How to Deal with Burnout as a Small Business Owner

Take it from me, a small business owner of 10+ years, running a small business is not for the faint of heart! Between the ups and downs of the economy and wearing all the hats, it can be quite overwhelming and can easily lead to burnout. Some days it can feel like you’re on top of the world and others you’re ready to throw in the towel and quit altogether. So let’s talk about some ways to deal with the latter feeling and how we can push past the burnout and persevere through the hard times. 

First of all, taking a deep breath when we feel overwhelmed and taking a step back is probably the first thing to do. We all have those days when it just doesn’t feel like anything is working so give yourself permission to take a break on those days and do something other than work - something just for you. For me, this can look like simply making a cup of coffee before jumping back in. Or some days I need a longer break and I like to get some fresh air and go for a walk to clear my head. But sometimes, we need an even longer break, and that’s okay too! For instance, I’m taking quite a bit of time off from my regular work this summer to enjoy the sunshine and my kiddos while they are out of school. I did this last summer to and came back so refreshed and ready to take on the world! 

Here are some other strategies for dealing with burnout - or not letting ourselves get there in the first place!

Try Outsourcing Something:

As a small business owner, it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you must handle every task on your own, however, trying to do it all can quickly lead to burnout. 

Recognize your limitations and identify areas where you can delegate or outsource tasks can free you up to do the things only you can do. This may be things within your business or it could even expand to things in your home so you can focus that energy on the business instead.

Embrace Time-blocking:

I have found time-blocking to be such a valuable technique for budgeting my time and planning out when I will accomplish certain tasks so that I don’t get overwhelmed with my to-do list! Start by identifying the most urgent tasks and get them done first. I also plan to do the work that takes the most brain-power when I know I will be most alert and focused (for me that’s the morning hours) and then plan to do the tasks that take less of me when I know I’ll be tired and less focused (hello, editing ;) 

Harness the Power of Batching Work:

This is similar to time-blocking but takes it a step further. I particularly like to batch work when it comes to content creation. Basically it means that instead of doing things like writing a post for Instagram every single day, I batch them out once a week. I do the same with blogging and email marketing. Rather than writing one article at a time, I take a morning to really get into the creative zone and knock out a months worth of content at once when I can. By eliminating the need to constantly switch gears, you'll reduce mental fatigue, enhance efficiency, and create more time for other essential business activities.

Learn to Say No:

One of the most challenging aspects of being a small business owner is learning to say no. I know for me, sometimes I think I’ll miss out on something if I tell a potential client that I don’t have time to shoot on their schedule or something like that, but I have to remind myself that if they really want to work with me they will have to respect my boundaries and that it’s not worth burning out over one client, because that’s what bending over backward with my schedule lead to. It’s okay to communicate clear boundaries and even politely decline jobs in order to maintain your own well-being!

Outsourcing, time-blocking, batching, and saying no are all great strategies for avoiding burnout as a small business owner, but sometimes you also just need to step away and take a vacation too. If you’re not sure how to do that, check out this blog post about how I prepared to take extended time off from work without completely putting my business on hold. 

Running a business is hard work, you’ve got this, friend!