Sunset with low country marsh

Physical and mental burnout can take a toll on leaders, entrepreneurs, and employees. In fact, a Gallup study of nearly 7,500 full-time employees found that 23% of employees reported feeling burned out at work very often or always, while an additional 44% reported feeling burned out sometimes. 

In addition, they found that burned-out employees are 63% more likely to take a sick day and 2.6 times as likely to be actively seeking a different job. And even if they stay, they typically have 13% lower confidence in their performance and are half as likely to discuss how to approach performance goals with their manager.

If we do the math, giving your 110% isn’t really 110% if you are burnt out. In fact, when you are pushing that hard, 110% slowly becomes 80% and then 60%. You get the picture. 

What is one to do when they are feeling overwhelmed or lack of focus? Well, when my BFF, Jennifer McClure was faced with loss of focus following a horse-riding accident, she realized she had to do a better job at prioritizing her schedule. She also knew she had to get help. 

Therefore, the first step in the process is to recognize when you do need help and actually ask for it. Jennifer ended up putting into practice some time management strategies to help her feel less stressed and overwhelmed. She even hired a project manager who has helped her take control of her business. 

Another strategy you can employ, if you are feeling pushed to your limits, is to take a break. 

Take some time off and step away from work. I’ll say it time and again, we fix work by fixing ourselves. Paying attention to our own wellness is of the utmost importance.

Time off is vital to productivity for each and every entrepreneur. Doing so allows you to step away from your business so that you can come back and love your business. It allows you to be excited about your business. It allows you to be re-energized by the prospect of working again too.  

Recently my BFF, Jennifer McClure, stopped by my podcast to talk about the importance of slowing down, as well as her outlook for 2020. If you want to hear our BFF conversation then head over here to listen.