Sometimes entrepreneurs find themselves in more difficult life situations than their employees. Business owners have to make lightning-fast decisions that can completely change their lives. Entrepreneurs constantly feel danger, fear, and excitement for other people so it is not strange that they are subject to the so-called professional burnout. What is it, and how to prevent and avoid it?

For the first time, the phrase "professional burnout" was used back in 1974. This term refers to the general exhaustion of the body, both physical and mental/emotional exhaustion.

Some people do not take professional burnout seriously, although even science has proven that such a phenomenon exists. Moreover, it can be really dangerous for people's lives. The World Health Association considers burnout not a professional problem, but a real medical syndrome, because it appears as a result of chronic stress that occurs in a person’s workplace.

How to recognize burnout?

Professional burnout leads to both problems in the entrepreneurial sphere and health problems. You need to learn how to respond correctly to everything that happens and after that to treat the heart, kidneys, and other organs later.

Entrepreneurial burnout.

Research shows that entrepreneurs are the most prone to burnout. After all, firstly, it is they who are responsible for all actions. Secondly, they constantly solve important business issues, thus being in fear. Entrepreneurs sometimes, because of work, cannot even fully concentrate on real personal life.

Most entrepreneurs create companies out of interest, that is, they are highly passionate. Over the years, such interest disappears, and a routine life appears, which quickly gets boring. The winning position is occupied by those owners who consider the business solely as a means of income, but if you try to put your whole soul into the project, then over time you will undergo professional burnout.

Burnout symptoms

There are two categories of symptoms: obvious and non-obvious.

The first one includes:

1. Constant fatigue.

2. Lack of experience for those actions that were previously feared.

3. Lack of former self-confidence.

4. Loss of interest in life, including a decrease in overall activity.

5. Lack of sleep and poor eating habits.

6. The presence of excessive aggressiveness.

If you are an entrepreneur and understand that most of the above symptoms suit you, then most likely you already have the initial stage of burnout. 

Less obvious symptoms:

1. Did you expect much more success than it is now?
2. Are you fit to do what you love?
3. Do you think about business every second of your life?
4. Do you have conflicts with employees?
5. Are you reluctant to make decisions because you are afraid of failure?
6. Do you regret ever starting your own business?
7. Have you lost your former inspiration?

If you confidently answer “yes” to most of these questions, then I have bad news for you. Most likely, you have a full-fledged professional burnout syndrome, in which case you need to try to make every effort to eliminate the problem that has arisen.

How to solve the problem?

First of all, you need to admit to yourself that you have a problem. Also, to solve it, you need the help of loved ones, only in this way you can improve your physical and emotional state.

You need to learn to recognize things that you can still control yourself. If you realize that you can no longer cope on your own, you should ask true friends for help. We also recommend that at first, to distributed the tasks among the staff so as not to lose the interest of employees and improve their functional position. 

Remember the initial purpose of creating a business, then you may again be able to show interest in your business.

We bring to your attention several ways that can help prevent the process of professional burnout among entrepreneurs: 

1. Forget about your "brainchild" every few months.

Constantly being in business is very exhausting for a person, because he sometimes needs a break from such affairs. We recommend taking a vacation from time to time and spending it pleasantly for yourself. You can watch a series that you have been planning for a long time, spend time with your family or go in for sports.

2. Get out of business.

You do not need to be at your workplace all the time, because the company employs a huge number of other people who can replace you for a short period.

3. Share your assignments.

Professional burnout often appears due to the large amount of work, because entrepreneurs often try to do everything alone. Sometimes you should delegate your tasks to subordinates, so you save time that you can spend on yourself.

4. Contact a professional.

If you have a feeling that you cannot cope with the problem on your own, then it is better to contact a psychologist. Nowadays, professional burnout is quite a common phenomenon, because many specialists are happy to help you.

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