Burnout can affect any entrepreneur, but you don't have to let it defeat you.
Burnout is real. And it's more than just feeling tired, or having fatigue after a long week of work. Burnout drains you of your energy and motivation, making it hard to maintain your productivity and even harder to keep a positive attitude. But the worst thing about burnout is that it makes you resent the things you used to love about entrepreneurship, such as the freedom, the challenge, and the promise of eventual success.
Too many entrepreneurs succumb to burnout, letting their startups slip through their fingers or just becoming miserable for their subsequent stages of growth. Don't let it happen to you! When you start noticing the early stages of burnout setting in, get proactive with these five strategies:
1. Take a vacation. Seriously, the business will be okay. Take a week, or two, or more, and get away from the office. You deserve time off, and it will only be a good thing for your mind.
2. Delegate your responsibilities. You probably love the challenge, but it's not always good for you. Start delegating some of your responsibilities to lighten your load.
3. Make your office a home. By this, I don't mean for you to start sleeping there. Include more items, decorations, and comforts that make you feel relaxed and happy.
4. Rediscover what drew you here in the first place. Think about why you became an entrepreneur in the first place. Was it the people? The industry? The environment? Step back into that mentality, and try to examine these things from a new perspective.
5. Take more personal time. This means more than just taking more days off -- take some time with your friends and family, or spend more time pursuing your hobbies.
You can execute most of these strategies at any time, not just when you suspect yourself of burning out. No matter your timing, you'll feel less stressed, you'll feel more energy, and you'll probably feel closer and more invested in your work as well. Don't forget that being an entrepreneur is a personal experience as well as a professional one, and put your own health as a priority.
This blogger graduated from Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses program. Goldman Sachs is a partner of the What Is Working: Small Businesses section.
Bio: Jose Vasquez is a serial entrepreneur and tech enthusiast dedicated to helping startup technology companies get the direction and momentum they need to succeed. As the founder of Build. Brand. Blast., Jose has established a collective resource for tech entrepreneurs to consult when brainstorming, creating, launching, or expanding a new business. Jose is also the founder and CEO of Quez Media Marketing, a marketing firm that combines technology and creativity to help new and growing companies get the results they need.