30 Tips to Keep Burnout at Bay and Your Business on Fire!

As busy business owners, it can be all too easy to get lost in the to-do lists and endless client demands. Especially when working from home, or using your personal devices the lines between work and downtime can start to blur. That can easily become a spiral down the burnout hole.

Between the demands of work, possible anxiety about stepping away from your business, this can be a tricky balance to strike. That’s why I asked 30 busy entrepreneurs and business owners their best tips to keep burnout at bay and your business on fire!

#1. Ask for help!

Being business leaders, we often put too much weight on our own ability to control things. When something goes south, it can be easy to look back and dwell on how we could have “controlled” that too. But this can actually do more harm than good, as it can cause us to take on too much responsibility and forget to draw on the collective power of our team. Try to redirect your energy, time, and focus to figuring out the next step that is going to help you move closer to your goal, even if that means asking for help.

Matthew Paxton, Founder at Hypernia ( website)

#2. Have a clear daily routine

I don’t work crazy hours and think it’s often anxiety or ego that keeps people working long hours. What I find really helpful is to keep a good daily schedule. I exercise a few times a week, eat healthily, make sure I take a lunch break and that I am staring at a screen all day. I go to bed quite early, around 10 pm and then I’m up early.

Kieran O’Neill, CEO & Founder at Thread ( website | Twitter)

#3. Sleep!

Getting a full eight hours of sleep makes all the difference to me in terms of focus and productivity. Starting the day groggy and lethargic makes the entire day difficult — especially as we age.

Jay Jermo, Owner at Hey Honey ( website | Instagram)

#4. Set yourself a curfew

My go-to strategy is to set yourself a personal curfew when it comes to checking emails and social media. For example, from 7 pm I will lock my phone away and spend time with my family, so I can unwind and not dwell on the events that have happened at work that day.

Robin Waite, Founder and Fearless Business Coach at Fearless Business ( website | LinkedIn)

#5. Don’t hate your clients

A huge red flag for burnout is when you start to resent your clients or the people you help. As a stylist behind the chair, I started recognizing that, instead of being happy for my clients when they got to go on trips or do fun things, I would secretly resent that they had the time and energy for it. This is a huge signal that it’s time to change course.

Kelsie Bentley, Cosmetologist and Entrepreneur at Simply Bentley ( website | Instagram)

#6. Be aware of the small mistakes

Some of the first signs of burnout are simple, daily mistakes I make. I am usually very precise at work and don’t usually overlook things. However, when I’m tired, my focus drops and I make very simple, even stupid mistakes. As soon as I notice being tired, I immediately take a day off. It’s much better to ‘’waste’’ one day of work in order to rest than keep making mistakes. in reality, the problem doesn’t go away unless I rest, so the sooner I do it, the better it is for everyone.

Navarre Trousselot, CEO at Navexa ( website | LinkedIn)

#7. Create a 24-hour personal retreat

Plan an entire day dedicated to self-care, rest and recharging. Wake without an alarm, take a walk, use essential oils, teas and music to create a calming environment. Do some reading, go for a walk and do some stretches. Get some nice spa items and enjoy some pampering time in your bathroom. Try to keep your phone and other screens off for the day.

Upuia Ahkiong, Founder and Owner at Kua Body and WELA ( website | Instagram)

#8. Use a journal

Using a work journal can help recognise the early signs of burnout and put in measures to stop harm from happening. It’s all about taking 15 minutes a day to write down how you’re feeling, what happened during the day, and your general mood about the work you’re doing. By writing short entries and checking in on your past writings, you can get a good look at your work life. I’ve been able to recognise the need for a break and have put some of my successes into perspective!

Lindsey Allard, CEO and Co-Founder at PlaybookUX ( website | LinkedIn)

#9. Schedule time for rest

In my experience, once you start recognising signs of burnout, it’s already late. The idea is not to get there at all. I advise all entrepreneurs to literally schedule time to rest. It’s important to do it regularly and not only when you recognise signs of exhaustion. This was really hard for me at first — I kept feeling I was missing out on the work. However, once I realised my productivity was much better when I was fresh and energised, it was much easier to set aside some time to relax.

