Recognizing and Addressing Burnout for Entrepreneurs
It’s probably no surprise that burnout is caused by stress. Burnout is defined as mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion. This article will outline how to recognize and address burnout as an entrepreneur.
As business owners, our demands for success never cease. We thrive on adrenaline, passion, and expertise day in and day out to keep our businesses moving forward. However, in our daily efforts, we often ignore what our bodies are trying to communicate. Research shows that 34.4% of entrepreneurs experience burnout. Our long days and nights start to blur together, and if we’re not attuned to our bodies’ distress signals, our susceptibility to burnout increases.
When we experience stress and fail to acknowledge it, it can easily lead to burnout. Research indicates that 87.7% of entrepreneurs battle at least one mental health condition, with 50.2% experiencing anxiety—the most common struggle among entrepreneurs. Anxiety, along with other mental health conditions, affects our mind, body, and emotions. Our bodies constantly send us signals, yet we often disregard them and push ourselves to unhealthy limits. We can train ourselves to heed these communication signals by identifying signs of burnout and taking steps to address them, rather than pushing through our days and ignoring the warnings.
Here are common signs of burnout:
- Emotional symptomsmay include chronic fatigue, feelings of being overwhelmed, stress, detachment, and a lack of interest in activities we once found pleasurable.
- Physical symptoms may manifest as chronic headaches, frequent illness, or body aches and pains.
- Mental symptoms can include lack of motivation and concentration, increased irritability, difficulty sleeping, ruminating on negative thoughts, and isolating ourselves from others.
We can address burnout by being proactive and diligently caring for ourselves. The most effective approach is to establish healthy boundaries around our time. Each new 24-hour period should include a system that prioritizes our mental, physical, and emotional health. During the workday, this might involve planning our schedule, setting boundaries, delegating tasks, and taking short breaks. Protecting our physical health can include eating well, staying active, prioritizing sleep, and visiting the doctor regularly. For emotional health, it’s vital to nurture relationships with family and friends and engage in hobbies and interests. To safeguard our mental health, we can practice gratitude, meditation, or prayer, use breathing exercises, take vacations, and seek mental health treatment if needed. By closely examining the symptoms our bodies signal and intentionally creating a daily system that incorporates care for our physical, mental, and emotional well-being, we can reduce anxiety and stress and prevent burnout.
Success and satisfaction aren’t defined solely by money; they also encompass the joy and peace we experience in our daily lives. The demands of being a business owner are not for the faint of heart, as we each know personally. It takes grit, determination, education, and growth. To achieve our business goals, we must not ignore the distress signals from our body and mind, as doing so can lead to burnout. In conclusion, being attentive to our bodies and adopting a proactive approach to managing stress is not only essential for our health but also for the continued success and growth of our businesses.
References: Navigating Entrepreneurial Mental Health: Insights from the Trenches (2024) By David Domzalski and Marc Andre, Published May 1, 2024
Disclaimer: This article offers a whole-health approach and is not intended to treat any specific diagnosis.