By Eveafrique
Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands.
When a business person is burned out, there is the likelihood of being ineffective, unproductive or producing below par, and this is not a very gratifying place for anyone to be in. Forbes Social entrepreneurs share some key tips on what to do to avoid this in our business lives; as follows:
1)Don’t take the status quo as a given. Be comfortable questioning established norms. Have confidence and conviction in exploring new ideas.
2)Build relationships with allies and champions that can help support you in the execution of those ideas while also challenging you and the status quo in the process.
3)Run your social enterprise just like any other entrepreneur runs their business. The business model is the first and foremost piece of the operation. Although we probably all got into social entrepreneurship for reasons other than making a profit, simply put the organization won’t last long enough to have the impact it sets out for unless the business model is profitable and healthy.
4)If you are really trying to provide a service to someone who has been overlooked and neglected–and if you are truly in it for the impact first–figuring out how to get that service to that person in a sustainable way is going to be complicated and messy and it is going to take time.
5)My daily prayer, meditation and workout practice is a big part, it helps inculcate a sense of mindfulness throughout each day and releases a powerful energy as well.
5)Cultivate the habit of reading as this will help you find new answers, better ways to do things, and new ideas. It keeps you motivated and gives you a bank of resources in your head–concepts that you can call on to help you solve problems.
7)Having regular conversations with a coach is really important, especially when you are in a founder position because there are not many people that you can speak freely to. Team members and family members care deeply about you and can give honest feedback, but what you are saying to them impacts their lives. If you are upset or frustrated or feeling burnt out, having a coach means having a relationship with someone who is simply INVESTED in your OUTCOMES. They don’t have a dog in the race besides helping you work through the issue.
8)If you plan to be in it for the long haul, self care is incredibly important. If you aren’t taking time to care for your mental health and physical health, and for your relationships with family and friends–you will burn out.
You will give up and you will move on to something easier. Protect yourself because you are your most limited and most valuable resource, therefore treat yourself like a machine that your business runs on. That includes giving your body rest and maintenance and love and care.
9)Seek opportunities to be part of a community of people who are working on different things but things that are all animated by similar motivations. To be able to have the support systems of those communities during both hard and good times, and to be champions of each other in the work; this is very powerful.
And Eve Afrique bonus: Do something you enjoy doing for fun every once in a while, dance, listen to music, relax, read, eat, rest, cook, see a movie, do something, anything; just as long as its for fun, your serotonin level increases and burnout/stress disappears!
(Main idea culled from Forbes and re-written)