Preventing burnout: 10 strategies for SMB owners

Take the time to do something you enjoy

When running a small business, especially a fledgling company but also a well-established one, it is very easy to become consumed by the work you need to do. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, take some time to do something you enjoy. Take an hour to meet friends for lunch, or spend ten minutes on your favorite mobile game, whether that’s a puzzle game or slots from one of the sites on a no-KYC-required casinos list.

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Walk away

Staring at the same problem or the same task for hours on end won’t help you finish it. And, if you’re beginning to feel overwhelmed, it can be counter-productive to continue trying to tackle the same problem.

If you do hit a rut, get up and walk away from the problem. Either go and take on something you know you can beat, or take the opportunity to walk around. Even pacing up and down the office can help reset the brain and when you’re not concentrating on a specific problem, you might be surprised and find a better solution.

Meditate

Meditation, an age-old practice with diverse techniques, has endured for millennia. Many individuals grappling with anxiety and depression turn to meditation as a tool for mental clarity and resilience in the face of life’s challenges.

Dedicate just 10 minutes to meditation, and remember: there’s no “failing” at meditation. Every attempt is valuable. Try incorporating it into your daily routine – before work, during your coffee break, or upon returning home. This practice can enhance your focus and help create a clear boundary between your professional and personal spheres.

Talk about it

Talk to family and friends about your day. Be open about the problems you’re facing. Not only does opening up help you work out problems, but you might find that your nearest and dearest have solutions that can help you too.

Yes, it is your business, but your family is likely almost as invested in it as you are, and your friends will want you to succeed too. It is easy to feel like a failure if you’re finding everything too stressful, but that isn’t the case.

Eat well

When we’re overwhelmed and anxious, we start to ignore our daily physical needs. But doing so only makes things worse. We can get ill if we don’t exercise or eat properly.

Always set aside time to eat, try to stick to healthy meals with slow-release energy, and especially take time to sit down and eat a good meal in the evening.

Sleep well

Sleep is as crucial to your health as food. Most people need between 6 and 8 hours of sleep to function properly the next day. While you might occasionally manage with less, it shouldn’t become a habit.

Put away your phone and laptop at least an hour before bedtime, and try to maintain a consistent sleep schedule. If your circadian rhythm is off, it can lead to difficulty concentrating, poor decision-making, and memory problems.

Plan

Plan your days, weeks, months, and your business goals before you start any projects. Be realistic when making your plans, and don’t place too much pressure on yourself.

Allow some time in your plan for contingencies, so if you are falling behind or you have an unexpected last-minute task, you have the time to catch up without it derailing your week.  

Make a don’t do list

Making to-do lists can help you manage your time and plan more efficiently. You can also create don’t-do lists that help you focus and prevent you from getting distracted.

A don’t-do list includes all the things you don’t want to do that day. Give TV a miss for the day, avoid using social media, or skip a day at the gym if you’ve already been every day this week. Writing a don’t-do list reminds you not to do those things, and you can also include unnecessary work events.  Have a day when you don’t check your LinkedIn for updates, or don’t check emails in the morning.

Delegate

Delegating can be difficult, especially for SMB founders. After all, you want to make sure everything is done just right. However, this also means understanding that you might not be best placed to perform every single task within your organization, and you need people around you.

If you have the funds, take on somebody who can help with daily tasks. If you have family and friends who can lend a hand, lean on them.

Outsource

If you don’t have the budget or the ongoing requirements to hire somebody, outsourcing is a highly viable option. It is commonly used by businesses of all sizes.

You can outsource tasks like accounting, marketing, and even sales calls to highly skilled individuals and businesses. Outsourcing ensures tasks are completely on-time while freeing up your time for other aspects of running the business. It can also buy you some free time.

Conclusion

Running a small business is challenging, and it does require a time commitment. However, it shouldn’t take over your life. Get help, whether from friends and family or by employing people to help, and keep a good work-life balance, to help prevent burnout.