As I have mentioned before, becoming an entrepreneur is a double-edged sword. On the plus side, you have the freedom to do what you love and create your own schedule. You can make a living doing nearly anything! I have seen people make a full-time income from creating macramé tapestries, dressing up as a princess for birthdays, and even just giving relationship advice on Fiverr. The downside to this is that because you have all this new freedom, you have the freedom to reach burnout.
Why? Because you make the rules, the hours, the salary, and even pay the taxes! It can be difficult to know the difference between just hustling and running yourself into the ground. Read over these warning signs, if one or more sound like you then it is time to rethink the way that you are handling your company. The last thing you want is to make yourself miserable doing something you love.
1. You have no set “business hours” because your business rules your life.
If you are getting calls at 9:00 PM from clients, answering emails while laying in bed at 2:00 AM, and answering non-emergency texts during birthday parties…business is ruling your life! If your clients/customers are trying to contact you at all hours of the day, and you are letting them, then something is wrong. Just like a normal 9-5, you should have hours of the day that are out of office. You need to set boundaries with yourself and your clients to know when it’s time to sign off and what is considered an emergency. Your client asking your opinion on a color scheme is NOT an emergency and can wait until morning. You are supposed to be doing what you love! You are not an on-call nurse! For more tips on dealing with business stress click here.
2. You feel that nothing you are doing matters or is appreciated.
Have you ever reached a point in your business journey where it seems that you are spending all day working and nothing is getting done? Do you feel like you are pouring your heart into your company and not seeing any joy from it? These are big warning signs that you are on your road to burnout. My advice to you is to take some time to break up your to-do list into a realistic schedule with attainable goals.
For example, instead of putting a big task like schedule a month’s worth of social media posts on your to-do list, you should break it up. This could be breaking it up into figuring out hashtags, captions, and graphics or maybe breaking it up into scheduling a week each day. You also may need to minimize your time spent with cheap clients who can really drag you down. If you want to learn three simple ways to eliminate your time with cheap clients, click here.
3. You don’t have any free time with family or friends.
Time off should be just as fun as an entrepreneur as it is when you are working for someone else. Making time to spend with your friends and family is so important for your mental wellbeing. If the people in your life are starting to complain that they never see you. If they say that you always cancel or that you spend the whole time on your phone working when they do see you…it’s time to step back.
You need to realize that your company shouldn’t be destroying all of your relationships. The people in your life provide a support system that will pick you up, dust you off, and set you on your way whenever you make a mistake. By destroying your support system, you are setting yourself up for failure and stressing yourself out because you have no outlet. If you are looking for a support system that is more geared towards business, join me LIVE every Wednesday at 9:00PM for #poshlatenightbiz.
4. You feel physically sick all the time.
It may be hard to believe, but burnout can make you physically sick. Symptoms such as frequent headaches, stomach aches, nausea, insomnia, and changes in your eating habits can all be symptoms of burnout. If you have noticed that it seems like you are under the weather more often and you cannot pinpoint the cause then this may be burnout. Selfcare is so important, especially when you create your own schedule. You should be taking time to eat good meals, relax, have good hygiene.
Be sure to treat your symptoms first to relieve any pain and then take steps to eliminate the causes. For example, your new-found insomnia may be an effect of consistently doing business from your laptop in your bed right before trying to sleep. Instead, try to have an hour of relaxation time before sleeping and not turning your bed into an office!
Is this starting to sound like you?
If you are close to burnout or are already experiencing it, you need to take steps to lighten your load. You can do this by outsourcing, creating a schedule, dedication on your days off, and setting boundaries with your clients. If you need help re-organizing your company to allow yourself to breathe, you may benefit from my business coaching membership. This membership will help you to create a step-by-step plan for success, manage business stress, and set yourself up for success!