How to avoid burnout in an early-stage startup

Every entrepreneur experiences burnout at least once. When running a startup, the fast-paced environment and the ambitious goals you set can take a toll on your mental well-being, especially when the stakes are high. The signs of burnout include irritability, depressive thoughts, reduced confidence, and chronic stress.

To avoid experiencing burnout, you have to make time for yourself. With every hour you spend working, spend 5 minutes off to refocus on yourself. You can take a walk, stretch, or watch YouTube videos. The key is to spend time doing something that you enjoy during your breaks.

Additionally, you also have to manage your caffeine and alcohol intake to avoid burnout. When you work for long hours, the tendency to abuse your caffeine and alcohol intake is high. Remember to consume at an average level because excessive intake of these products contributes to other health and mental side effects.

Next, you should always have a confidant to rely on for business advice or personal matters. The main burnout factor is having no one to assist when you are going through a tough time. Study shows that having a business coach contributes to a dramatically lower level of stress among entrepreneurs.

It would also be best if you disciplined yourself on learning when to stop working. When you leave your office or workspace, do not engage in the business matter anymore. Spend the time with your family and friends, take the necessary break to avoid burnout.

Finally, you should know that failure in a startup is not the end of the world. If there are small failures when you are operating your startup, learn from it, and face it head-on. Do not be discouraged and overwork yourself.

In brief, running a startup is not an easy task. It can be mentally draining for entrepreneurs. Therefore, the best remedy for burnout is to avoid burnout in the first place.