How Entrepreneurs Can Recover from Burnout

Burnout affects nearly every professional at some point in their life. It can come with no warning or be an unavoidable slow burn. Regardless of the cause or form, it is critical to learn how to deal with and recover from burnout.

This is especially true for entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs are perhaps more susceptible to burnout due to their heavier workloads. Yet, with so much of their business lying on their shoulders, the potential damages of burnout are more dangerous.

What Is Burnout?

Despite its prevalence, burnout is sometimes challenging to describe to others. It's physical, emotional, or mental exhaustion in response to work stress (or other working conditions). Some may people may experience a combination of the three.

Common symptoms of burnout include decreased motivation, detachment, feelings of numbness, lowered performance, fatigue, and negative mindsets. Meanwhile, some physical signs include headaches and changes in sleeping patterns.

While some people will immediately see these symptoms when dealing with burnout, others will have more subtle symptoms. For example, workers may lose patience with coworkers or feel like they have a shorter fuse. If this is abnormal for them, it may indicate that they are in the early stages of burnout.

Entrepreneur Burnout

It's important to note that entrepreneurs are more prone to burnout. Likewise, they may deal with a different form of burnout (entrepreneur burnout). This often stems from the chronic stress of their lives and working environment.

A symptom specific to entrepreneurs is doubt about starting a business in the first place. This insidious doubt can cause significant damage if left unchecked. Be on the lookout for the symptoms above, alongside more specific symptoms related to running a business.

Can You Recover From Burnout?

The answer is yes! You can recover from burnout, but it is going to take change and effort. Many short-term actions can be taken to eliminate burnout (such as taking a vacation), but if you don't address the causes that led to burnout, it will simply happen again.

Recovering From Burnout

As mentioned above, there are several ways to help oneself recover from burnout. A quick solution may be to go on a vacation (change of pace and scenery). Alternatives include:

• Ensuring you get enough sleep.

• Spending time with friends and family.

• Finding time to do more things you enjoy.

For example, a burned-out entrepreneur would potentially benefit from joining a group of like-minded people. In other words, by joining a support group for entrepreneurs. Connecting with people and forming new friendships (or professional networks) is a great way to move forward through burnout.

Preventing Burnout From Repeating

Once one has recovered from burnout, the biggest concern should be preventing it from happening again. This means directly tackling the causes of burnout. It may be long hours, a passionless job, or a poor work/life balance.

Entrepreneurs must be hyper-aware of what caused their burnout and strive to avoid letting it happen again. As such, they should make a point of adding self-care into their routines, find a healthy work/life balance, and work to create more beneficial hours and schedules.

One way to find a healthier balance is by being more mindful of how the day begins. Give yourself time to set the right mindset for the day. Let this mindset carry you through the day. Likewise, try to keep yourself from working past a healthy stopping time. In other words, be mindful of when you start the day - but also when you end the day.

Part of an entrepreneur's job is to plan for the future. They're dreaming up big business ideas, creating extensive plans, and preparing for the worst. However, it is critical to avoid stressing too much about this future.