How To Avoid End of Summer Burnout

I recently read, and shared, an article claiming that ‘Nearly 1 in 10 small business owners haven’t taken a holiday in 5 years.’

What about you? When was the last time you took a holiday?

Do you fit into the above statistic?

I do.

I haven’t taken a ‘holiday’ from my business since before I started Admin Angels UK back in 2013! That might sound a little extreme but it’s what suits my lifestyle, and my business, right now. I don’t take block holidays, but I do enjoy A LOT of days out with my family. I’m also a stickler for taking breaks over the holidays and on birthdays.
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So, while I haven’t found the time for a week or two’s vacation in 6 years (eesh!), I do find other ways to avoid burning out and I’m here to share my top tips for those of you who’re running low on steam. 

• ​Take daily breaks – Even 5-10 minutes each hour can improve your focus and make you more mindful. Personally, I try to get out into nature at least once each day, but then, I am lucky enough to live close to two wonderful nature reserves. Being out in the fresh air around the local wildlife, and away from the lure of Twitter and the noise of traffic, allows me to forget the pressures and challenges I’m facing at work. I always find that after a short nature break, I’m much more focused and can often solve problems more efficiently.

• Leave your weekends as empty as possible and incorporate time for things that make you happy - Whether that’s time with your family, time spent being creative or working on a passion project, a trip to the spa, or simply nothing at all. Spend some time doing what you want to and enjoy time away from your computer, phone and office.

 

• Set regular start/finish times – This one can be tricky, especially if you’re a parent used to fitting work around your child’s schedule. But, trust me, if you can manage to ‘clock-off’ at a reasonable time each day, it’ll give you more time in the evening to wind down and refresh.

 

• Do something you love – You can incorporate all the ‘tips’ and ‘tricks’ in the world but, if you don’t love what you do, it will always be hard to power through, especially on the days when things don’t quite go to plan.

 

• Outsource where you can – If you’re still finding it impossible to finish before 10pm every evening and you have work spilling into your weekends, chances are you have way too much on your plate. Consider outsourcing some of it to a member of staff or a Virtual Assistant. Whittle down your to-do list into two categories; things only you can do and things someone else can do for you. Start handing over some of those tasks and enjoy your new-found free time!

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Now, tell me, how do you avoid burnout as a small business owner?