Have you ever gotten into your car and noticed that your speedometer is hovering at empty? You Google the closest gas station, pray that you make it, and then promise to yourself that you will never let this happen again.
We know that our cars refuse to run without gas, and for some reason we still push their limits. We do the same thing to ourselves as business owners.
There is no cruising at a comfortable 55 with a full tank when you own a business. When everything rides on your shoulders, you push yourself hard when you have the energy to do so, and even harder when things get tough. Why do we do this? We’re smart people. We understand that we are humans with limits, but we do it anyway. Late nights, early mornings, skipping meals and family time because the job must get done.
We’ve been wondering, though, is there another way? Can your business succeed without pushing yourself to the brink of a breakdown?
It can be normal to feel stressed or anxious about work, but burnout is not something we should be routinely living with. Gallup survey tracked self-reported burnout at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic; the respondents experiencing burnout were 63% more likely to take a sick day, and 23% more likely to visit the emergency rooms. Gallup also reported a significant increase in managerial stress in 2021.
What does burnout look like?
Let’s paint a picture of your typical burnout boss – does this remind you of anyone you know?
Feeling constantly overwhelmed
Lacking energy during the day, but restless at night
An inability to think clearly coupled with a notable decrease in your work performance
Spending all of your time at the office
Frequently missing important events (soccer games, family dinners, etc.)
If you are experiencing any of these things as a result of work, we think you should read on. Burnout is not something to take lightly and at MegoMedia, we have found that it is possible to see business success without risking your health. Here are some strategies that we have found helpful, and we hope you do, too.
4 simple strategies for managing burnout
Re-establishing balance.
When you're burnt out, it can be difficult to remember what balance feels like. So, let’s take baby steps here.
Start by simply writing out all of the tasks that you need to get done in a given day. Do you actually have enough time to get it all done? If not, delegate tasks to someone else. We know that no one can do it better than you at your best, but we bet one of your trustworthy employees could do it better than burnt out you.
Regaining control.
Sometimes we get to the point where we are stretched too thin. We take on so much of the burden as the boss because we want our employees, customers, and business partners to be happy. But it is important to be firm on your limits. Saying no, respectfully, can have an immense power.
Think about it, saying “no” is one less thing you have to do that day. Saying “no” to one 20-minute task is 20 more minutes of sleep or 20 minutes relaxing on your couch – do you even remember how much you love that couch? This brings us to our next tip.
Take a break.
It’s understandable, with all that we have to accomplish during the day, to forego our daily breaks for the opportunity to cross one more thing off of the to do list, but research shows that if we step away from our tasks for even a few minutes, our productivity, work satisfaction, well-being and overall engagement will improve (Tork, 2018).
Find that twenty or thirty minutes in your day to do whatever makes you feel most relaxed. Here’s a link for some inspiration.
Find your support.
Never underestimate the power of asking for help. Sometimes just sharing the burden you feel with someone that loves you is enough to get you back on your feet. There is so much power in feeling validated.
We need to forget that feeling of being the strong one and remember that our loved ones want to see us happy, and they are likely worried about you if you’re experiencing burnout. This is your cue. Send a text right now saying “I have been feeling overwhelmed lately, can we chat?” The next time you feel the weight of the world on your shoulders, take a breath and try to remember that your tank cannot run on empty.
Bình luận