How to Avoid Burnout When Working for Yourself
When working for yourself, burnout can be a very real concern. Whether you’re freelancing, an entrepreneur, part of the gig economy or an independent remote worker - it’s important to create and maintain a healthy work-life balance to avoid burnout.
Burnout is a state of mental and physical exhaustion related to stress that can result in reduced productivity, poor decision-making and even depression if not addressed quickly enough. When your job is also combined with all the other responsibilities of daily life -- such as taking care of children or elderly relatives – burnout can happen easily and faster than you expect.
So how do you avoid burnout when working for yourself? Here are some tips:
1. Start off on the right foot by setting boundaries from the beginning. Figure out how much time you need for work each day/week and stick to it even if there are exceptions from time-to-time due to deadlines or sudden tasks popping up at any given moment.
2. Find ways to manage stress; take breaks between tasks or projects – exercise, do something creative like drawing or painting; meditate - anything that will help your mind relax so you don't feel overwhelmed by everything on your plate.
3. Stay organized: set realistic goals & expectations but also plan so that no task will pile up leaving you feeling frustrated; keep track of what's done & what still needs doing (via lists) - this way every item on those lists has its own place which makes things easier especially during busy times when staying organized helps us stay calm & productive despite everything else going around us.
4. Whenever possible delegate tasks (ease off from one area while focusing on another); understand when it’s ok & appropriate to say “no” – don't overload yourself just because someone asked politely to enough & make sure you understand where exactly each task fits within your timeline before saying yes!
5. Take approximately 30 minutes per week dedicated solely for self-care– massage appointments, recreational activities etc.–whatever works best if this activity doesn´t revolve around building/running a business nor directly supporting other businesses (say goodbye once in a while scale back expectations!); Last but least–ask family + friends for help! Having people who support our efforts always helps remind us why we started down this path in first place& gives renewed energy when needed most!
