Avoid burnout by remembering to eat, sleep, stay social

Burnout has long been a problem for small-business owners who throw themselves into their companies. The struggling economy makes it worse.

The signs are clear: exhaustion; irritability; forgetfulness; a feeling of being overwhelmed. Worse, an owner doesn’t seem to find much joy in this business that he or she used to be excited about.

Paying attention to yourself and how you’re feeling can help stop burnout early.

“I feel myself getting tired on nights and weekends and that’s my cue to step back,” said Lyn Mettler, founder of Step Ahead Inc., a Charleston, S.C.-based firm that creates and manages social media publicity campaigns.

It’s also the point when Mettler starts to take better care of herself.

“If I burn out, we’re in real trouble.” Mettler said.

PHYSICAL CARE

Simona Paige, who co-owns Coral Gables-based Gourme Mist, maker of an organic food mister, said exercise, yoga and getting enough sleep have been keys to fighting burnout.

Sleep in particular is something that many entrepreneurs decide they can do without.

Paige warned: “If you don’t sleep well, you’re not going to be able to function well.”

Paige said she and her partner, Sherene Costanzo, started burning out about five months ago, when they were both traveling to trade shows while trying to run the company.

“We were being pulled in a million different directions,” Paige said.

Many owners might think, “I just don’t have time to worry about all that.” But burnout takes away some of the time and energy you need to run your company. Fighting it by taking care of yourself physically can restore that.

HAVE A GOOD TIME

It’s hard for many small-business owners to stop working, even for an hour or two. There’s always something that needs to be done, and it feels like it has to be done right now. But many of those who keep burnout at bay learn to schedule down time.

“I try to wind down at night, go in front of the TV for half an hour before I sleep, or read a book,” Paige said.

The problem for many owners, especially in this kind of economy or if the company is very young, is they find it hard to stop thinking about work. Never going off-duty mentally is a big burnout contributor.

One answer is to be sure you schedule distractions and make sure you maintain a social life.

Owners with partners can find it easier to avoid burnout, simply because there’s someone to share the burden.

“We encourage each other and support each other and work as a team,” Paige said.

For sole proprietors, it means making an effort to get some support. Networking groups are an ideal way to quickly build a support system.

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