Owning your own business can be very rewarding—but it also takes a lot of work. After an arduous few years, many business owners are feeling the strain. In a national survey of business owners, 42% said they had experienced burnout in the past month, while 24% were currently experiencing burnout symptoms.
The demands placed on business leaders can make maintaining a healthy work-life balance a challenge, and this is a major factor in the increasing problem of business owner burnout. Here are # ways to maintain your work-life balance while leading a company.
1. Set and maintain healthy boundaries.
Boundaries are crucial for maintaining a healthy work-life balance for any professional, and are especially important for business leaders and owners. After all, when you’re the boss, nobody else is going to be there to tell you it’s time to stop working for the day, or to make sure that you aren’t overloading your to-do list.
Self awareness is the first ingredient for effective boundary setting. If you haven’t thought about what your ideal work schedule would be, take the time to visualize that best-case scenario and compare it to your current routine. This will allow you to identify places where you need to set new boundaries.
Consider both time and space during boundary setting. Establish a separate physical space for your work if you don’t have one already, whether that’s your office or a dedicated desk or room in your home. Having a separate computer, phone, or other devices for your work can also help with this, allowing you to fully switch off when your work is done for the day.
On the time side of the equation, set a consistent work schedule for yourself and stick to it. It can also help to establish boundaries for how you use that time, such as not scheduling too many calls or meetings during each day or setting aside dedicated deep focus time for working on complex projects.
The final step is to make sure these boundaries are communicated to your team. Establish a system for when employees should contact you if problems arise when you’re not at work, or how you will communicate that you are currently in a focused time block or have switched off for the day. As an added bonus, taking these steps can also help your team to better maintain their work-life balance by normalizing and demonstrating healthy boundary setting in your organization.
2. Trust your team and delegate effectively.
Micromanaging is one of the fastest ways to drive yourself to burnout as a business owner. Nobody has the time or energy to take care of every little detail that goes into running a business—and if you spend all your time on the small details, you won’t have any left over to handle the big-picture things you should be focused on.
This starts with your hiring and training process. Build a team that you know you can trust by hiring reliable high-performers into your open roles, then give them the tools and knowledge they need to excel during onboarding and training.
You don’t need to have a large team of employees to delegate effectively, either. Even solo entrepreneurs can build a team by utilizing freelance and contract talent to take some of the tasks off of your plate.
3. Establish systems to improve your efficiency.
The old adage of “work smarter, not harder” is definitely something you want to keep in mind when you need to improve your work-life balance as a business owner. The more you can accomplish with your time, the easier it will be to balance your work responsibilities with your personal life.
Creating systems helps you to maximize your efficiency across the organization by standardizing processes. Clarifying the steps of a given task also allows you to more easily identify work that can be automated or streamlined to save time during your day.
Another benefit of creating systems is that it makes delegating tasks easier as you grow and build your team. It simplifies and breaks down each aspect of your work into easily digestible steps that are easier to learn, or can even be picked up on the fly without prior training by someone who has the required foundational knowledge. As a result, team members will be less likely to need your input to solve problems or complete projects, allowing you to devote your time to your own to-do list rather than spending it putting out fires.
4. Schedule time for relaxation.
Giving your brain and body time to rest, relax, and decompress helps to make sure you’re at your best when you are at work. As a result, you’re able to use your time more productively, and will often find you get more done than if you spend all of your time devoted to work.
The problem is, when you have a lot of work to take care of, taking time to enjoy fun and relaxing activities can feel like a luxury you can’t afford. Scheduling dedicated relaxation time helps business owners to reframe rest as a priority, especially during hectic times when it’s both the most necessary and the most difficult for many to justify to themselves.
It can help to start with the small scale. Schedule short 10-15 minute breaks every few hours throughout your work day. Use this time to practice meditation or breathing exercises, take a quick walk, or simply stand up and stretch in your office—something that can release tension and refresh your mind.
Reinforce these small breaks by scheduling longer dedicated time for relaxation when you aren’t at work. If you have a favorite hobby or activity, establish times that you will make that a priority, no matter what else is going on at the office. Treat this time as sacred and equal in importance to your work so that you aren’t as tempted to skip it when things get busy. Giving yourself time to enjoy your favorite things regularly can ensure your mental and physical batteries are fully charged and ready to tackle whatever challenges come your way when you’re at work.
5. Don’t neglect your physical health.
The mind and body are inextricably connected. Just like burnout and other mental health concerns can cause physical symptoms, neglecting your physical health can make it very difficult to stay sharp and focused mentally. This can lead to a vicious cycle, requiring you to take longer to complete day-to-day tasks and leaving you less time to recover and rest, eventually compounding exhaustion into burnout.
This starts with getting sufficient sleep each night. While the exact right amount of sleep varies from one person to the next, most adults need 7-9 hours a night to be at their best—and many business owners get far less than this on a regular basis.
Getting enough physical activity is also important for your health, and can make it easier to fall and stay asleep at night. Aim to average at least 30 minutes of moderate to heavy exercise a day. This doesn’t need to mean going to the gym—activities like sports, dancing, or cycling can be a way to combine fun, relaxation, and physical activity, fulfilling both your mental and physical needs at the same time.
Hydration and nutrition are the last important pieces of this puzzle. If you often skip meals or work through lunch, keep nutritious snacks like nuts, fruit, or granola bars at your desk for when you need a pick-me-up, and keep a water bottle handy so you don’t let yourself get dehydrated because you’re so focused on your work.
