When you’re at the helm of a startup that’s only begun to find its footing, the urge to hustle and grind can leave you feeling stressed, exhausted, dispassionate and overworked. This adversely impacts both your mental and physical health, ultimately causing the business to suffer as well.
You might assume that your 12-hour workdays and non-stop pace is necessary for building your business, when in reality it’s a quick way to burnout fast and hard. When you’re burn out, you’re stressed, exhausted, and dispassionate, which adversely impacts both your mental and physical health, ultimately causing the business to suffer as well.
Avoid the pitalls of burnout with these three practical strategies, allowing you to function at the highest capacity.
Hone Your Organization Skills
When you make it a priority to get organized, the administrative functions of running a business won’t feel as labor-intensive, distracting or unmanageable. Remaining up-to-date on your files, spreadsheets, inventory, finances and other critical data keeps you focused on the actual business operations instead of constantly have to sort through mismanaged documents, slowing productivity.
In fact, The Houston Chronicle reports that an organized environment leads to a more efficient work performance and decreases the level of anxiety which can often result from a cluttered, disorderly space. If you don’t have time to get and stay organized, hire a part-time assistant to do it for you. With one less thing on your plate, the weight on your shoulders will be that much lighter.
Delegate More Tasks
Although it might seem like there’s more control and security in handling all the major company responsibilities and decisions yourself, a smart business owner knows the benefits of delegation. The Balance suggests that tapping into the strengths and expertise of each member on your team creates a proactive, collaborative and dynamic setting—in addition to helping reduce burnout.
If you trust others to share the workload instead of micromanaging their efforts, your time can be directed toward expanding the business itself. Not sure what to delegate? Use this list to hand off a few tasks:
1-Tasks that you need someone else to take over eventually.
2-Tasks that don’t cater to your skillset.
3-Processes that already function well.
Make Time for “Brain Breaks”
While our always-on culture celebrates busyness, it’s important to give yourself a mental respite from all the obligations competing for your attention. Not only do brain breaks give you that necessary down time to gather your thoughts and take time for you, statistics gathered by The Office Club indicate that scheduling in breaks can enhance productivity by 34 percent.
Add at least three brain breaks to your calendar, set to repeat every day, so you’ll be reminded to get up, move around, leave your desk and decompress for 10 to 15 minutes.
Get Burnout Under Control
The idea of a small business owner being a jack-of-all-trades might be widely accepted, but sooner or later you’ll a point where you’re so burnt out, you’re ineffective. Give your entrepreneurial spirit the room it needs the flourish with brain breaks, delegate tasks as often as possible and get organizaton under control—or hire an assistant to do it for you. so Remember, the more centered, focused and equipped you feel as a leader, the more successful your business will become.
BIO: Jessica Thiefels has been writing for more than 10 years and is currently a full-time writer, content marketing consultant and business owner. She’s been featured in Forbes and Business Insider and has written for Manta, LeadPages, Salesforce and more. Follow her on Twitter @Jlsander07 and connect on LinkedIn.