Find your rhythm, restful mind, remove the “time hog” – these tips will help you reduce the overwhelm to get you on track in business.

Do you feel overwhelmed in your business? Many people have been exhibiting burnout from Wall Street to feeling remote worker blues, you are not alone. To tackle burnout, I try to practice some of the behaviors I used to avoid. As an entrepreneur, you may feel like each and every aspect of your business must be done by you. There is a sense of intentional abuse entrepreneurs feel like they must self-impose in order to get to their ultimate goal, a sort of price we pay as entrepreneurs. To combat the overwhelm, adjustments need to be outlined, clearly acknowledged and practiced, to find more balance and regain the reigns of your business and your well-being.

BODY POWER

Movement at the beginning of your day can have an impact on your productivity, energy, potential weight loss, and ability to have restful sleep. Working out can be done in many genres, from Yoga to Piloxing, to dancing, HIIT training, and more. Even just a brisk walk prior to starting your workday can allow you to reset and reframe your focus for the day.

ELIMINATE THE CLUTTER

Having too much on your plate can be a cumbersome “time hog.” Scheduling back-to-back meetings can also create unnecessary stress. Finding the best rhythm for you and your business can help you achieve more without the daunting overhang of the “I have to get this done,” mentality. As an entrepreneur, small tasks can be delegated, and that will free up time that you can use for decision-making or ideating.

REMOVE TEMPTATION, SILENCE NOTIFICATIONS, AND GET REST

Technology is a gift and a curse sometimes. With the ever-increasing number of apps we use on a daily basis, the temptation and notification overload are hard to resist. The best thing you can do is remove the temptation altogether and silence your notifications or put your phone on “Do Not Disturb.” If you don’t want to silence them, place your phone in a different room while you sleep, so you don’t hear the notifications.

Regardless of silencing your notifications or placing your phone in another room, your ability to produce amazing work and not burn yourself out, may rest on your ability to actually sleep. One of the things that I’ve had a hard time doing is shutting down an active creative brain. Creating good sleep habits may require you to retrain your idea of rest, which may not even mean getting sleep. Analyze your sleep patterns and set up your day to include the right number of hours that you need to perform at your optimum level.

MAKE A BUSINESS PLAN THAT INCLUDES HEALTH AND WELLNESS

As you move into a routine, your business should have a plan to achieve its goals. Because you are your own boss, you must not forget that you outline the way your business operates. You identify your health and wellness needs as part of the foundation of the business. Incorporate these needs into your overall plan for success. If that means scheduling breaks during the day, or reducing the days in your workweek, make it happen. It’s your business.

KNOW YOUR LIMITATIONS

Success can validate you and your ideas. It can also mask inequities and hide the need for skill sets to be improved. Reroute your energy to focus on what you are good at, identify the gaps in areas that can be enhanced, and strategize ways to upgrade them.

REMOVE WHAT’S NOT YOURS

Sometimes it’s easy to insert yourself into other individuals’ matters. Other times, things just fall at your doorstep without notice. Now is the best time to begin to remove the stress of other people’s situations off of your plate. Refocusing your energy on yourself and your business should be at the forefront of each and every day. You are in the driver’s seat and hauling around excess baggage will not allow you to center yourself to do what’s best for you and your business.

BE IN THE KNOW

In the past few months, I’ve conducted more focus groups and surveys to get more in-depth knowledge of my customer’s preferences, pain points, wants, etc. By doing this, I’ve found that I’m more informed and do less guesstimating on what my customers will like, want, dislike, or find helpful. Doing this research allows me to be more confident in putting together ad campaigns, engaging with consumers, and feel more in tune with my core audience. Being in the know can help you find clarity in your message as well, which can empower you in your business.

Implementing these ideas may take time and some effort if you are already in a routine. Take a moment and acknowledge that your day-to-day may not be serving you and your well-being. What is right about how you operate as the lead decision-maker in your business? Take stock of what is not working. Change is not easy for some, and resistance or avoidance might sound like the easier choice. Burnout is bad for business. Remember this when you want to go back to the old way of doing things and try to find time for you in your business as well.

— Published on March 29, 2021, by Dr. Sandra Colton-Medici for Thrive Global