3 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Beat Burnout

Recharge your motivation, conquer anxiety, and reduce isolation so you can keep winning in your business.

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1. Recharge

"Yeah, I know" said George when his friend Dave told him he should take more breaks. George, like a lot of entrepreneurs, "knows" it's important to rest and recharge but he's is caught up in the grind mentality.

George has been working 14 hours a day for weeks now and he's showing the classic signs of burnout. He's obsessing over details, he's overly self-critical, and he has a negative attitude that's started to permeate into all areas of his life. What's more, he's stopped going the gym, and his health is suffering.

Does this sound like you? Do you "know" you should be taking more breaks, but you keep grinding anyway? If so, you're not alone.

Many entrepreneurs, business owners, and other driven individuals are afraid if they take their foot off the proverbial accelerator that their business will fail.

This is what I call "entrepreneurial myopia." Your drive to win actually obscures some of the better strategies for success. And one of the best strategies is to regularly recharge your (human) batteries.

You're more efficient when you're rested and recharged. You're not unlike a race car. And a race car needs pit stops to perform at it's best.

I suggest taking scheduled breaks during the day, to make sure you're recharged so you can perform at your best. Also make sure to schedule weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly breaks to stay fresh and stave off burnout.

You can also try time management strategies, like the Pomodoro Method, a powerful technique I just recently implemented in my own daily routine.

2. Action Over Anxiety

After recharging, the second way to beat burnout is to take action whenever you feel anxiety.

From wondering if you'll land that big account, to worrying if you'll make payroll, entrepreneurs are so accustomed to stress that the lack of it can actually seem like something's wrong. That's right, your brain can actually associate anxiety with success. That's why a lot of entrepreneurs stay anxious and don't take action.

However, as anxiety builds, so does overwhelm and indecision, which leads to even more anxiety. Eventually, there's a breaking point where you can't take the stress anymore. You burnout.

Burnout can be temporary, or it can be permanent. If it's permanent, that means giving up on your business, and I don't want that to happen to you.

So instead of sitting and stewing in anxiety, take action.

Feeling doubtful about a major business decision? Call a colleague and get some advice. Got an underperforming employee? Talk with them today. Unsure how to respond to an email from a client? Type up a draft and save it.

The point here is to take some sort of action, however small. You see, anxiety is energy, and unless it's channeled into action, it stays in your body and causes stress. So train yourself to always take action. Do that, and you'll start feeling more motivation, energy, and creativity.

Check out my blog post, Action Cures Anxiety or learn more about my anxiety therapy services.

3. Associate, Don't Isolate

Under stress, humans tend to get more primal, meaning the fight-flight-freeze instinct gets triggered, which can cloud your judgement, especially in high-stakes business decisions.

Another primal reaction to stress is isolation, akin to a wounded animal who retreats into a cave to lick its wounds.

While isolation serves an evolutionary purpose, it's one of the worst things you can do as an entrepreneur. Your proverbial wounds might simply be the embarrassment of not meeting your projected earnings. So you retreat into your "cave," determined to figure things out by yourself. 

Don't do that! Instead, reach out to a friend, colleague, mentor, coach or therapist. Talk it out and get some perspective.

Reluctant to reach out? Think about it this way: if a friend called you asking for advice, would you turn them away? Probably not, right? You'd want to help. So reach out if you're struggling. People want to help you.

Associate, don't isolate. Associate with people who want to help you, then sometime in the future you can help them. That's a win-win!

Keep on Winning

In summary, entrepreneurship is tough. But you're tougher. The key to winning in the business world is staying in the game and not quitting.

So try these three strategies: recharge, take action, associate. You'll keep burnout at bay, and stay motivated for the long term.

Like winning? Check out my post 5 Self-Care Tips for Super Busy Professionals.