Diminishing the thought that "work is a chore and life is fun and meaningful" helps me avoid burnout. Often, the source of burnout is the frustration that you have so much to do in the business and so little time for yourself. If you find passion in your work, it becomes a meaningful and enjoyable part of your life. The converse is true - you could see your life as a chore. Our attitudes towards work and life determine how crucial and achievable work/life balance is. Getting caught up in the tide of work and life, I still struggle with this a little. So making time to think about them certainly helps.
Hey! I'm Elizabeth Pharo, the CEO and Chair of the Board at Divorce.com. I came across your question and would like to provide my comment: One self-care tip I follow to avoid burnout is prioritizing exercise and physical activity in my daily routine. I make sure to set aside time each day for some form of exercise, whether it's going for a run, hitting the gym, or taking a yoga class. Physical activity not only helps to reduce stress and clear my mind, but it also releases endorphins that can improve my mood and energy levels. By prioritizing my physical health, I'm able to approach my work with a greater sense of focus and motivation, which helps to prevent burnout. Additionally, I schedule breaks throughout the day to give myself time to recharge and reset. This might mean taking a short walk outside, practicing some deep breathing exercises, or simply stepping away from my desk for a few minutes. If you find my answer helpful, feel free to use it. Thanks, Liz
Being a leader you may think that asking for help should not be in your nature. But, buddy everyone needs help because everyone can’t know everything. There are various things in the office and at home as well you don’t know or don’t know how to deal with them. Not knowing something doesn’t make you less competent in the office until you ask for help. Don’t be afraid to lean on your team because you get to learn various things from your team members. You are not capable of doing everything for the project which is why a team is hired, so what is the harm in learning from the team to improve your skills? You can also use feedback from team members to learn and grow if asking straight for help is not your comfort zone. But when you ask for help, your colleagues and team members feel comfortable sharing their knowledge with you. It is good for you and your company's growth, isn’t it?
As much as I love the idea of a "mindful break", it was difficult to make myself take those breaks. That's when the idea of involving tech helped me prioritize self-care the right way. Since I started using an Apple Watch, I get reminded to stand up or do my breathing exercises after a certain period of time. I have installed browser extensions to help me track my mood and give me break reminders. I take every single one of my tea/coffee breaks seriously. When I leave my office for a stroll, I make sure to leave my gadgets behind. You should completely detach yourself from work when taking these breaks. This helps me to recharge before getting back to work. You don't need Apple Watch to get reminders like these. There are apps available for your smartphone to give you these healthy reminders. The goal here is to make whatever device you are using look out for your health. Our gadgets don't have to be a necessary evil as they can help us avoid burnout.
The first time I felt that I'm about to burn out I started working with a business coach - she gives me one-on-one support, in either personal office calls or remote calls, to help me implement goals, overcome obstacles and keep me accountable. I've also learned how to say "no" to requests that aren't aligned with my priorities. When I'm not feeling happy, productive, aligned with my goals, or positive, I make sure to schedule a call with her or put my situation on her radar. 60% of the time I learn it's something I need to communicate with my team. Otherwise, I'm able to resolve problems or challenges with her support.
One of my struggles as an entrepreneur is making time for myself. While I have always dreamt of going on vacation for weeks, the tasks I have to carry out on a daily basis get in the way. This is when I realized that I should be in full control of how I should manage stress. Having a dedicated zen space at work helps me think clearly at any given day. For example, I use my lunch break as a time to meditate. No matter how busy I am, I make time to relax my mind. Your zen space should be your resting place. It should bring nature indoors and help you calm the chaos, so you will have renewed vitality once you step out of that room.
When I first started my business, and for several years after, work came heavy and fast. I avoided saying no to clients, so I was usually saddled with a tight schedule each week. One thing I did to overcome feeling burned out was to have my own project that wasn't related to client work. It started as a blog and has since turned into a coaching business complete with speaking opportunities, events, and a book (currently writing). I have so much advice and experience to share with others, so I chose to channel it. It breaks up the monotony of client work and allows me to grow my business and brand even more.
As someone who has experienced burnout, learning how to set strong boundaries has been a "go to" in ensuring I don't go down that road again. And for me, that is usually in the form of the word "no." I can remember in my time of burnout, I was constantly checking and responding to my work email on my phone after hours. Once I began to really prioritize my mental and emotional health, I had to say "no" to that behavior with a hard and fast rule. So my boundary is this – once I get home, I will not check my work email. That doesn't mean I don't see the notifications. And that also doesn't mean some people aren't persistent! But as long as I'm on an after-hours schedule, I say "no." If there's a true emergency, I know I can expect a phone call. Otherwise, I will return emails once I'm in the office the next day. Not responding to those emails has allowed me to feel more rested, and more importantly, gives me focused, rested time with my family that I can never get back.
I have a ritual that I perform every year. On the first day back to work after the new year break, I schedule a week later in the year that I am going to take off. Once that is done I ask everyone in the office to do the same. As a business leader, it often appears that we can't have a vacation, that we must be available at all times. The problem with this is that no one can work all the time, we all need a chance to rest and clear our heads. By deciding on which week to take off, we give ourselves something to look forward to as we go about our daily routines. It isn't just about having a week to relax in, the anticipation of heading towards that week, and the planning that goes into whatever we are going to do with it all help to provide a distraction from the everyday worries of running the business.
