Stop Suffering From Small Biz Burnout in 7 Steps

Have you lost your dream of business success? Work is piling up, first quarter deadlines, the kids home for spring break, the bills, the cold, rainy, snowy, dreary and overcast days.  

Then there’s the stress that comes with a sense of regret and disappointment for not sticking to your New Year’s resolutions to develop a healthier business bottom-line and a healthier body. In fact, every day seems like a bad day right from the minute you wake up.

All this stress weighs heavy on you leaving you feeling exhausted, run down, sick and so tired. You find yourself thinking you can’t wait for work to end so you can go home, curl up with your favorite blanket and hibernate the winter away.  Sound familiar?

If this is you maybe you are suffering from work stress burnout. The thing about work stress burnout is it doesn’t just stay at work, it’s like a virus spreading all over your life impacting those you care about at home too. 

You may have not noticed you’re feeling the mental pain of burnout but your body does, telling you loud and clear if you are listening.  Here’s how you know what to listen for.

Your thinking is suffering because you have so much on your mind you seem distracted and find it hard to say focused. Completing tasks seem to take longer than they did in the recent past.  It’s hard to be clear on your intentions. Your problem solving skills, perspective and productivity is down too leaving you with a feeling of over-whelmed, frustrated and over stressed.  

Your body is suffering with muscle aches and pains, dizziness, aches, pains, headaches, stomach upset, fatigue and tiredness. You forget to eat meals, make unhealthy food choices or not eating at all. During sleep you toss and turn with restless sleep and waking up throughout the night waking up more tired than when you went to bed.

Your spirit suffering too. You’ve lost your joy. You just don’t feel as happy as you usually do. You’ve lost your motivation.  Getting things done just seems like more of an effort. Your relationships suffer too because you are irritable and impatient. You feel like nothing you do really makes a difference.

There’s nothing you can do to reduce the stressors in your life. The work won’t slow down, the bills won’t stop coming and you most likely won’t wake up tomorrow in utopia. However you can change how you and your body reacts to stress by taking steps towards controlling what’s controllable, engaging in healthy lifestyle habits. 

It’s never wise to stay in a job or any situation where your mental, physical and spiritual well-being suffers.  Maybe it’s time to take a fresh look at your situation, some actions steps you can take to reduce some of the stress in your life.

Action Step 1. You have to sleep. You have more control over your sleep than you think you do. You pick the time you go to bed, what you do before bed and the environment you sleep in. Going to bed at the same time, waking up on a schedule and lying in bed seven or more hours gives your mind and body a break to heal and repair itself. There’s nothing like not getting enough sleep to put you in a bad mood.  

Action Step 2. You have to eat. National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD) completed a study on eating patterns, skipping meals and mood swings. They found skipping meals can lead to binge eating, bigger emotional responses, poor concentration, increased stress, and an overall lower sense of well-being. People who don’t eat at regular interval suffer from more depression than people who eat spaced meals and snacks 3 to 4 hours apart and choose a healthy protein, fruits, vegetables, whole grains at each meal. The resources I most often recommend for healthy food choices are www.ChooseMyPlate.gov and www.wholefood4you.com.  According to the U.S.D.A. to maintain good health your body needs around 2,000 -2,500 healthy calories, so eat up!

Action Step 3. You have to drink. A new study, led by Coleen Muñoz, and to be published in Appetite studied the factors that affect mood, such as exercise, caffeine and water consumption. The study showed the greater the water consumption, the better the mood. The better hydrated you are the less tension, confusion and depression. How much water should you drink to stay healthy? Depends on your eating habits, how active you are, if you have a medical condition but on average for women 9 cups and men 13 cups.  So drink up!

Action Step 4. You have to move. You may have heard when you exercise you feel better. It’s true. Exercise releases brain chemicals called endorphins that boost your mood and make you feel good. The American Heart Association recommend 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week, but really any exercise is better than no exercise. Even short a short walk is a step in the right direction.

Action Step 5. Stay positive.  According to a psychology study featured on ABC News, research shows that up to 40 percent of our mood can be controlled through our daily thoughts and actions.  A step in the right direction is to focus on the positive. To do this you have to identify what they are.  Try this. Make a list of 2-3 positive things that happen to you every day.  At the end of the week, read the list out loud 2 times.  You’ll be surprised on how positive you will begin to feel about your life. For other ideas go to https://www.helpguide.org/

Action Step 6: Make time for fun. Sometimes distraction is the best step for escaping stress. Try taking a mental vacation for a day or just few minutes. Away time gives you new perspective and rejuvenates your spirit. Being with people you love, places you feel comfortable and safe and doing what you love can breathe fresh air into your spirit. Nurturing yourself is important to a joyful life. 

Action Step 7. Just say no. Limit new projects you take on. Sometimes when you say yes you are piling on more work and reducing your “me” time. You may not be able to control your work but you can your friend activities. If you are not at your physical, mental and spiritual best it’s really hard to help someone else, not matter how good a friend they are to you.

Undoing burnout takes patience, time and commitment. You’re not going to wake up tomorrow and be all better. However, as you work your way back to feeling better, more focused, energetic and happier you will experience a renewed since of well-being.

Getting yourself back on track is simple but not easy. It’s always easier with the help of friends. Sometimes friends aren’t qualified to give you advice, support and the direction you need in that case seek the advice of a health coach, executive coach, or medical professional.

Your partner in health,

Cindy Cohen RN, BS BA

Certified Health Coach, Wellness Consultant

C2 Your Health LLC

WELCOA Faculty

Founder, C2 Your Health Women's Initiative 

#CindyCohenRN

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