Three practical ways to combat stress and prevent burnout

MANY studies and reports highlight the importance workplace stress, the negative impact of long working hours on employees and the prevalence of burnout among entrepreneurs.

Many can relate to the blood, sweat and tears that go into getting a business off the ground and the amount of grit it takes to make it succeed.

However, in addition to determination and perseverance, becoming a successful entrepreneur also involves anticipating high levels of sustained stress and putting practical, preventative measures in place to mitigate the long-term effects of burnout.

These three tips provide simple, easily actionable ways to do this.

Make a mental-health vision board

Vision boards – visual representations of your goals in the form of a collage or collection of images, words and other meaningful items – have been used as practical tools for planning and goal-setting. Experts featured in best-selling books such as The Secret have attested to the effectiveness of creating something tangible that represents what you want.

Often, what comes to mind are material or “external” wants and needs – such as cars, houses and body goals. However, meeting material objectives and sustaining success in the long run depend largely on the ability to maintain internal well-being.

Creating a vision board dedicated solely to mental-health goals – such as better sleep hygiene, a self-care routine, reduced screen time, a healthier diet, and nurturing your passions – is a practical way to visualise what you want and need. Revisit your vision board regularly to keep track of whether you are fulfilling your commitment to yourself and your inner well-being.

Diarise regular breaks and time off

In an interview with Chief Human Resources Officers South Africa, a community for HR executives, Xero country manager Colin Timmis, emphasised the importance of “resetting and rebooting”. Metaphorically, many entrepreneurs live with “their heads down”, immersed in the task at hand. But it’s essential to lift your head up, take a breath, move, engage in conversation, take yourself on an adventure, and reconnect with the things that make you happy.

Put the reboots on your calendar. Schedule your time off at the beginning of every year and work towards those rest periods. Then, get more granular by adding days off to your calendar at the beginning of every month and hours of relaxation at the start of each week. You’ll be more inclined to stick to the commitment to rest if you add it to your calendar. Find ways to give back Burnout is often associated with feelings of being trapped, physically and mentally exhausted, and gripped with of fear, particularly in relation to the countless unknowns that lie ahead.

Serial entrepreneur and investor Kumar Arora found that a shift in perspective can be the panacea entrepreneurs need to get out of this cycle of concentration and endless worrying.

Arora suggests that giving back in the form of charitable acts can provide the perspective you need to step away from your challenges and reconnect with feelings of gratitude for what you have.

Join an organisation that plants trees, cultivate a vegetable garden in a disadvantaged community, read books to children in under-resourced schools, or take a young entrepreneur for lunch and share your knowledge – these are all great ways of stepping back, gaining perspective, and being of service to others.