Are you feeling burnt out? If so, it’s time to stop and take some time for you!
WHEW, I don’t know about you, but the last 3 months have left me feeling pretty burnt out – leaving me feeling exhausted and having trouble concentrating.
For many handmade and creative business owners, having our own business is our dream job.
Owning our own business is our big break from the 9-5 dead-end job.
We can set our own hours, work around family responsibilities or a day job, or both.
And, if we listen to the experts in the handmade business world – we can make a 6-figure income from our creativeness and our love of whatever medium it is that we work with.
Many of us also feel that while we may not be the smartest or the most talented person in this big world of handmade or creative businesses that we’ll make a name for ourselves by:
- starting early
- working late into the night
- and working weekends
All the while obsessively worrying about all the pieces of running a business that we know nothing about and must learn.
Our dream job can quickly become a nightmare.
What exactly IS feeling burnt out or burnout?
According to Dr. David Ballard, PsyD of the American Psychological Association, burnout is:
“an extended period where someone experiences exhaustion and a lack of interest in things, resulting in a decline in their performance. A lot of feeling burnt out has to do with experiencing chronic stress, where the demands being placed on you exceed the resources you have available to deal with the stressors.”
10 signs that put you on the road to feeling burnt out.
10 signs that put you on the road to feeling burnt out.- Feeling tired all the time.
- Don’t feel enthusiastic about anything.
- Disillusioned with everything.
- Trouble paying attention or concentrate.
- Working slower, procrastinating, or not accomplishing as much as you used to.
- Withdrawing from family and friends – simply not hanging out or talking to them.
- Engaging in unhealthy coping strategies – drinking too much, eating too much junk food, not eating enough or getting enough sleep.
- Being preoccupies with your business.
- Feeling less happy and satisfied with life in general.
- Develop health problems.
Stop & take some time for yourself, so you don’t feel burnt out.
As business owners it’s easy for us to get sucked into feeling that WE ARE our business.
Business coaches, mentors and other experts provide us with this overwhelming list of things that we MUST do every day in order to be a successful handmade or creative business owner.
Without realizing it they put so much pressure on us and they forget to tell us that we need to:
- Take our relaxation seriously by making time to relax EVERY day and doing something non-business related.
- Learn to unplug from technology and social media. Seriously there is no need to respond to a comment on Facebook or Instagram at 10 p.m. at night.
- Make sure you get enough sleep. None of this falling asleep in your chair or in front of your computer stuff.
- Get yourself organized and prioritize the things you need to do so you can quit worrying about forgetting to do something or that something important will slip through the cracks.
- Be more in tune with yourself. Are you experiencing more headaches, tight shoulders, a stiff neck or is your tummy more upset than usual?
- Figure out where the stress is coming from. Is it you stressing yourself out or is it coming from the experts you’re listening too?
- Figure out when enough really is ENOUGH. Learn to say no and quit putting undo stress on yourself.
If you’re feeling burnt out and exhausted now that craft fair season and the holidays are over, what are you going to do to stop and take some time for yourself and how will you prevent that feeling of being burnt out in the New Year?
