From music event organizer to spa owner to business coach, I've been an entrepreneur all my life, and the experience of burnout that took me to the emergency room one night has shaped my gentle and holistic approach to business and self.  

When you go through one, you are never the same as it takes a toll on all areas of your life and as I became a sort of "peace of mind warrior," in this article, I'd love to share my top four tips to help you overcome burnout for good. 

Learn to Identify Stress Signals

Burnout is the silent beast that can sneak up on anyone. Often, you experience "random" symptoms. 

I had lost a lot of weight, had chronic migraine attacks that would make me bedridden for days, extreme food sensitivities giving me impressive rashes, and an absence of menstruation.

Those signals may appear over several months, even years, so you may not connect the dots and try to treat the symptoms separately, in vain. It may not even occur to you to consult someone, and you'll wait until it resolves on its own.

Until the next trigger, or until one day, your body can't cope anymore and collapse.

Don't allow this to happen; you know where the stress cycle leads.

As soon as you recognize signs of stress, don’t deny them, and as hard as this can be, stop what you're doing and reverse the negative loop. 

Prioritize Good Self-Care Practices and "Life Hygiene"

How do you respond to triggering events when your cup is empty? And what do you notice about the same circumstances when you feel happy and replenished? 

I gradually became aware that successfully leading a business demands consistently and proactively working on oneself, our mind, body, and soul. Because when you're healthy and in the right mindset, you become resourceful and a more compassionate leader. 

Establish non-negotiable self-care rituals. Here are mine: 

• To only check my messages once I am at work (how can you help a team member when you just woke up and are in your pajamas?)
• Not skipping meals (have you ever dealt with a difficult situation when you're "hangry"?)

→What would be your two non-negotiables? 

Curate a Supportive Environment

You’re thinking: "He won't understand," or "She won't get it, what's the point of talking about it?". 

You don't have to walk the path alone and suffer in silence. Bottling up and feeling hopeless is exactly what amplifies stress and anxiety. 

After my burnout, the best thing I did was to connect with entrepreneurs in different fields by joining local masterminds. 

When you permit yourself to open up in a safe space and realize that sharing your journey can help someone else, it's therapeutic and empowering. 

→Find an existing group or structure your own with just one or two acquaintances, and commit to meeting regularly.

Each can take turns to share one challenge, while others can bring their personal experience and brainstorm to generate new perspectives and ideas collectively. 

Nurture the CEO in You

If you're in the do!do!do! and never take the time to look up, it will quickly become Greyhound Day, and you'll lose motivation. When you're on the daily grind, it's easy to focus on urgent tasks and problems only and lose connection with your vision. 

After my burnout episode, I decided that every Monday, I would take myself on a date at a fancy skyscraper lounge to work on my business. I'd spend the first part doing my finance audit and then switch to pen and paper to journal, mindmap, and think strategically.

I'd end the day at the spa with a friend and called it "Beauty Mondays." 

→What might be your version of "Beauty Mondays"?

Conclusion

You don’t have to quit. Maybe all you need is a break and some help.

I sincerely hope these prompts serve as an antidote to burnout. Your business needs you to be a visionary leader to venture beyond your comfort zone and explore new horizons. 

After reading this, what insights have come up for you to sustain and build a business that withstands the test of time? 

What will be possible then? Time will tell…