Five Ways to Avoid Home Business Burnout
by Veronica Stone on December 3rd, 2007
If you run your own home business, you know how tough it can be. Everyone is envious of home business owners; they get to set their own hours, dress however they choose, and create their own rules. What most people don’t realize is that you are responsible for every aspect of your business, you often work very long hours, and you can never truly get away from the office.
Burnout is very common among entrepreneurs, sadly enough, because of the long hours in the office and because of the solitude. There are ways to avoid becoming exhausted. It is important to break the monotony of working from home and release the pressures of being your own boss.
Exercise
Exercise is one of the best ways to burn off steam, and staying fit provides the energy you need to work those long days. If you have a gym membership, use it regularly. In fact, you can schedule trips to the gym to avoid the peak gym times if your workload allows. You can miss the crowds before and after normal business hours.
Getting exercise doesn’t mean you have to go to the gym. Even a brisk walk around the block will get your blood flowing and help you release stress. Not only will the sunlight energize you, the time away from your desk will help clear your mind.
Get Away
Sure, home businesses do require a great deal of attention. You should schedule a vacation or a long weekend every so often. With the freedom to set your own time off, you can plan to vacation during the off-season. A full-fledged vacation every six months would be ideal, but perhaps impractical if your business relies on you to physically be present.
A short getaway to a nearby city for a long weekend or even an overnight stay will give you time away from the office. You need this time to mentally and physically re-group, and going to a new location will allow you to think about things other than clients and deadlines.
If you must work while you’re away from home, you could turn your time away from home into a marketing adventure. Don’t forget your business cards – you may win some new clients while taking time away from home.
Set a Schedule and Stick to It
The average day for someone who works at home can vary. One day you could be rushing to finish a project, while the next day you could be focused on marketing. It is not uncommon to wear many hats during a single day. Although your schedule may be hard to plan, it is important to develop set timeframe of when you’ll be working.
Without a set schedule in place, you will probably find yourself working much more than you did at a traditional job. Most people who work at home have a hard time getting out of the office, as their reputation is at risk and they want to achieve success even more than when they were working for someone else. It is a fact that anyone who works more than fifty-five hours per week will get burned out eventually.
Don’t spread yourself too thin. Being at your personal best means not being overly tired and being able to devote quality attention to each project. Establish hours of operation for your home business, such as from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm daily.
Bring Your Dog (or Pet) to Work
Studies have shown that pets in the workplace reduce stress. If you have a dog, cat, or other pet, let them hang out in your home office while you’re working. Pets are great to have in the home office, as they are quietly supportive, great companions, and they admire you no matter how poorly your day is going. Plus, dogs will eventually have to go for a walk; this will get you outside for a short while, away from stress in the office. Cats make wonderful office companions, as they (usually) require very little attention and are less of a distraction than dogs.
Weekly Treats
Remember how exciting it was when you worked for a company that brought bagels or lunches in for the employees? It was both motivating and friendly. You can bring that to your home office, too. Treat yourself to muffins and specialty coffee at least once a week. You could order lunch from your favorite caf� in town, or even order a pizza for those late workdays.
Doing something nice for yourself during the day is a great reward, and it will give you something to look forward to. Most businesses that deliver allow you to order online, or at least provide menus online, so ordering is easy and quick. Best of all, it could be the one day of the week when you don’t skip lunch because you’re too busy!
