If you’re a business owner then you know how long your days and nights can be. When you hustle and grind so much it is inevitable that you will see the seed sprout into fruit because of your efforts. This can be a blessing but it’s also where your business can be challenging because of the overtime you’re spending to complete your projects on time. This is what happened to me. I was booking 7 days a week without proper rest or recharge. I realized I needed to make some major changes in order to live the life I was working so hard to create. So I’m sharing with you how to prevent burnout as an entrepreneur. These are the exact steps I took to regain harmony in my life.

#1. Set hard boundaries

The first change I made to prevent burnout was changing my workdays and hours. I went from working seven days a week to Monday-Friday with Mondays being my administrative day. This allows me to start fresh on Mondays without feeling sluggish. I’m able to be more productive because I had two days off to rest and recharge.

Now, I’m not saying there won’t ever be times of hustle again. Those seasons will always ebb and flow in your business but it shouldn’t be the state you and your business live in. However, even during seasons of hustle it needs to be a healthy hustle. I am not part of the #teamnosleep movement. I believe in putting in the work and letting God do the rest.

When we overwork ourselves and burn out, it’s as if we are trying to be in control of it all and not trust God for His favor that He’s already blessed us with. I believe God will still bless my business even if I were to actually get 7-8 hours of sleep (I get about 6 hours currently). In order to be productive and for our brains to function properly, your body needs rest.

2. Hire an assistant

This had been the biggest blessing to my business. Delegate those tasks that take you away from growing your business. When you are able to focus on growing your business and step away from those tasks you’re going to prevent burnout by not having to do #allthethings. You may find yourself checking your email 10 times a day just to keep the inbox clear but then half your day is gone and you end up not putting in work to actually grow your business. Hire a professional to do that. I must say that was hard to delegate but once I got a taste of how I could finish a project early because I wasn’t responding to emails, sending invoices, etc. it totally changed my heart. 

3. Schedule time off and honor it

I know it may seem impossible to take a step back and enjoy a day off but it’s easier to do than you think. Here are the steps:

• Open your calendar for a month from today.
• Schedule two days off for you to refresh your brain, body, and recharge.
• That’s it! You’re off!

Don’t allow anything to be booked on that day. Even a half-day, you’re off. It’s completely okay for you to take off a day or two. Isn’t having total control of our calendars one of the biggest perks in being an entrepreneur?

Wrapping it up

We did not go into business to be held captive by our business. I don’t want you to burn out, the world needs your talents, your voice, your perspective. You can’t do that if you constantly feel stressed and overwhelmed. How do you keep from burning out?

Keep Shining!

Jodie