5 Ways to Ward off Work Burnout

It happens so innocently at first – you’re in love with this business you’ve created and every spare second is poured into it.

But over time, with every challenge and bump in the road, those minutes and hours begin to weigh on you, and soon you feel as if you can’t escape. More worrying, you want to escape from the responsibility for just a little bit, because if you don’t you might just begin to resent this amazing business of yours.

Sound familiar?

If there’s even a slight twinge of recognition, then now is the time to act because problems don’t get better by ignoring them!

Here are 5 ways you can prevent work related burnout:

1. Create a new work schedule

If work has always been a full-stop, never-take-a-break type of endeavor for you, then it’s time to make some changes. One of my favorite phrases is “you’re a human being, not a human doing” so remember that your life needs balance.

Choose a daily start time and stop time for work. Do not schedule outside of those work hours and, if you need to, keep your work phone and computer off when you’re not working.

2. Get more help

One of the reasons that burnout creeps up on us is that we’re doing it all ourselves. It’s my belief that most entrepreneurs are creators, not sustainers. We like the creative exercise of developing ideas or new things, but if we’re asked to do them day after day, we get bored. Remember, Michael Kors doesn’t sew every pair of pants he sells, and Arianna Huffington doesn’t deliver all those newspapers. They have help for a reason.

Btw, you’re going to be increasingly willing to take time off when you know the bases are covered by competent team members.

3. Discover one thing that refreshes your spirit

Stay with me dudes, I know this might sound a little new-agey. When you’re working, there’s going to be moments (or days…) of frustration. So if you surround yourself with something good, even a bribe, it can remind you of how fortunate you are. My splurge is fresh flowers, something I never got to enjoy when I worked in an office. For some people it’s blaring rock music or a jar of candies or their daily yoga at noon. Find your thing and integrate it into your work day.

4. Let off some steam

So far I’ve been talking about the structure of your routine, but the fact remains that if you have too much work and not enough support then your stress levels are going to rise. Instead of eliminating stress by quitting your work, find the right way to manage those frustrating times. Some people drink tea, go for hikes, take up kickboxing, bake, paint, journal, meditate… the possibilities are endless.

Sometimes you need a mentor or friend who will listen and emphasize and help you work through those struggles. Because letting the resentment and frustration build is not healthy.

5. Take steps to resolve the core issue

Listen, I’m never going to tell you that business is always sunshine and roses, or that you should just suck it up. Sometimes being overwhelmed and on the edge of burnout is indicative of a bigger issue that needs to be resolved. You could be growing the business without leveraging your time effectively or need to transition to a new team model to fit your needs. Dealing with the bigger issue – whether it’s team, technology, products or something else – is the core of handling your business.

Recognizing burnout is on the horizon and dealing with it is important – don’t allow days or weeks to pass in frustration or overwhelm.