Malte Scholz, CEO at Airfocus ( website | Facebook)

#10. Unplug

When we spend all of our time in front of a screen, it eventually takes its toll. I like to turn off all devices for at least one or two hours every day. This is a chance for me to connect with people or spend some time in nature. Sometimes just half an hour offline helps me fully re-energise.

Nick Chernets, CEO at Data for SEO ( website | Twitter)

#11. Value your mental health

Values are an unconscious pattern that we are all uniquely coded with. They are ‘what is important to us’, such as family, freedom, health, free time, wealth growth etc. The fascinating thing about our values is that we can choose to change our values.

Leila Khan, CEO at Life is Today Academy ( website | Instagram)

#12. Learn some new skills

The enthusiasm for learning something new, and the happiness with the results achieved, will do wonders for you. Learn a new language, or start cooking, the possibilities are endless!

Saurabh Jindal, Founder at Talk Travel ( website | Twitter)

#13. Take time away from social media

Business owners often find themselves obsessing over their social media engagement. Going down the rabbit hole of whether your content is impressive enough to attract the interest of potential customers can take away essential time for relaxing with family and friends. However, to give the best service to customers, you need to be feeling your best. Therefore, unplugging from social media in the evening so you can connect better with family and friends lets your loved ones know that you’re always here for them, too.

Jared Pobre, Co-Founder at Caldera + Lab ( website | Instagram)

#14. Change your work environment

By changing your work environment, you may also increase productivity. Most times, I work from my home office, and now and then, so I don’t lose the passion for my business; I change up my workspace. I will add a new gadget, or buy a new desk.

David D. Simons, Coach, Professor, Public Speaker, Author, Entrepreneur at Kingdom Social Media ( website)

#15. Multitask the right way!

Find creative ways to multitask that incorporates work and exercise. Can you take a walk (in-person or with headphones) so you can catch up while you are getting some exercise too?

Paige Arnof- Fenn, Founder and CEO at Mavens & Moguls ( website | LinkedIn)

#16. Celebrate your progress

Focusing on unfinished business made it impossible for me to think about anything else, and I’d head into the weekend feeling stressed and defeated. Rethink to-do lists, set manageable goals, and sit down on Fridays to make a list of everything accomplished that week.

Kate De Palma, Owner at Scented Designs ( website | Instagram)

#17. Take that lunch break!

It’s crucial that you take a few minutes away from your desk or workspace throughout the day. In fact, take a break from sitting every 30 minutes, do some stretches, take a walk for meetings rather than sitting in a conference room, and perhaps trying a standing desk if possible.

Arika Trimnell, Spiritual and Mindfulness Expert & Founder at Prism Vibes ( website | Twitter)

#18. Turn off your social media notifications

I made it my new year’s resolution to turn off my notifications in 2017, and I haven’t looked back. I don’t get Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or any other notifications from social media, and I honestly don’t need them. They steal my focus from things that I’m working on, and it’s not like those notifications are going anywhere. Trust that your notifications will still be there when you log deliberately onto your social accounts and that you don’t need to drop everything to check your phone.

Andréa Jones, Social Media Strategist at OnlineDrea Inc. ( website | Instagram)

#19. Remember the journey is more important than the destination

Understanding your drivers helps you to change your behaviours and actions. Nurture your soul, licking your wounds and releasing anything that does not serve your purpose. By purpose, I mean living a life of joy and abundance. We all deserve that. Only then can you create the right boundaries and a life plan that incorporates more than the business. This is where you get to appreciate your efforts and develop gratitude for what you have.

Angela Ward, Managing Director at Angela Ward Consultancy Ltd ( website | LinkedIn)

#20. Get your processes clear

Record the steps of everything you do, this is so valuable at the beginning of your journey. It allows you to identify what tasks to delegate and you will have the bones of your operations manual starting to form.

