Women business owners often nurture their companies like babies. They celebrate each milestone, generate excitement among the workplace and devote additional time and energy to foster its growth. Yet, to continue on that path to success, it’s important to avoid burnout.
Women business owners may suffer from burnout for many reasons—long hours, overbooked schedules, administrative duties and too little “me time” can lead to fatigue. If this sounds like you, here are a few ways to combat burnout. After all, a healthy business needs a healthy owner.
Delegate – You’ve hired a trusted team to support your business. Make sure you are enlisting their skills for maximum productivity. This not only instills self-pride in your employees’ work, but relieves you to focus on other areas that need your attention.
Schedule Your Work Hours – Whether it’s 6 a.m.-2 p.m. or noon-8 p.m., learn to stick to a schedule. Most importantly, stop working at the end of your work day—that means emails too!
Practice Mindfulness – Instead of jumping out of bed in the morning, take 5 minutes to meditate, practice deep breathing or journal. “Mindfulness meditation” is a mental exercise that involves sitting quietly and focusing on one’s breathing to calm and prepare the mind for a clearer perspective.
Schedule Vacation Time – Now is the time to plan your summer vacation. Whether it be with family, friends or a solo trip, time away is sure to lift your spirits.
Enjoy a Hobby – Find something you can enjoy as an outlet to refresh your mind and body. Consider whether you may be neglecting something that makes you happy. Perhaps you can adopt or resume an activity, like painting, cooking or photography.
Get a Health Checkup – Schedule your annual checkup with your doctor. This can also ensure that burnout isn’t affecting you physically.
Pamper Yourself (No Guilt!) – A medi/pedi, facial and massage have the power to rejuvenate. In fact, pampering is proven to induce feelings of wellbeing, making it worth the investment and time.
Finally, take care of yourself by eating nutritious foods and exercising. Even a brief walk can clear your mind and improve your perspective on a particular issue. You can take this a step further by encouraging your team to embark on a healthier journey together. Here are a few ways to incorporate health and wellness into your workplace.
Implement a Team Steps Challenge – Offer a monthly prize for the employee with the most steps (perhaps a gift certificate to a healthy restaurant). Encourage participation by implementing a weekly lunchtime walk outside around your business.
Offer a Healthy Potluck – This can be scheduled weekly or monthly (be ready to exchange recipes!).
Hire a Fitness Instructor – Teach employees proper ergonomics and effective stretches they can do at their desks to avoid neck and back pain.
Participate in a Community Walk – Join forces for a great cause by signing up as a team for a local 5K. This can also boost employee morale and ignite a team-building spirit.
While it’s easy to get caught up in day-to-day operations, it’s important to assess your commitment to self-care, and to model it for employees. Doing so has great potential to not only maintaining good health, but to also help your business thrive.