Burnout could just be the biggest enemy to the entrepreneur. We don’t have our own bosses. We are the boss. So when we run ourselves into the ground trying to make our dreams come to life, we shut down. Why? Because there’s no one there telling us to keep going. Or to slow down. Or to take a step back and work on something else.

The feeling of failure, exhaustion and lack of motivation is real. It’s so important to learn the warning signs of burnout so that you can stop it before it stops you and your business dead in its tracks.

Here are the 3 main signs of burnout as a solopreneur:

Sign 1: You stop responding to emails + messages

The moment you start ignoring your clients, customers and team is the moment you need to take a deep breath, focus on one task at a time, finish your day and build in time for some self-care. Being the “customer service” department of your business can be emotionally draining, especially when all you want to do is just work on your existing to-do list.

How to prevent it:

Start to build into your calendar time specifically dedicated to responding to client requests or to answering emails. Building in that time gives you permission to not dedicate any other time to it. You can prepare yourself to get into that “customer service” mindset before you sit down for that half an hour every day (for example), and then move on when that time’s up.

Sign 2: You can’t get out of bed

One of the beautiful things about running an online business and being your own boss is that you’re in charge of your own schedule and your own workday. But when your daily routine (whatever it is) starts to get affected, there’s a problem. Your business has been a big motivating factor to get you out of bed in the past. When that starts to fade – when you start to dread looking at your laptop, getting up and out of bed, and applying your creativity – it’s time to slow it down and refocus on what matters.

How to prevent it:

Grab a piece of blank paper and write out absolutely everything you’re doing in your business. Map out the thoughts in your head – what are you doing that you love? That you don’t love? Somewhere along the way, you’ve fallen out of love with your business and it’s time to refocus on why you started it in the first place. So start by mapping it out, and journal about it after. Just write.

Sign 3: You’re staying up too late

You’re probably like “whaaaa?! But I’m jamming out and building my business! 2 am is my prime time!” K but like, do you really think that’s sustainable? Burnout and the really low lows always come after the highs and being aware of your energy and what you’re putting out there is super important to avoid the big crash.

How to prevent it:

This especially happens during launches when you’re working your ass off to get your business out there (or new program, product, course, etc.). It’s so important to build in those self-care times to slow yourself down and make yourself a priority. Otherwise, you’ll come out of that launch (or anything you’re working your ass off to accomplish in your business) feeling drained and sooo not as fulfilled as you should post-launch.

Burnout is real and your mental health needs to become a priority if you plan on being in business for the long game. If you’re starting to feel like you’re falling out of love with your business, like you’re too burnt out to function sustainably or like you just need help building the business of your dreams, let’s talk. Rebel Office has solutions to meet every budget, plus we’re also just great to talk & rant to.