How to Prevent Entrepreneurial Burnout

Tait Shanafelt, MD, was a senior resident at the University of Washington in 2000, and he witnessed incredible burnout among interns.

He did a study to examine burnout trends among medical residents.

Their fatigue affected the quality of care and patients’ health. How similar this is to entrepreneurial burnout. But what can be done?

7 Ways to Ensure You Don’t Lose Your Edge

1. Burnout isn’t a rite of passage.

Recognize you don’t need to go through burnout.

It’s not a rite of passage, and it’s something to be avoided. However, if you are getting burned out, you need to stop the cycle and do something about it.

2. Spend your energy frugally.

Prioritize where to spend your energy.

You don’t need to do everything yourself, and not everything requires your energy. Decide what you truly need to spend your energy on.

3. Document your procedures.

Document your standard operating procedures.

Then, if you need to hire some help, you can ensure that they know how you run your business and can carry on with your standards in place.

With documented processes in place, you won’t have to think about everything when you start working or need to delegate a task, leaving more time for the important things, according to Marquiste Boyce, author and CEO of Side Hustle Mentor.

4. Anxiety doesn’t have to be the norm.

“Running a startup is like chewing glass and staring into the abyss,” said Elon Musk. “After a while, you stop staring, but the glass chewing never ends.”

So get a handle on it as soon as it shows up by talking to a professional if needed.

Learn to identify the stressors in your business and plan how best to deal with them.

5. Exercise can help avoid burnout.

Carving out 30 minutes a day for fitness can help you avoid burnout, according to Kumar Arora of Forbes Magazine.

In addition, taking a walk around the block and doing yoga or other aerobic exercises can help.

6. Meditation is helpful.

Meditation is associated with decreased blood pressure, lower heart rate, less anxiety, and reduced stress.

Not only that, but you don’t need gym shoes, a membership, or fancy equipment to meditate.

Take a break, focus on your breathing and relax for a few minutes.

7. No comparison.

Don’t compare yourself to others, and don’t judge.

It creates negative self-talk, typically making negative talk about the other company. Either way, it’s not a good road to go down.

Nearly half of U.S. employees report feeling burnt out, and 1 in 4 said they’re feeling burnout due to the pandemic. With this said, we need to be sure to do all we can to avoid it.

We sometimes need to lean on others, and that’s why we support you.