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4 Tips to Survive Burnout as an Entrepreneur

Francie Hinrichsen

This blog post walks you through why burnout in entrepreneurship is so prevalent and what to do when burnout hits home for you.

Burnout in entrepreneurship

Burnout in entrepreneurship is no joke. Dreaming up, researching, building, launching, and scaling your business all require task on task on task. Sometimes it feels like you need more time than the day is long.

And, girl, you already fill so many roles as it is, adding “entrepreneurship burnout” to your list of things to do is a definite no-no.

Keeping the plates spinning requires massive multitasking and even the most passionate, driven woman can become burned out from all that’s required. It’s natural. It’s normal. But, gosh, it’s a heavy load to bear. 

Why is burnout so prevalent in entrepreneurship

Usually when you’re getting started as an entrepreneur, you’re a one-woman show. 

You do the planning.

You do the prospecting.

You do the marketing.

You do the bookkeeping.

You do the email management. 

You do the client interaction.

Sometimes it feels like the list neverrrr ends.

Even if you’re not a one-woman show and you have an entrepreneurship team of experts (learn which entrepreneur experts you need on your team and how to find them here) behind you, you still handle many of the tasks to keep your business flowing. 

Signs of burnout

Signs of burnout include:

  • Mental fatigue

  • Loss of motivation

  • Feeling overwhelmed by all there is to do

  • Feeling like you’re working endlessly and making no progress

  • Decreased satisfaction and sense of accomplishment


Tips for how to handle burnout and then recharge

The question isn’t “Will you get burned out?” but rather, “What will you do when you get burned out?” The tips below will help you so you can nurture the heck out of your entrepreneur heart, take an intentional break, and jump right back in when you’re ready.

Join a Business Mastermind

Have a community of peers, like in a business mastermind, for support. This is your tribe - the ones who will listen to your challenges, watch your back, make connections, and share business wisdom. They’ll remind you how hard you’re working and when it’s time to rest, not quit.

Women’s masterminds are every female entrepreneur’s secret weapon to growing faster as a person and business owner! That’s why we have one women’s mastermind group for new entrepreneurs called the Founding Females Startup Community and one female mastermind for seasoned business owners called the Founding Females Mastermind.

Set boundaries 

Boundaries are every female entrepreneur's bff. Set clear boundaries not only with your clients and customers, but especially with yourself. Sometimes you just have to force yourself to walk away from the office and know that you’ll be back to do what you can do tomorrow.

Don’t beat yourself up over it. Things will get done! Having time for yourself is the start of it all. Don’t forget that you best serve your business when you’re pouring from a full cup.

When it comes to your clients and customers, boundaries are crucial. Protect your space, your time, and your sanity by setting boundaries from the get go so that they will be well respected. One of my favorite resources for learning how to set boundaries is the book called Boundaries by Henry Cloud.

Time block your schedule 

Time blocking was a game changer for my business. In fact, it’s probably the habit that makes the most impact on my business because it’s so closely aligned with how I manage my most precious resource - my time. I plan the day’s tasks in advance and my brain doesn’t feel like it is ALL over the place - WIN! 

When I awake in the morning, I have a clear strategy for how I’ll spend my time. With constant notifications and many platforms to check daily, the value of having a clear plan helps avoid distractions. Having a repeatable, clear plan for time management cannot be understated in running a business.

Unplug 

When your office hours end, unplug just as you would a 9-5. You may work odd hours when your kids are in bed or during the time of day that suits you best - that’s normal as an entrepreneur. No matter what, honor your working ours and then create a clear separation for when you work and when you don’t.

Challenge yourself to build a successful business in the number of hours you allot to work each day and then hold yourself accountable. Don’t fool yourself into believing that more time = more money. Actually, more intentional brain power = more money.

After office hours are for you, your family or friends, hobbies, and fun activities that add depth to your life and help feed your soul. After all, the goal is to create a business that supports the life you want to live, not to build a life that supports your business.

Plan tasks that give your brain a rest so you wake up in the morning feeling refreshed and on fire to dive back into a business you love.  Don’t lose sight of this, because trust me - it’s so easy to stay late and keep working! 

Create a CEO day for your business 

Scheduling one day each week dedicated solely to your business. Your business is your baby, and you will have to treat it that way from Day 1 if you want it to grow and develop into a valuable entity.

Working “in” your business means completing tasks that provide value for the customer. Working “on” your business means completing tasks that create your business into a valuable entity. Dedicating a day each week to work “on” your business helps keep in perspective the bigger goal for where you want to take your business so you can build an asset, not just a paycheck. If you schedule the same day weekly to use as CEO day, it will help hold you accountable! Plus, it’s another great way to build boundaries into your work life.

Conclusion: Be intentional about handling burnout and recharging when you need it

Burnout is to be expected. The barriers to entry are low to become an entrepreneur, but that also means we’re doing many of the tasks ourselves.

When you feel the symptoms of burnout - lack of motivation, overwhelm, disinterest in your business - that means it’s time to pause and look at your process. Perhaps a simple shift to creating boundaries, time blocking, unplugging, and taking a CEO day are just the systems you need to burnout less often or avoid it all together.

Cheers, fellow Founding Female!

XX,

P.S. Here are some of my top favorite female small business resources:

Meet Francie Hinrichsen

Francie Hinrichsen the owner of Founding Females and a SEO and conversion rate optimization services business called Simply Integrated. She is a business sage empowering female entrepreneurs to breathe life into the business dreams God called them to. 

After feeling like a misfit in the corporate world, Francie discovered a life she loved waking up to through business ownership. 

Francie is the author of Dream, Build, Grow: A Female’s Step-by-Step Guide for How to Start a Business, a guided journal helping hundreds of women start businesses.

She’s a passionate entrepreneurship hype girl, female leader, public speaker, and community enthusiast. 

Her MBA and 10 years in a corporate career and in business ownership positioned her to teach women modern strategies for starting and growing successful businesses.

As a community leader, Francie realized other women could thrive with the right guidance and support. She created the Founding Females™ Startup Community and  Founding Females™ Mastermind, entrepreneurship communities that coach women through improving their business mindset and operations. 

She believes that anyone with a dream on their heart can pull up a seat to change the world through entrepreneurship.