Experiencing Burnout as a Small Business Owner

As small business owners, we have a lot on our plates. We have to do essentially everything to make our small business stand out among our competition. From marketing to advertising to budgeting, we handle everything. On the one hand, it feels amazing in the beginning to get things done. Looking back on our work and knowing that all of our efforts are going towards our passion: we should be proud of that. On the other hand, our work comes with sleepless nights, constant demands, and never ending responsibilities. In the beginning, it may feel like we can withstand some of the stress that comes with being a small business owner. But what happens if we leave that stress unchecked? What happens if we consistently find ourselves exhausted and overworked? It’s the one thing that can numb our desires for success and leave us unmotivated to continue. That, my friends, is burnout.

What is Burnout?

Burnout will happen to everyone at some point or another (you may have experienced burnout already). When we get too busy with our work and forget to take care of ourselves, we may already be on the track towards burnout.

Burnout is a form of exhaustion caused by constantly feeling overwhelmed. According to WebMD (https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/burnout-symptoms-signs), “it’s a result of excessive and prolonged emotional, physical, and mental stress.” We get closer and closer to facing burnout when we’re emotionally and mentally drained; when we can’t keep up with incessant demands, we get to the point where we don’t want to do anything anymore.

Effects of Burnout

Burnout keeps us from wanting to do anything productive. When we put ourselves through so much work and stress for too long, we end up not wanting to do anything at all. The effects of burnout can hurt your home, work, and social life. Burnout doesn’t just make us feel unmotivated to do work, but to maintain healthy relationships with our friends and family. When life just feels too exhausting, we don’t feel the need or want to go out and experience the things that we once looked forward to. Burnout reduces our energy, making us feel hopeless, cynical, and resentful. It makes it harder for us to control our emotions. We may find ourselves snapping at the smallest annoyance or crying over the smallest mistake.

Burnout also takes a toll on us physically, Long-term burnout can make us more vulnerable to colds and the flu. When stress lingers in our bodies for too long, it starts to break us down.

Why Burnout Happens

When most people think about burnout, they generally imagine a stressed, overworked individual cramming all their responsibilities in the limited time they have. However, there are actually three types of burnout that someone can experience.

The first type is overload burnout. This is what most people think of when they imagine burnout. It happens when you constantly push yourself in your pursuit of success. The more you push yourself, the more you risk both your mental and physical health.

The second type is under-challenged burnout, which is one that most people haven’t really heard of. It happens when you feel underappreciated and bored in your job. You fall into a steady routine that you eventually get tired of. Maybe your work doesn’t provide learning opportunities or have room for professional growth. You feel underchallenged, so you distance yourself from your job and avoid responsibilities. When things get too boring, you don’t want to do them anymore.

The last type of burnout is neglect burnout. This happens when you feel helpless at work. When things don’t work out the way you want them to, you may believe that you’re unable to maintain your responsibilities. Another name for this kind of burnout (which you may have heard already) is imposter syndrome, which is when you doubt your skills, talents, or accomplishments.

Signs of Burnout

One of the worst things about experiencing burnout is that you won’t realize it right away. It’s a gradual process that builds as you consistently face stress in your job. The signs of burnout will be subtle at first, but the longer they go unrecognized, the worse they can become, which can unfortunately lead to a breakdown,

In order to avoid this, it’s best to understand some key signs of burnout. The faster you realize you're burning-out, the easier it is to handle the situation.

Many burnout symptoms can feel like symptoms of stress (another reason why most people don’t realize they’re experiencing burnout). However, there are three main signs that differentiate burnout from general pressures from work.

The first is exhaustion. This feeling is different from just general tiredness after a long day of work. Exhaustion is when you are unable to emotionally deal with the problems around you, both professional and personal. You feel drained, as if all life has been sucked out of you. Not only will you have no energy, but you also may feel sad or dejected. You may no longer enjoy the activities you once loved.

The second is alienation. This is when you isolate yourself from your colleagues, friends, or even family. You’ll have no energy left for anything, and maintaining relationships is unfortunately one of the aspects of your life that you will have difficulty enjoying.

The last is reduced performance. This can happen at both work and at home because regardless of where you are, burnout causes your energy levels to deplete to almost zero. It makes it hard to concentrate and handle responsibilities (both in your work and personal life). Because of these factors, you’ll find yourself unable to effectively handle situations or problems that you were once able to manage.

How to Manage Burnout

Burnout won’t go away on its own. You need to both recognize its signs as well as act accordingly to get back to your regular self. Talking with a support system of family or friends is a great way to relieve some of the built-up stress and worries that you may be experiencing. They can give advice or lend a friendly ear and listen to the troubles you’re facing. Another way to start managing your burnout is by getting enough sleep. We tend to overlook the importance of sleep when we’re faced with so many tasks during our day. It’s tempting to ignore the setting sun and continue to work into the early morning, but our bodies need sleep to prepare for the next day. Give yourself the time you deserve to recover. Relaxing activities such as yoga may also be helpful when faced with burnout. Lastly, practicing mindfulness allows you to focus on yourself and not your work. It can help you identify when you’re feeling overwhelmed and let you take care of your emotional well-being.

Regardless of which burnout you may face as you continue your small business journey, recognizing its signs and prioritizing yourself are the best ways to regain your energy. Work is important, but you should always come first. Remember to take the time to assess your mental and physical health from time to time. Give yourself the space and time to recover.

If you want to read more about Barbie’s experiences as a small business owner, check out the rest of her website at barbiepatel.com. Or if you want to learn about her South Asian bridal hair and makeup services, visit her website at cinderellabridez.com!