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Entrepreneurial burnout typically stems from overwork and a lack of breaks. Whether you’re new to small business ownership or a seasoned professional, it’s something nearly every entrepreneur will encounter.
Getting involved in entrepreneurship doesn’t have to mean sacrificing your personal life or mental and physical health. When you feel burnout setting in, take a close look at your stressors and set new boundaries as needed.
What are some signs of burnout?
When the symptoms of entrepreneurial exhaustion set in, they may look like a decrease in:
Creativity
Energy
Focus
Mental clarity
Motivation
Burnout and overwork can also show up as physical warning signs, like loss of sleep or headaches.
From simple administrative errors to emotional exhaustion, entrepreneurial burnout makes it more difficult to do what you do best: serve your clients and customers. These symptoms can also spill into your personal life, making it harder to keep up with day-to-day tasks.
The types of burnout
There are three main types of burnout: overload, neglect, and under-challenge.
Overload is common in entrepreneurs. Overload burnout is when you’re overworking yourself. often to the point of exhaustion.
Neglect burnout happens when you feel lost or helpless and don’t have the resources to get guidance in your work. This can happen to new small business owners who don’t know where to turn for advice.
Under-challenge burnout is when you feel unmotivated or bored by your work. This is rarer among entrepreneurs. But if you’re going through the motions on a side hustle or project you don’t love anymore, it can happen.
Reset your schedule
Clearly defining how you spend your time is key for new business owners. Consider the times of day you’re at your most productive. You don’t have to force long hours or a conventional 9-5 schedule if that’s not how you do your best work.
When setting your hours, ask yourself:
How do you typically spend your workday?
Do your current hours lead to great work for clients and a sense of balance in your workload?
Does your current schedule allow for enough hours of sleep?
Does your working schedule give you enough work-life balance?
How would you want your days to look different?
It can be helpful to consider which times of day your productivity peaks and customize your schedule around your natural rhythm. There’s no sense in forcing a 9-5 schedule if your productivity is highest from 12-8.
With clarity around your priorities and how you work best, you can take more control over your working hours.
Get tips on making time for a new business
Build breaks into your day
It can feel counterintuitive, but it’s hard to give good service to customers or clients if you don’t care for yourself well. Adding breaks into your working routine is a good way to mentally reset so you can come to the next task or meeting fully present.
Start by adding a little self-care time in between any meetings. Take that time to regroup, hydrate, and relax. Build lunch breaks or a walk into your day to take some time and energy back for yourself.
If you take a lot of meetings, set defined meeting hours and buffer time between appointments so you don’t have to babysit your calendar.
Know when to say no
Saying no from time to time can help you succeed long term. You need time and space to think about your next big idea or prepare for what comes next.
Just because something can be done right away, doesn't mean it has to be. Time spent away from work is not time wasted—your rest recharges you for the work.
Practice saying no to projects that may not be worth the investment of your time and resources. Or apply your “no” to something smaller that drains you, like time spent on social media.
Strong boundaries are self-care
Once you identify what boundaries you need around your time and work, put them into practice.
When you step away from your desk, you give customers and loved ones the best gift: a more refreshed and dedicated version of you that’s not only ready, but excited, to tackle the next challenge. Setting boundaries is one of the best ways to safeguard your energy so there’s more of it to reinvest in the business and your life outside of work.
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This post was updated on May 5, 2023.