If you’re in business, being aware of the 5 stages of burnout could be a proverbial lifesaver. Entrepreneurs are renowned for habitual overwork, and you could become a victim of burnout without even realizing it. That’s why it’s important for you to understand the advantages of outsourcing your non-core business tasks as soon as possible.
Our modern business culture applauds hard work – and rewards it. But if that’s all you do, you could find yourself trapped in a damaging cycle of burnout behavior. Why should you be aware of the dangers of burnout? Simply because the effects aren’t just personal – they can harm your relationships and your business, too.
What Does Burnout Look Like?
Burnout isn’t classified as a medical condition in the same way as an illness. Despite that, the World Health Organization recognizes burnout as an identifiable syndrome that needs to be managed. The WHO says that workplace dysfunction is the biggest culprit, and as an entrepreneur, you’re often dealing with unforeseen workplace challenges. Maybe you’re already at a point where you’re feeling like you can’t go on.
So, how do you recognize the onset of burnout? Here are a few key symptoms to watch out for:
- If you’re feeling continual exhaustion, even without any apparent reason, you may already be experiencing the 5 stages of burnout.
- You need quality sleep to function optimally, and sleeplessness is a prime burnout symptom.
- Persistent body aches or headaches. If you’re having these, please see your physician. But if there’s no apparent physiological reason, burnout could be knocking on your door.
- Emotional instability. You might be feeling chronic self-doubt, dissatisfaction, loneliness, or even unreasoning fear. These are all low-grade burnout warning lights.
- Uncharacteristic behavior. You’ll need to look out for things like excessive isolation and unexpected outbursts of anger. You might also find yourself persistently avoiding tasks that you know you have to do.
Why Burnout Can Become Addictive
The 5 stages of burnout aren’t just a clinical list of easily recognized symptoms. Burnout is subtle, and it can also lead you into addictive behavior patterns. Here’s why:
- Burnout leads to more burnout. When you’re exhausted, you can’t operate effectively. So, what do you do? You try harder – and that leads to deeper frustration and exhaustion. It’s a cycle.
- In business, you probably hold yourself to a high standard. And part of that standard often involves a strong work ethic. In fact, you might start to think that you’re not giving 100% if we’re not actually burning out.
- When you experience any of the 5 stages of burnout, it can become a self-justification for poor work or failure. It can become a seemingly valid excuse for dropping the ball.
The 5 Stages of Burnout
Burnout doesn’t happen overnight. It really is (pardon the pun) a slow burn, and you often don’t recognize it until it’s too late. But if you understand the progression of the 5 stages of burnout, it’s easier to anticipate and prevent.
Stage 1: The Honeymoon Phase
This is typically where you start out on any new project. You’re filled with optimism and energy. And, because you’re fired up, it’s easy to overextend yourself early on. Not surprisingly, it’s at this stage that your creativity and intuition are firing really well.
Stage 2: The Intermittent Stress Phase
The first thing to suffer here is your effortless creative streak. Ideas might seem harder to come by or execute. Tiredness rears its head. But it’s not all gloom and doom, either. This isn’t burnout – there’s a surprising difference between stress and burnout.
Stage 3: The Chronic Stress Phase
Chronic stress happens when the bad days start to outnumber the good ones. You might harbor feelings of distaste toward the formerly great project. Or you might begin overreacting and lashing out at people around you because you’re frustrated. Lateness and avoidance start becoming patterns at work. If this sounds familiar, you could be well into the 5 stages of burnout without even realizing it.
Stage 4: The Burnout Phase
At this point, you’ll likely start to experience very real disfunction in your work. A feeling of apathy or numbness takes over. You literally no longer care very much whether things work or not. And this can be really risky, because it spills over into personal relationships and your interactions with others.
Stage 5: The Habitual Burnout Phase
This is where things become extremely unpleasant and unsustainable for you. Physical and mental fatigue begin to blur together, and you run on a kind of self-preservation autopilot. The consequences can be devastating. You’re now at a very real risk of depression, physical illness, and crippling everyday anxiety.
Smart Strategies to Prevent Burnout
Obviously, this isn’t a situation to be taken lightly. It makes sense to understand the 5 stages of burnout so you can avoid them – or manage them if they occur.
Here are a few ways to prevent an unpleasant burnout experience:
Embrace Realistic Expectations
Be prepared to accept the fact that not all goals come to fruition equally. Frustrations and detours are part of life. Just working harder doesn’t always solve a challenge: sometimes, it’s smarter to go around the mountain than to try blasting your way through.
Practice Self-Care
Remember that if you’re disadvantaged, so is your business.
- Make time for yourself – especially when you’re under pressure. Switch off and go for a walk or take a deliberate day off. And stop worrying about things you can’t control.
- Practice stress control techniques like mindfulness meditation or calming breathing.
- Nurture a support network of people who understand you and are willing to provide advice or just a listening ear.
- Always keep a healthy sense of perspective and humor.
Develop the Habit of Saying “No”
When you’re firing on all cylinders, every opportunity seems golden. But, to borrow some military wisdom, choose your battles wisely. Not every opportunity is worth your time and energy.
Start to say no to requests or situations that do not clearly serve your specific goals.
Spread the Workload Intelligently
True wisdom means knowing your limitations. Yes, being at the front of the charge is exhilarating. But you can’t personally shoulder every task that comes your way. Making use of something as simple and cost-effective as a virtual personal assistant service can revolutionize your business.
A Smarter Way to Grow Your Business
Avoiding the 5 stages of burnout begins with gaining better control of your time and availability.
Book a discovery call today and see how effective and practical a virtual assistant can be for your business. Get in touch, claim your free trial, and we’ll assist you with pleasure.
