How To Avoid Entrepreneurial Burnout

Entrepreneurship can be a very satisfying job.  Owning your own business and working on your idea is fulfilling to many people.  However, being in charge of a company comes with many difficulties, especially if you are just starting out.  One of them is occupational burnout, which comes from unresolved, work related stress. Hard to diagnose, burnout is very common among entrepreneurs and if neglected, can lead to other serious problems like mental and heart diseases.  Let’s look at some ways in which one can cope with entrepreneurial burnout and still remain productive at work.

How to avoid entrepreneurial burnout

1) Set realistic goals

In the entrepreneurship field, the result of a new venture is uncertain.  Sometimes, setting very high and unrealistic expectations for oneself and one’s company can easily lead to disappointment, if the entrepreneur fails to achieve the goals.  Disappointment leads to stress, which eventually leads to burnout. Setting some realistic goals is necessary to remain focused on the task and avoid disappointment. For example, launching a product in just 2 months when it requires 6 months to get ready is unrealistic and will lead to overworking and stressing out.

2) Maintain a balance between professional and personal life

Many new entrepreneurs fail to draw a line between their professional and personal lives, which results in them getting burned out pretty fast.  Establishing a boundary between these two is important to work efficiently. A break from professional responsibilities helps in getting some relaxation.  A balance between your professional life and personal life can be achieved by setting up some rules, specifics of which vary from person to person and following it religiously. 

3) Change your routine

Following a similar routine day after day will inevitably lead to burnout.  Having to deal with a similar task and similar people on a daily basis can sometimes become frustrating and stressful.  Entrepreneurs can avoid this by making some minor changes in their daily routine, like working away from their normal setup or handing away certain tasks, which are stressing them out, to someone else.

4) Talking things through/venting out

Sometimes keeping all the stressful things bottled up inside can lead to more stress and frustration.  Venting them out in a healthy way to one’s family, friends or therapists is a good way to cope with burnout.  Venting your frustration out is good to take pressure off one’s mind and keep them relaxed.

5) Taking a break

While the thought of a break from  work can be tough for many entrepreneurs, it is the ultimate solution to avoiding burnout.  Sometimes taking a temporary break from your work and spending time doing things which relax you is a great way to avoid burnout.  Read a book, play sports, or cook—whatever it is which helps you calm down, take a break from your work and do it to ensure you stay refreshed and are not burned out.

With burnout becoming increasingly common among entrepreneurs, it is important to cope with it or avoid it all together to remain interested in your work. 

If you have any other tips about how to avoid entrepreneurial burnout, comment below and let us know.