Do any of these things sound a little too familiar? ⤵️
🫠 exhaustion
😤 irritability
😵💫 easily distracted
🤕 frequent illness
🥴 reduced creativity
🥱 trouble sleeping
If you answered yes, you may be on the cusp of burnout.
(I’m not a doctor, and this is not medical advice. I’m simply sharing my own experience.) When I was in the throes of burnout, I was constantly exhausted, irritable, easily distracted, and my creativity was zapped. (I also gained 20lbs.) I felt like garbage 🗑️
Maybe you're not there just yet (I pray you're not!).
However, if you feel like you are teetering on the edge, I hope this blog helps you to regain a sense of balance in your life.
I always think about, if I could go back in time, I would tell younger Erin this:
Make rest a daily practice starting TODAY. If you aren't proactive in your rest now, it's only a matter of time before it's no longer a choice. Your body will force you to take that break, and it's really hard to come back from once you reach that point.
With that said ⤵️
How long does it take to recover from burnout?
How long it takes to recover from burnout depends on the severity of your exhaustion and how long you've been burning the candle at both ends.
So, how long does it take to recover from burnout? ⤵️
On average, burnout recovery time can range between three months to a year.
Burnout recovery time will be different from person to person, but small business owners are especially prone to burnout because they tend to be extremely passionate about their work (some refer to their business as their baby), driving them to work longer (unpaid) hours.
Small business owners are said to work twice as much as regular employees, with 25% of them working over 60 hours a week.
It's important to note that burnout is not just caused by overworking (although that can be a large contributing factor); it can also be caused when we feel a lack of purpose, progress, or even recognition.
As an entrepreneur, especially in the start-up phase, you are usually working in solitude as a team of one, and you are working a lot (for little-to-no pay and without recognition).
These aren’t necessarily things you can avoid, so here are some suggestions to help you navigate this moving forward:
1. Establish routines and rituals ♾️
First thing in the morning, leave your phone on the nightstand and pick up your Bible or a personal development book instead (preferably both!).
Wash your face, sit in front of a window, drink some coffee, journal, take a few deep breaths, and take control of your day rather than your day controlling you.
When we immediately pick up our phones first thing in the morning and start scrolling social media, responding to text messages, or checking our email, we start our days in a state of reactivity rather than proactivity.