we’re not currently doing. Mindfulness is referred to as a practice because it’s not something that is necessarily mastered.
Create a Self-Care Ritual
A self-care ritual doesn’t have to be elaborate. It can be comprised of simple things you do daily that help you take care of yourself. Taking care of yourself is important when you’re running a business. When you feel better, you’re less likely to experience burnout. A simple self-care ritual before starting your work day could look something like this:
- Wake up a little earlier and do not immediately check your phone. Allow yourself to enjoy a few minutes of solitude.
- Take 10 minutes for prayer or meditation.
- Think about three things in your life that you’re grateful to have. It could something as simple as coffee.
- Get in at least 15 minutes of exercise. You don’t have to join a gym. You don’t have to do anything high impact. Even gentle stretching or walking can help you throughout your day.
- Eat a good breakfast.
- Take 15 minutes to plan your day; that’s spending 1% of your day to control the other 99%.
Schedule Your Free Consultation with Clients ARM
Running a business is a challenge, but it shouldn’t cause you to burnout. If you’re looking for ways to run your business while taking better care of yourself, schedule your free consultation with Clients ARM. Let us show you how we can help you reclaim some of the joy in your life.
