As solo & entrepreneurs, we like to be in control, seek perfection in every job ..typical “type A” we joke, all means we are susceptible to burnout.
Most if not all of the time you feel exhausted, tired and irritable; becoming more and more negative in your viewpoint of the world/job/life. It is the mental and physical exhaustion that zaps the joy out of your work, family and life in general.
No kidding! It’s tough enough to start, build, and maintain a business in any economy we have navigated the pandemic, know lost loved ones or not been able to visit with family, can’t take vacations, see a show, or get married.
Now work means managing COVID boundaries, acknowledging it will be around in various forms or another for a few years, home schooling, store/restaurants closing, our day-to-day life changing constantly, supply chain issues, rising prices and the continued uphill battle with agents and sellers about whether they really do need to “to do this”! ARGH…it is enough to make you quit.
If you are starting to dread getting out of bed, are praying the phone doesn’t ring, keep reading. Unlike a cold, burnout doesn’t hit you all at once. In fact, Psychologists Freudenberger and North outlined phases of the syndrome. Being aware of them may help you arrest the symptoms.
1. Excessive drive/ambition – Common for people starting a new job/task/career/business. Driving yourself to overachieve can lead to burnout. Pushing yourself to work harder. You see people on FB doing it, dang it, you will too. How many jobs did she do? I can do more.
2. Neglecting personal needs – Sacrificing self-care like sleep, exercise, and eating well. Hair, nails, bathing.
3. Withdrawal/No time for nonwork-related needs – Withdrawing from family and friends. Avoiding social invitations, even dinner feel burdensome, instead of enjoyable.
4. Denial – Impatience with those around you mounts. Instead of taking responsibility for your behaviors, you blame others, seeing them as incompetent, lazy, and overbearing. Instead of acknowledging that you’re pushing yourself to the max, you blame the demands of your job, or agents for your troubles.
5. Behavioral changes – You may become more aggressive and snap at loved ones for no reason. Wearing Pj’s for days and thinking “I can go out like this no one will notice”. Feeling detached from your life and your ability to control your life.
6. Inner emptiness or anxiety – Feeling empty or anxious. You may turn to thrill seeking behaviors to cope with this emotion, such as substance use, gambling, or overeating.
7. Depression – Life loses its meaning, and you begin to feel hopeless.
8. Mental or physical collapse – This can impact your ability to cope. Mental health or medical attention may be necessary.
What Can You Do to Prevent It?
Exercise: ugh! Not talking marathons here. Just a brisk walk outside.
Even mini walks 5-10 minutes outside several times a day, will brighten your mood. I work a lot from my home office, since COVID, I personally do this every 60-90 minutes. Brisk boot through the house and outside, round the garden and back. My fit bit reminds me to walk every hour at least 250 steps so it raises my consciousness that I have been sitting too long (not good for blood flow).
Sleep: Yes, the elusive sleep solution. I can hear you … “oh I would love to but I cant turn my mind off”. You must train it to stop and rest- just like you taught it to not do it, you can reverse the procedure. If you own a phone and charge it at night is the equivalent of you getting enough sleep. The phone will “die” without charging, eventually, you will run out of juice too. Our bodies need time to reset, rest and heal. YOU must take charge of the bedtime routine. Start with one thing: Avoid caffeine after 3pm, take a bath, turn down the lights, NO TV on in the bedroom, be careful of what you are watching at least 2hrs before bed (reduce violence/news) and NO phone activity. If your mind does start talking to you then find the CALM app ..relax with 5 deep (belly pushed out) slow intake breaths. Hold for 5 and breathe out slowly as you count to 5.
Do something for YOU: Stop watching the news/reading the dramas playing out on social media. It is mindless back chatter in your head, and you can do without it.
I love flowers in the house, regardless of seasons so for me buying flowers is a treat which brings pleasure each time I look at them. Maybe take time for lunch or a virtual chat with a friend (no complaining though). Breathing is also something you can do as a release mechanism. At a stop light, after a phone call, when you feel like screaming, slowly breathe in one, two, three four five and out one two three four five. It actually synchronises the mind and heart, so they are in unison and guess what the body does in response? It releases the feel-good endorphins.
Food: Do you eat on the run and then not healthy- lots of junk? Change the habits one thing at a time. Food for me was simply a function of life- like putting gas in the car- eat to live. I taught myself to stop, sit and eat slowly. Sometimes it is only for ten minutes, but I stop. I don’t eat at my desk, or in front of TV. I might read a book, sit by the window- go outside if weather permits. I plate everything- even a takeout sandwich, use linen napkin and cobalt blue water glass always. I stopped the “coffee on the run” for breakfast (most important meal – ok if you are in a rush ask yourself why? If you are saying “I can’t eat in the morning” – yes you can; change your habits a little bit at a time. Chop up watermelon, some grapes, chunk of cheese- easy things. Pay someone to make you 5 dozen healthy muffins. You always have a choice.
As someone who has worked for 25 years in corporate and 20 years in the home staging industry, I have learned the lessons. If you don’t take care of you no one else will. Life doesn’t happen to you, you make life happen. We only do this once; we only get one body, yet we live unconsciously denying it only serves us well if we take care of it. Don’t wait until your body wears out because you didn’t take care of it.
- How to Avoid Stager Burnout - February 7, 2022
- Change Your Mind, Increase Your Business, Improve Your Life - December 12, 2019
- The Dilemma of Ethics - October 10, 2019