As a business leader, one of the best self-care tips that I follow is to make time to review and reflect during the day and reassess my to-do's if necessary, as invariably more will be added. I work by the Pareto principle . The 80-20 rule underlines the importance of exerting time and energy on the tasks that will yield the best results. Strategic prioritization means I'm not having to stay late and I can adjust my schedule to suit my lifestyle. I don't feel guilty taking time out to attend my kids assemblies, play golf or take a longer lunch. The key is to have strategic organization that allows you to balance work and life. I make it a priority to develop healthy habits such as getting enough sleep, eating nutritious meals, and engaging in regular physical activity. Fostering these habits helps me stay energized and productive and sets a good example to the team, that we actually perform at our best when we take care of ourselves.
I stopped watching cheezy Monday motivation videos by self-proclaimed gurus because I think they create a toxic idea of success which leads to burnout. They all preach the same tips, e.g., wake up before sunrise, take a cold shower, limit social media usage, and exercise in the morning. However, success doesn’t look a certain way. Following generic, cookie-cutter plans will only cause disappointment and depression once they fail. I’ve seen many aspiring business owners burn themselves out trying to follow this toxic, unattainable idea of “success.” You need a customized program tailored to your needs. Remember: what works for others won’t automatically work for you. If plunging into a drum of ice-cold water gives you an addicting dopamine rush, then great. But there’s no reason to beat yourself up if it doesn’t. Trust me—your preferred shower temperature has little to no impact on your long-term goals.
It's crucial to understand what deprives you of energy on a daily basis and then consciously work on reducing or removing it completely. Accumulation of those things leads to frustration and eventually burnout. It's helpful to do a little retro with yourself or your team listing all the things you enjoy in your daily work and that uplift you ("Want to continue doing") , then list all of those that drain you from energy ("Want to stop doing"). As a leader, you can then design an ideal job description and working routine for yourself and strive to achieve the balance that keeps your days light.
As a busy small business leader, it's easy to let your work expand to take all hours of your day and night. It can feel like the only way to get caught up is to work late into the evening. However, what I discovered is you quickly lose productivity and sabotage productivity for the next day. And the loss of sleep doesn't just lower your productivity, it also has ramifications for your overall physical and mental health. If you're used to staying up late or having an erratic sleep schedule, it can be difficult to start going to bed earlier. Try to exercise during the day, get at least 20 minutes of natural sunlight, and get yourself on a regular sleep schedule. Once my body got used to going to bed at a certain time, I found I got naturally tired at that time, I fell asleep quicker and easier and woke up with a lot more energy and enthusiasm for my work.
As a small business owner, I used to fall into the trap of working 18-hour days. I'd wake up, work until I was exhausted, join my family for a quick dinner and then go to sleep. It was a terrible way to live. My family and my work suffered. In the decade since then, I've learned that the best thing I can do for myself, my business, and my family is to intentionally schedule time away from my desk with people that I care about. I have to mark it on the calendar and protect that time to make sure that work doesn't accidentally spill over into that timeslot. Sometimes that's a difficult boundary to maintain but it's worth it. I'm happier, my family is happier and my work is more efficient when I intentionally make time for my most important relationships.
I book a "workcation." I usually book 1-2 weeknights away every quarter to maintain my energy and engagement. Then, I head to my favorite hotel, only a quick 1-hour drive away, or find a nice Airbnb outside the city. Rather than treating it as a vacation, I use the time to connect with work and develop SMART goals for the next quarter. A change of scenery helps me feel more refreshed, and I get a great perspective on how the daily grind is helping bring my bigger goals to fruition.
Exercise and proper nutrition is easily the #1 way to avoid burnout. I pay way more attention to my exercise and what I eat now than I did in my 20's. I've learned these are two keys to managing my energy and focus which blow any other productivity hack out of the water.
Learn to say, “No.” When you run a small business it can be tempting to say yes to every opportunity that presents itself. However, doing so can definitely lead to burnout. Before saying yes it’s important to not only assess how much time you have to devote to a project but whether or not a packed schedule affords you enough energy to take on the added work as well!
Regular breaks during the workday are essential in avoiding burnout. One of the things I do is schedule breaks between work tasks each day. The break length varies according to how demanding and draining a task might be. For example, as a Career & Business Coach, I always allow at least half an hour in between coaching sessions. This gives me enough time to get out of my chair and move around for a while before preparing for my next session. If I'm spending a few hours working intensely on a program development task, I'll allow myself a longer break that enables me to take a walk outside to get some exercise and fresh air.
I am the founder of justgoexploring.com, a successful travel website and blog, and am also a personal travel planner. To help me avoid burnout, my number-one rule is that I only ever access my work emails and systems on my laptop, never on my phone. One of the easiest ways to burn out is not to have enough separation between work and personal time. (I used to be a corporate lawyer, and this lack of separation is the main reason I decided to change careers.) If your emails are easily accessible on your phone, it can be extremely difficult to resist the temptation to check your inbox (which switches you straight into "work mode") even during your off time. Doing this for too long is a surefire way to burn out. I always make sure that my laptop is closed for the day by 8pm latest (and ideally closer to 6pm). I don't have any email or other work-related apps on my phone, which helps to ensure I keep a level of separation between my work and personal time.
All said and done, having the right teamwork under you can be one of the best ways leaders can combat burnout. To truly avoid burnout while still ensuring you carry out projects successfully, make sure you hire managers and leaders that bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the table. This is not to say that you can offload your tasks on them, but being supported in this way can be the most beneficial thing for any leader. Even if you’re having an off day, you can step back and let your managers handle it until you are back on track. This is undeniably one of the best ways a leader can avoid burnout.