So, I’ve been learning a lot about burnout lately…mostly because I think I might be there. The truth is, while entrepreneurship has a lot of upsides, it can also be exhausting. And lately, I have been having a really tough time feeling motivated enough to do anything but get my clients’ work done.
Actually, if I’m honest, I’ve been having a really tough time feeling motivated enough to do much of anything, from working on projects to brushing my hair.
I’m not going to pretend that I really have the answers here, but I would like to share some of the things I’m learning and figuring out. Hopefully, if you are also feeling overwhelmed, tired, or frustrated with your journey of small business ownership, this post can give you a starting place for recognizing whether you might be experiencing small business owner burnout.
If nothing else, I hope this post helps you feel seen and understood. ‘Cause burnout can be a pretty lonely place.
Common Signs of Entrepreneurial Burnout
There’s such a lot to cover here that in this post I’m just going to stick with the signs of burnout. I’ll cover Ways to Avoid Burnout as an Entrepreneur and How to Navigate and Recover from Entrepreneur Burnout in separate posts.
(Which, by the way, is one way I’m learning to deal with burnout: Break up tasks into smaller chunks. I don’t really feel able to write an entire guide to recognizing and dealing with burnout in one go, so I’m splitting it up into more manageable subtopics.)
Getting Irritated or Upset Easily
We all have a different threshold for when calm turns to crazy, and different triggers that bring out our Mr. Hyde side. But when everything feels triggering and we’re snapping at loved ones or being short with clients…there’s a problem.
I have definitely felt myself being less able to handle things with grace of late, whether it’s work-related or not. Something that’s not really a big deal, like a blog page taking longer than usual to load, can feel like the last straw. I realize that my reaction is over-the-top, but I still feel the irritation setting in, despite my calming self-talk.
The good news is, I’m beginning to recognize my upset for what it is: a possible sign of burnout.
Difficulty Concentrating
This has been one of the most frustrating aspects of burnout for me. Usually, concentration is one of my superpowers. I can work even when there’s a lot of background noise going on. I just tune it out. But lately? Even when I’m in the perfect, peaceful environment, my brain is still all over the place. Focusing feels impossible. And this means that even if I narrow down my to-do list to the absolute essentials, it might still take me all day to get through it, because my broken attention makes everything take ten times longer.
“What did you do today?”
“Worked…for hours.”
“You must have gotten a lot done, right?”
“Um…half a blog post.”
Difficulty concentrating and decreased productivity are common signs of burnout. So, if you’re experiencing this…pay attention!
Having a Tough Time Starting Tasks
Usually, I’m pretty good about sitting my booty in the chair and getting stuff done. But that has felt increasingly hard over the last couple of months. Starting tasks, in particular, requires superhuman effort.
Where should I start? How should I start? When should I start?
Not now, surely? I’d probably do a lot better if I had a snack first. Or a nap. Maybe both.
Task avoidance is something we all experience, but usually when we’ve got a particularly big or ugly job looming in front of us. When you have to corner yourself to get any task done, that’s a sign that there might be some burnout going on.
Dropping the Ball
As a small business owner, you’re in charge of everything. And you’re human. So it’s only to be expected that every once in a while, you’ll send a late invoice or forget to follow up with someone. But what if incidents like this become less of a “once in a blue moon” phenomenon and more of a “every time the moon is full…or waxing…or waning” kind of thing? It may mean that you’re struggling with burnout and might need to ask for help or outsource a few things.
I’ve been lucky enough (so far) that this hasn’t happened much. But it’s come perilously close a few times. So, I have some plans for things I can change. Check those out in Part 3: How to Navigate and Recover from Entrepreneur Burnout.
Headaches or Other Physical Pain
Stress (and burnout is essentially the result of being in a chronic state of stress) isn’t just about your headspace. It also manifests in the body, with things like headaches or migraines. I don’t know if this is a sign of burnout for me, since I get headaches with annoying frequency anyway. But I’m learning it’s a sign to watch for. Headaches, stomach aches, and other aches and pains might be your body’s way of telling you to take a break.
Having Trouble Sleeping
Sometimes the hardest part of being a business owner for me isn’t the workday. It’s when I’m supposed to focus on non-work stuff—or relax and not focus on anything at all—that my brain jumps on the hamster wheel and won’t give me any rest.
Usually, having a clear beginning and end to my workday helps me to clock out mentally when it’s time. But I’m having more trouble sticking to my routine lately, and it’s definitely been affecting my downtime and sleep. And guess what? If thoughts of your business are interfering with your sleep, there’s a possibility that you are in—or approaching—burnout.
Disinterest and Lack of Passion in Your Work
When I’m in a good place with work, I have more ideas than I can keep up with, both for myself and for clients. While every day still brings ups and downs, I’m generally interested in my work and I enjoy working on new projects, making lists of blog topics, and writing articles. And the things I don’t enjoy so much, like posting on social media or researching how to do some behind-the-scenes technical tasks on my website still feel manageable and still get done.
Not so at the moment. I feel like I’m fresh out of ideas and my work tasks are piling up at an alarming rate. I’m still managing to keep up with the essentials, including getting all my client work in on time and posting on my own blog once a week, but all the extras have fallen by the wayside. And I don’t really care that much. I just don’t feel the same level of interest and passion in my work that I used to, and I miss it.
I Think I Might Be Experiencing Small Business Owner Burnout. Now What?
Are any of these signs and symptoms of entrepreneurial burnout resonating with you?
It can be a little scary to recognize that you might be burned out—especially when you’ve worked so hard to get your business up and running and you know that, despite your exhaustion, you still really want to make things work.
I’m not ready to give up either, and I really do believe that we can get through this. Like I said at the beginning of this post, I don’t have all the answers. But I am learning some things that I hope can help me get through this bout of burnout and make it less likely to happen again in the future. Check out Parts 2 and 3 of this blog series to learn along with me.
And if you have any other ideas that I haven’t covered, please send them my way! I would love to learn from your experiences too so that we can support each other through the highs and lows of small business ownership. I hope this post was helpful. Thanks for reading!
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