Sian Young, Sustainable Success Coach ( website | LinkedIn)

#21. Allow your inner introvert to recharge

I have come to realise that allowing external stimulus to get past comfortable, leads to stress and burnout. Knowing how to maintain balance to manage your energy levels is vital. Give yourself permission to say, “I have had enough”, take the time to recharge.

Patience Ogunbona, Corporate Trainer and Transformational Coach at ATI Coaching, Consulting and Training Ltd ( website | LinkedIn)

#22. Not every client is YOUR client

Your boundaries may be related to your work schedule, the type of projects you’ll take on, or the clients you’re willing to work with. When you first start your business, you may be tempted to take every client who walks in the door, but bad clients can be a huge drain on your time, energy, and finances.

Megan Hodgkiss, CEO & Principal Writer at Hodgkiss Consulting LLC ( website | Facebook)

#23. Delegate what stresses you out

I think one of the most valuable courses of action that small business owners and entrepreneurs can do is to delegate things that are either outside of their zone of genius, things they don’t enjoy, or especially both! Hiring a virtual assistant can make a huge difference in productivity, energy, and overall happiness.

Laura Rike, Pinterest Expert ( website | Pinterest)

#24. Combat toxic productivity

As a founder and ex-burnout researcher, I want to make sure to combat toxic productivity. I deliberately schedule time off in order to rest and recuperate. I know I can be much more productive after resting. A quick 20-minute break, such as a walk outside, gives me the energy to dedicate another six hours to work.

Eropa Stein, CEO at Hyre ( website | Facebook)

#25. Connect with nature

Contact with nature and going inwards through yoga or meditation is a great way to relieve and prevent burnout as well. That’s what I do every morning to make sure exhaustion, stress and frustration stay as far from me as possible.

Dorota Pawlak MA, MSc at DP Translation Services ( website | Instagram)

#26. Master the art of listening to yourself

By their nature, business owners are passionate and driven individuals who want to make something great. It is crucial to get back into the habit of listening to what your body is trying to tell you. By being kind to yourself and listening to your own needs now, you can help ensure you’ll be able to lead your business in the long term.

Linn Atiyeh, Founder and CEO at Bemana ( website | LinkedIn)

#27. Have a hobby

Dedicate time to what you love apart from work. Having a hobby that you are passionate about can help you have quality rest and give you lots of inspiration.

Tytus Golas, CEO at Tidio ( website | LinkedIn)

#28. Consider new perspectives

Try to do things and see life from a different perspective. Try talking to someone and ask for help from people, indulge in reading books. Reassess your goals and priorities in life. Identify the underlying cause of stress in your life and start to work on possible ways to change that. It is important to accept the issues, embrace the emotions and process them properly.

Cody Crawford, Co-Founder at Low Offset ( website | LinkedIn)

#29. Identify where you spend your most valuable asset — your time

When my wife launched her private speech therapy practice, SpeakIndy, she spent an inordinate amount of time restocking supplies and searching for items from Amazon to run her business. So, I created Axenomic.com (free to use) to enable small businesses to curate a custom purchasing library of items typically ordered from Amazon.

Cory Nation, Owner at Build TBD ( website | Facebook)

#30. Connect with your fellow entrepreneurs

I have other small business owners in my circle of close friends, this allows us to talk to one another and relate to the trials and successes that we are both currently experiencing.

Brandin Johnson, Broker and Owner at Incisive Realty ( website | Instagram)

About FEM

FEM stands for Feminist Entrepreneurs Magazine (or Finally Eradicating Misogyny, if you’re feeling cheeky), and is a House of Hives publication. We started this magazine to support entrepreneurs who feel disenchanted with the 24/7 hustle culture, the competitive narrative of toxic masculinity and narrow definitions of success, value and wealth that it peddles. We want to talk about balance, the importance of mental health, the power of collaboration and diversity, and much more.

We hope to inspire and support entrepreneurs as they build their businesses in enjoyable and sustainable ways, by sharing stories and tips from thought-leaders and change-makers. Join the mailing list to have the FEM e-magazine sent directly to your inbox.

Originally published at https://www.houseofhives.com on July 9, 2021.