LITTLE CROW MARKETING

If you’ve seen me on any platform before you’ll know that I talk a lot about work/life balance. My entire business is built on the pillars of SIMPLICITY and SUSTAINABILITY in order to help maintain that balance. And yet, I have fallen prey to burnout. I think all of us business owners have at some point in our lives. When you’re in the thick of working it can get hard to see the wood for the trees and we get lost in our busy lives… before you know it, you’re burnt out. It can be really hard to recognise the signs until it’s too late.

So what is burnout?

According to the NHS burnout is ‘physical and emotional exhaustion. It can drain your energy and motivation, affecting your work, wellbeing and relationships. It may also increase your risk of anxiety and depression’. It differs from stress because stress can feel like having too much on your plate, whereas burnout makes you feel like you’ve got nothing left to give. That your well is empty and you’ve exhausted everything in you.

According to the Mental Health Foundation 65% of UK workers feel burnout which is up 11% from 2023.

Some of the main signs to look out for are:

• feeling tired and drained
• losing motivation
• feeling helpless or detached
• becoming more negative
• withdrawing from others
• struggling to get things done
• changes to your sleep or appetite

It can really creep up on you so be sure to check in with yourself, physically and emotionally, regularly.

How to treat burn out

Burnout can’t be fixed over the course of a few days unfortunately, it takes time to recover. The main things to help include: prioritising sleep, eating a balanced diet, and doing some physical exercise to help both your mental health and physical health. Beyond that though things need to change and if you’re self employed, you hold the power.

While it might feel difficult at first putting boundaries around your work hours are vital – don’t work all hours of the day and night, don’t constantly look at your computer or phone and keep thinking about what else needs doing. Set up some ‘office hours’ and make sure to stick to them. Once you’re done for the day, make sure that you turn off. Focus on hobbies, family, friends, rest and relaxation.

Introduce self care and mindfulness into your weekly routine whether that be finding time for reading, a bath, meditation, yoga, or even a nap, don’t hesitate to take care of you. Not only is it important for yourself, but your business and clients will be better off with a fresh, healthy you!

Check in with yourself on a regular basis and if you are really struggling, be sure to speak to your GP.

What to do to prevent it in future

Keep in mind that this is something to frequently assess and adjust because as we all know, life gets busy and things get pushed aside. That’s exactly what happened with me so in future I’m going to make sure that I re-check how my routine is going every now and then so that I don’t make the same mistakes again. Here are some ways you can prevent burnout again in future:

• Focus on the positive aspects of your job or personal life.
• Break larger tasks into smaller, manageable pieces.
• Celebrate small victories to stay motivated.

For us small business owners I’d also highly recommend actually carving out time in your weekly schedule – time for fun activities, seeing friends and family, eating good food, laughing, napping during the day or watching a movie. It might feel strange at first, like you should be working or at least doing something productive, but the key is these things are productive. They’re productive to your mental health and that’s no small thing. Actively put these activities and breaks into your diary or calendar and respect that time. Don’t allow yourself or anyone else to cut into that time with work. Give that time the respect it deserves.

Have you experienced burnout before? How did you recover?