Burnout: How It Affects Your Business
- Lucy Bradshaw
- May 9, 2024
- 3 min read
Let’s talk about BURNOUT.
Burnout is like running on an empty tank.
It’s a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress and work overload.
When you are experiencing burnout, the simplest piece of work can feel completely overwhelming, and trying to reach your business goals, can feel like an impossible task.
If this sounds familiar, you are not alone.
Mental Health UK revealed in their recent Burnout Report that 1 in 5 people in the UK needed to take time off work due to stress in the past year, with factors including increased workload and volume of tasks contributing to this.
Here is how burnout affects your ability to reach your business goals:
🔥 Lack of Motivation & Decreased Productivity
Burnout drains you of motivation and enthusiasm to do your work, which can lead to a significant decrease in productivity. When you're burnt out, it can be a real challenge to focus on your goals and you may struggle to find the drive to work towards them, even at a snail pace. If you are noticing an increase in distraction and procrastination at work, or a lack of concentration, they could be empty tank warnings and signs that you are heading towards burnout.
🔥 Poor Decision-Making
It may not be a surprise to learn that exhaustion and stress have a negative effect on the brain and impairs your cognitive abilities, including decision-making. Burnout can lead to careless, rash decisions that may not align with your business objectives or values. When you're burnt out, it's much harder to think clearly and weigh the consequences of your actions.
🔥 Increased Errors and Mistakes
Whether it's due to fatigue-induced clumsiness or mental fog, your performance suffers when you're burnt out. These errors can set you back in achieving your targets and may require additional time and resources to rectify. They can also be costly...
🔥 Strained Working Relationships
Burnout doesn't just affect you, it can strain relationships with your employees, colleagues, friends, and
family. Communication can suffer when you're overworked and exhausted, and your frustration may be taken out on others. This can lead to increased tension and conflict in the workplace. These strained relationships can further impede your progress towards your goals, as teamwork and support are crucial for success.
🔥 Health Issues
Chronic stress and burnout can have serious consequences for your physical and mental health. From headaches and insomnia to depression and anxiety, the toll on your well-being can make it even harder to stay on track and hit your targets.
COMBATING BURNOUT
To combat burnout and increase your chances of business success, it’s essential to prioritise your self-care and mental health. Rest, recover, and restore balance. Evaluate your workload frequently to ensure you are not putting yourself at risk.
Set realistic goals and establish healthy boundaries with yourself and your colleagues.
If you are a business owner with employees who are showing signs of burnout, speak with the individual about supporting them. Remember that prevention is important, therefore work with them to reduce to a more manageable workload or make the necessary arrangements for providing additional support.
Outsourcing work to a freelance professional and delegating tasks is one approach, and there are thousands of Virtual Assistant’s out there, like me, who can help and support businesses with a range of tasks on a short term basis.
Seeking support is not a sign of weakness but a strategy for long term success.
With #mentalhealthawarenessweek coming up on 13-19 May, it’s never been a better time to check in with yourself, assess your workload, and take positive action to prevent burnout.
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