You are working 18-hours a day, burning both ends of the candle and firing every cannon you’ve got!

Don’t be too hard on yourself!

Stop it now! Yes, I mean it!

Just Stop!

Put your phone on silent mode. Turn off anything that dings, pops up and flip your phone upside down just so you don’t see any blinking notification light.

Take a deep breath! Relax your mind and read this piece without worrying about your million-dollar-ideas, or the tasks that you may have to wrap up; just don’t think about any of that for the next 5 minutes at least.

See! It wasn’t that hard. (Or was it?). Well, I know that you’ve been working crazy hours to give wings to your business, take it to new heights and thinking about innovation and improvements all the time, but somewhere amidst all this chaos, you are getting burned out from the extra effort you’ve been putting in.

It’s good to hustle, but not at the cost of your health and well-being. So, before we discuss how we can beat the founder burnout, first let’s discuss if these burnout symptoms sound familiar:

1: Everything is pissing you off!

You’ve been too restless lately. You don’t feel happy anymore and always worry about how your startup venture will turn out to be. Little things are making you angry and you just can’t think of ways to vent the negative energy out that’s been accumulating inside you.

2: You are lethargic every time

No matter how hard you’re trying by putting in long working hours, you just aren’t getting any work done and the decrease in your productivity is quite apparent and noticeable. Your inability to get your tasks completed is not just affecting yourself but also your team as well.

3: Your personal life is messed up

Your family and friends are complaining, you aren’t getting proper sleep, your diet is a mess, and you aren’t giving proper time to anything. You can’t focus on things anymore and your attention span has dropped dramatically (not that it wasn’t short in the first place, but it dropped a little more).

4: You don’t like your work anymore

The things which you once found exciting aren’t exciting anymore. You are delaying your work and procrastinating like anything. You know that sooner or later you have to do the work, but you are scheduling it for a later time just to create that illusion of escape.

5: You’re just occupied and overwhelmed every time

You can’t remember the last time you’ve laughed your heart out and your ability to enjoy and living in the moments is depleting. Your weekdays are becoming a burden, and you think that weekends are your only escape but unfortunately, your brain is becoming weak and your vision is now foggy, so, weekends are also not productive anymore.

Whether you exhibit all of these symptoms or some of it, Burnout is a totally normal thing that can happen to anyone, but it’s more prone to happen to startup founders who are obsessed with failing fast and achieving more.

But worry no more! Here are the 5 effective tips to beat the founder burnout:

1: Health and Fitness

Running a startup is not an easy job; moreover, a startup is all about juggling multiple things at once. And you would only be able to perform up to the mark when your health and fitness is tip top. Take proper sleep, wake up early and go for an early morning jog. You may underestimate the importance of that early morning run, but try it for a week and you will yourself experience that rejuvenation kicking in. That 1-hour workout in the morning will keep you energized throughout the day. Remember, workout makes hard work a little easier!

2: Take a Vacation

You probably haven’t taken time out for yourself in a long time. You need to enjoy! Go to the mountains, the valleys, the highest point of your city or on a beach to watch the sunrise and sunset. I bet the feeling of happiness that will come along at that moment would feel bigger than any investment you have ever made anywhere.

3: Start Socializing More

As they say that family comes first, take time out for your friends and family. When your personal relationships are healthy, you truly feel that inner satisfaction that enhances your productivity at work too. Moreover, meeting new people and socializing can really refresh your mind and take you out of that state of isolation in which you were before.

4: Meditate

You become more you with meditation. Quite your thoughts and let your soul speak with you. Meditation will help you stimulate your mind, bring that inner-strength back and let your mind and body heal at the same time. So, take time out from your schedule and mediate.

5: Solitude

Separate yourself from the hustle and bustle of every day and isolate yourself from the world for at least 15-20 minutes and reflect upon yourself and your actions. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you should head for the mountains and sit on a rock to experience that feeling of solitude. You can also go for a swim, go for a walk or just sit alone in a quiet room. You just need a good time to think about stuff in peace.

In a Nutshell:

Burnout is a real deal, and it will take an adequate amount of time to get out of this phase, so stay strong, stay focused, eat well, take proper sleep, have new experiences, and try to live life like normal Human Beings, because in the end, it’s the good memories and the good time that you’ve spent that really matters.

Lastly, just smile for no reason! It’s therapeutic! Cheers!