Like other occupations, entrepreneurs experience stress and suffer burnout. Their level of personal happiness and business accomplishment depends on how they manage burnout.
Gods and superhuman beings
The society reveres entrepreneurs. It celebrates their courage and inventiveness. Entrepreneurs are sometimes described as superhuman. They are uncommon people who do the impossible.
They brave odds in the marketplace to create goods and services to meet the needs of the people. They stare at risks in the face and grab opportunities that most people are afraid of exploring.
Yes, entrepreneurship is by nature exciting and fun. But, it is also demanding and challenging. The operating environment and harsh economic realities complicate the bravery of entrepreneurs. They work together to stress and frustrate the entrepreneurs. When this happens, entrepreneurs experience burnouts which in turn impact their lives and businesses.
Faces of burnout
Burnout can cause start-up failure and small businesses’ ineffectiveness. It is the emotional, mental and physical exhaustions entrepreneurs suffer from excessive and prolonged stress; particularly, when their internal resources or coping mechanism cannot handle such exhaustions.
When entrepreneurs become stressed, they are irritable, worried, agitated, angry or tired. They are unable to function as they should under normal circumstances. They give in to the pressures and become spent emotionally, mentally or physically.
Entrepreneurs experience burnout in their lives when they have prolonged and unresolved stress. The inability of the entrepreneurs to balance their work and life can cause burnout.
Sometimes, the demands of business make entrepreneurs neglect families and friends. The constant nagging and complaints of neglects by spouses can drain the life out of them. They find themselves angry, confused and mentally disturbed. They can neither do their business well nor make families and friends happy.
Entrepreneurs may also suffer burnout because of under-work or excessive workload. There may be poor patronage, low clientele and inability to achieve business objectives. There are legions of reasons why entrepreneurs suffer burnouts.
When burnout occurs, entrepreneurs experience feelings of difficulties, frustrations, helplessness and hopeless. They want to quit. They want to just go away. They want to pack up their bags and just disappear from the face of the earth.
Sometimes, they become cold and distant. Their businesses suffer. Once they are emotionally drained, the will power to fight diminishes. Ego is battered and they become defeated.
Burnouts can make entrepreneurs nasty, cynical or critical in their relationships. They become sensitive and emotionally charged when their interests are endangered.
Friends and associates may see their shops opened for business. They are just going through the motions to give a false impression that everything is all right. Since they are adjudged superhumans, it is sometimes too late to seek or get help across to them.
Mastery over burnout
Burnout is a reality of life but it is possible to manage it. It is better to prevent burnout but it is not always practicable to do so. There are resources (tools and skills) that entrepreneurs can use to manage burnout.
Life throttles on full speed but creates breakers to limit excitements. Entrepreneurs manage burnout by auditing their lives. They should always evaluate their personal values and business ethics to remove cognitive dissonance that can trigger burnouts. The end will always justify the means when entrepreneurs choose happiness over selfish ambitions and pursuits.
The entrepreneurs can navigate stress through self-talk and emotional intelligence. They should work out and exercise regularly. They should eat a balanced diet and get adequate rest. They can also get involved in productive activities such as reading, walking and laughing. Others include talking with friends, writing, travelling and sight-seeing. These help to mobilize inner resources to mentally manage stress and keep burnout at bay. They can also reconnect with families, friends and associates, particularly during holidays.
Mindfulness and spiritual discipline rejuvenate the soul. These tools create resilience against burnouts. They also strengthen the entrepreneurs’ presence of mind in the face of pressures, depression and crisis. The ability of the entrepreneurs to build mental reinforcement with these tools is rewarding. It enriches their engagement with the environment to manage burnouts.
Delegation is a useful tool to manage burnout. Entrepreneurs who want to do everything alone will suffer burnout. They should find competent, capable and willing assistants or employees to perform some tasks for them. Otherwise, they can outsource non-core aspects of their businesses to professional firms. All things grow through planning, execution and patience.
Festive seasons give entrepreneurs opportunity to go on holiday. They can spend time for family reunion and rest. They can also do catch up on pending hobbies that the exigencies of business have made impossible. A change of environment is therapeutic. They can also explore new foods and cultures to lighten up the season for fresh excitement, adventures and new beginnings.
Finishing strong
Life is a race. It is not how the entrepreneurs start but finish that matters. Stress, depression and downhill experience should not halt entrepreneurial dreams.
Burnouts can strike but bouncing back is more thrilling than starting out. Entrepreneurs should guard their dreams in spite of difficulties and challenging operating environment.
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