It’s a term that has become much more understood over recent years, but in the bubble of self-employment, there’s no doubt that burnout can be slightly more silent than in other industries.
It’s here where an avalanche of work can really get the better of you, particularly in very small businesses. With sole traders falling into this category, it can creep up on you without seemingly any warnings.
While there are no definite ways to stave off burnout, you can take steps to reduce the risks. Through today, we’ll take a look at some of these approaches.
Learn the importance of delegation
If there is one surefire way to create burnout, it is taking on too much. This is a common problem for new entrepreneurs, whom one hour find themselves trying to put together a marketing plan for their new enterprise, and the next look to tackle their mandatory insurance obligations.
Instead, delegation is key. Even if you don’t have any full-time employees, this is possible, whether using a third-party accountant or taking advantage of the bulging freelance economy.
Another similar way to try and take some of this pressure off is to automate where possible. This might be as simple as setting up automatic payments for regular outgoings, or it might be more in-depth, such as using an online booking system to manage appointments.
Schedule downtime and stick to it
This is much easier said than done, but if you want to avoid burnout, making sure that you have some time out of the business is crucial. This might be scheduled as part of the week, say from 6 pm on a Friday until 9 am on a Monday, or it might be a more general approach where you take a week or two off every quarter.
What’s important is that you make this time for yourself and use it to completely disconnect from work. This means no checking email, no taking calls and no working on anything related to the business.
Take regular holidays
This is an extension of the previous point, but it’s important enough to warrant its own section. It can be easy to get caught up in a work-related bubble, and if you’re not careful, you can find that months have gone by and the last time you left the office was for a doctor’s appointment.
Again, this is about ensuring you have time away from the business to relax and recharge your batteries. This doesn’t have to be a two-week trip to the Bahamas (although that would be nice), but it could be a long weekend camping trip or even a staycation where you spend a few days exploring your own city or town.
Set some boundaries
This is particularly important if you work from home, but it’s also relevant if you have an office-based business. It can be easy to get caught up in work; before you know it, you’re working 12-hour days, seven days a week.
This is not sustainable in the long term, and it’s important to set some boundaries. This might be as simple as only working during office hours, or it might be making sure you take a lunch break every day.
It might also be about setting limits on how much work you take on. This is particularly relevant for sole traders who might be tempted to take on every job that comes their way.
Instead, it’s important to be selective and only take on work you know you can handle. This might mean saying no to some jobs, but it’s better to turn down work than to end up burning out.
