Burnout is something that we all suffer from it from time to time, it doesn’t matter what gender or age it can happen to anyone, especially female business owners.
I for one had my fair share of encounters with burnout until I discovered the source. For me, it was taking responsibility for far too much and not knowing how to manage it and more so how to say NO to the things I didn’t want to do.
For you, it may be something different but it helps to identify the source of your burnout so you can overcome it, you don’t need to be treating the systems of your stress but finding the solution especially as burnout can have a negative effect on your health.
What is Burnout?
Mental Health UK uses the definition of burnout as a state of physical and emotional exhaustion. In simple terms, burnout means being overly tired both mentally and physically to the stage where you cannot cope any longer. The World Health Organization recognizes burnout as “chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” These definitions can tell you that burnout is not something that is good for your health and your life, so knowing this, I would like to share with you the tips that worked to help me overcome burnout. But first, let me tell you a bit about why I had to find my solution to burnout.
As a mother, a partner to a male business owner, a female business owner, and a very active person, I have a very hectic life both in and out of my business. There were times when I found it hard to cope, and over time my health both mentally and physically began fading. I was so focused on building a successful business so I could achieve the life I envisioned for myself and my family that I just kept going trying to ignore how I felt but finding it more difficult daily.
My youngest child was the one who brought it to my attention, she firmly told me that I had no time for my children and everything I was doing was focusing on my business. She even reminded me that the reason I left the corporate world was to have more time with my family, she told me about how grumpy and tired I have been and that’s when I realized that I was suffering from burnout.
Right then and there, I decided that I had to make a huge change in the way I was balancing my business and my life. These are the changes I have implemented to help me and believe me, these little changes made a huge difference in my life, especially the first one.
Have a morning routine that includes gratitude and prayer.
I know many people will tell you to have a daily routine but this simply does not work for me as my days and my personality are different. I left a corporate job partly because I did not want the same daily routine over and over so as a business owner, I craft my days to suit my needs.
Every morning, the first thing I do when I open my eyes is, I thank the Lord for this day. I thank him for all that I have and all that he continues to bless me with. That simple act of gratitude has caused a great change in my life. Instead of looking at what I don’t have and wanting to work myself to the bone to achieve it, I am thankful for what I do have and place my trust in the Lord to open the door for me to receive more.
After this, I read my daily devotional. Putting God first in my life by doing these things and trusting him to make a way for me has brought a great sense of peace and calm to my life. I do these things daily before I speak to anyone, take phone calls or check emails.
Build your business around your life and not your life around your business.
Yes, you read that line correctly. I know we all started a business so we can build a better life but somewhere along the line, our business became our life!
I came to this realization when my business started to affect my health. I was spending so many hours focusing on building my business so I can achieve income goals that I neglected everyone and everything else. My life was bout work, work, work! I had to sit back and assess where I could start making small changes to my business and then gradually increase over time.
This wasn’t an overnight success but I made it a goal to have flexibility in my business so my life could be more flexible and after a while, I achieved this goal. Like any goal, you have to create a plan to achieve this, make sure it’s a SMART goal and not just a dream.
Ask for help when you need it
Now this a tough one for a lot of us but it is something that we MUST learn to do. No man is an island and we must come to the reality that there is NOTHING WRONG in asking for help. Identify what areas of your life and business you need help with and then make a list of the people you can ask for help. This is what I did:
- I needed more help with chores so I can put in the extra time in business sometimes so I asked my kids to help out more.
- I needed help to reframe my mindset from negative to positive so, when I was able to, I invested in a mindset coach
- I needed help with simple tasks in my business so I outsourced to a Virtual Assistant and I trained my older daughter in some aspects of the business so she could earn a little cash and learn tasks that can help her when she is ready for the world of work.
- I needed help to align my business ideas and sometimes just to vent more so I opened up to my partner more about my life and my business and I created a group with some trusted friends who are also female business owners. We bounce ideas off each other, we cheer each other on and sometimes we just talk, hang out and have a good time. All part of creating balance.
Build a team so you can focus on the main aspect of your business
In tip #4 I mentioned outsourcing tasks, this is a part of building your team. Now your business may not be in a financial place to hire or you may think it’s not but this is something you should sit with pen and paper and map out. Begin with, “where do I need help in my business?” Write out all the areas where you can get help in your business.
Next, look at your income and expenditure and see what you can afford to pay. If the figure is really low or you simply can’t afford a Virtual Assistant then you can explore an intern or a barter system.
An intern will do the work without getting paid to their experience and if all goes well, when the internship is completed, you should be in a better position to pay them. With a barter arrangement, be sure to quantify both sides of the barter arrangement to make it fair, i.e. if you are asking for $500 worth of services then make sure you are offering $500 worth of service.
Have a strong support system
As mentioned, I created a support circle with my female friends who are business owners and since then my circle has grown and created new circles. You would be surprised to find that many women desire support for their life and business and it’s easy to make connections.
Who can you identify to create a support circle with? It doesn’t necessarily have to be other female business owners, this can be friends, family or a group that you already belong to. I am sure there is someone or some people in your life that you can count on and if there really isn’t then you can explore online groups for women. I found a few Christian groups and Facebook that are very supportive.
Remember that you need time to relax
Let’s be honest, building a business is not easy, there will be good days and bad days but I am thankful for each and every day. Remember I told you that my days are different so a daily routine is hard for me to stick with? Well on my low days, I prioritize rest and relaxation, on those days my focus and energy are low so I work in gaps or when I have bursts of energy.
I work in gaps so as long as my focus lasts, I work and then I take a break, maybe a short nap and then back to work again. This goes on for some time until I am back to my normal self. It is how I have learned to cope with my changing physical health.
Overall, you need to find what works for you, your family and your business. I structured my business in a way that is suitable for my life and to ensure that the overwhelm and stress are kept at a minimum. It may not be possible for you at this time but it can be something that you can work towards achieving.
Look at your life now and then think of where you want to be in the next five years and then write down actionable goals that you can start taking to move towards your vision. You deserve the life you dream about and you can achieve it, don’t give up!
Listen to my live interview on this topic by clicking here.
My name is Keiva Reyes, I am a child of God, a mother, a partner and a female business owner. My passion is supporting female business owners, like you, to grow your business and increase your revenue without stress and the overwhelm. I do this through two cores services: Administrative Management and Email Marketing.
As an Administrator, I help you to find and close the gaps in your business systems and processes, reducing redundancies and increasing your business’ efficiency. As an Email Marketer, I help you attract your ideal client to your email list, nurture your subscribers to build know, like and trust and convert your subscribers into clients and loyal followers who will refer your services! Book your free 30 minute Business Diagnostic by clicking here.
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דירות דיסקרטיות באילת Pedro Eich