3 Ways To Avoid Burnout in Your Business

One thing we all tend to hear or even experience as bloggers and business owners is burnout. It’s almost inevitable and it takes growing through it once or twice to actually learn how to avoid it.

PHOTOGRAPHY // Christopher Jamar Payne for Mattie James

When you first start a blog as/or a business, you’re excited. You have so many ideas you want to get out of your head and execute right away. But there are only so many hours in a day. And you have to rest, sleep and eat so your brain can function at an optimal level. A lot times when we’re on a roll, we forget that.

In 2015, when I went full time with my blog, I made that mistake. I certainly wasn’t getting much sleep at night and really hadn’t grasped how to balance life and work. It’s a delicate balance, but one I wasn’t even trying to learn. If I’m being honest, looking back, I was executing out of fear more than value because I was panicked that I had lost my job. BUt sometimes you have to stop and take a step back.

If I could, I would do now: stop when it’s necessary. Here are 3 ways I avoid burnout as a full time blogger:

I PRIORITIZE MY HEALTH. Listen I know you have to get these likes, build this email list and ENGAGE with your followers. But none of that is going to matter if you’re not ALIVE. I make sure that I get enough sleep at night – like 6 to 8 hours of sleep daily, I drink lots of water and eat a balanced diet. Am I perfect? Absolutely not. And some days, I slept for 4 hours and ate fast food for 2 of my meals. But it’s important to have a standard and make your health a priority vs. an option.

I SCHEDULE THE IMPORTANT THINGS. Quite frankly, if it’s not on my Google calendar, it’s probably not happening. I take time out at the beginning of both my week and month to write down the things I want to accomplish and that I have to do – phone calls, writing time, reading time, etc. – to ensure I have the time to do it. Anytime I wing it, two things happen: it either doesn’t happen or I overexert myself which leads to burning out.

I SAY “NO” IF IT’S NOT HELPING ME ACHIEVE THE BIG PICTURE. The biggest thing aside from my health is creating boundaries. To create healthy boundaries, I must say “no.” Not because I’m mean or think I’m bette than certain opportunities. But because I cannot do it all. And I don’t have the time to do it all. I am only interested in spending time doing things that are of importance to me and get me closer to my big picture aka my ultimate goals. I’ve written them down and look at them daily so I don’t lose sight. Saying no, has helped me tremendously from being busy to being productive.

How do you make sure you get the proper rest you need and avoid burnout? Let me know in the comments below!

This post was sponsored by it bed by Sleep Number. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks so much for supporting the brands that support the site!