Burnout is often defined as a state of mental and physical exhaustion, where individuals experience feelings of apathy or hopelessness, declining motivation and even anxiety and depression. The experience differs from person to person.
For serial entrepreneur Emma Obanye, cofounder of OneTech, a non-profit increasing opportunities and access for underserved entrepreneurs, burnout was something that crept up on her over time.
“I was constantly obsessed with work, everything I did was work, and everything I enjoyed, like seeing my family every Sunday or catching up with friends, I would almost try not to do,” she says. “I felt like, when you commit yourself to [running a company], you’ve got a team, you’ve got all this responsibility, there was no other option except me and my cofounder showing up. We had to set an example.”
Here, Emma shares things that helped her manage her mental health while “running the hamster wheel,” as she puts it, of being an entrepreneur; she’s also going to be discussing the topic on stage at Sifted Summit.
Understand when you’re burnt out
This isn’t easy, and for some of us, it’s only with hindsight that we realise we were struggling. If you feel like things are getting on top of you more than usual, try to take a step back and listen to yourself, ask friends for support or see a doctor or therapist. Could it be that you need to take a break? If you’re going through major life events, it’s important you acknowledge what it is you’re going through and how that might be contributing to your stress levels. If it’s work pressure — if you’re demotivated or your energy levels are zapped — try carving out some space to understand why that might be.
Analyse what makes you happy
My experience of burnout was me keeping my head firmly in work, while letting things that bring me joy slowly dwindle. What helped me was putting two to three habits into my daily routine that made me happy. For example, I go to the gym most mornings which clears my head and gives me a rush of endorphins that make me feel amazing. Meditation is another thing that helps me. It’s also good to do activities on a weekly basis that are completely separate from work — for me, doing creative things or having completely new experiences is what energises me. Take the time to figure out what those things are for you, and make time for them.
Find a work routine that works for you
Figure out when you’re most productive and happy to be at work. For me, I know that I do my best work between 9am-6pm (although it’s not always possible to keep work strictly within those times). I also try to do a four-day work week if possible. Everyone has different thresholds for how much work they can handle on a daily basis, and how frequently they need to take holidays. What routine works for you and what habits you can build is something that you’ll figure out as you go along. Like building a product, you’ll have to test, iterate and continuously improve it.
Find your tribe
Join a founder support group or another kind of community where you can speak to entrepreneurs who are in the same boat as you and are perhaps facing similar challenges — whether it’s with their business or their own mental health. It helped me to know that I had a trusted group of people I could check in with every week or two to discuss problems and solutions and hear different perspectives.
If you have one, lean on your cofounder
My cofounder and I are always really honest with each other about how we’re feeling; it helps to alleviate the stress knowing there’s another person to lean on, share the load and hold the fort if the other needs to take a break.
Manage not getting burned out again
Burnout is not necessarily an experience you go through where you fix the problem and you come out of the other side after a few months. Sometimes, it can take years to feel like yourself again, and it requires a lot of work and a lot of changing of habits and routines. The good thing is that you gain a lot of wisdom about yourself during this period.
If I sense that I’m nearing the edge of feeling unwell again, I stop, take a step back and assess. If I’m feeling exhausted or getting ill, I know it’s a sign I need to take a break. If my brain is overworked, I know I need exercise or meditation. Managing burnout is sometimes about figuring out what medicine is required for each symptom — and remembering to tap into that toolbox of things that make you happy or calm when you start to feel things are getting on top of you.
Emma’s advice is only guidance for managing burnout, it’s not medical advice. If you think you are suffering from burnout, speak to a trained professional.
