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End-of-the-Year Fatigue: How to Stop the Hamster Wheel and Prevent Job Burnout

End-of-the-year fatigue isfamiliar tomany ofus.

While growing their business istheaim andpure joy ofevery entrepreneur, amultitasking lifestyle сontributes tothestress level. Noone wants tomake afortune atthecost oftheir health, personal life, orlove fortheir job.

The 51Ƶ team gets what itmeans tolive your job just like you do. Itrequires you tobeproactive inpreventing job burnout. Don’t let thefatigue hang intheair. Instead, find your work-life balance tokeep loving what you do.

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What IsaJob Burnout?

ѱ-±ٱ’s Collegiate Dictionary states:

Job burnout isexhaustion ofphysical oremotional strength ormotivation usually asaresult ofprolonged stress orfrustration.

According to, 77% ofsmall business owners feel theeffects ofburnout atwork, and87% ofentrepreneurs experience work-related stress even while onvacation. Moreover, : younger managers report higher burnout than older ones. Soitlooks like you might have two strikes against, anditdoesn’t hurt totake precautions.

How toPrevent It

Ifyou love what you do, anddon’t want this feeling (and sales) tofade, create ahealthy work environment sothat you don’t add totheunfortunate statistics.

Know thesigns ofwork stress

It’s better toknow thesymptoms ofadisease than totreat itlater, right? Same here. The signs that you’re experiencing work stress that can lead toburnout, are thefollowing:

Donot ignore those signs, asthey may lead topoor health: to theJournal ofOccupational andEnvironmental Medicine, healthcare expenditures are nearly 50% greater forworkers who report high levels ofstress.

Ifyou agree with someor all ofthestatements above, itmight beagood idea totake ashort break. Ifyou can’t dothat right now, spot your stressors andthink how you can mitigate these factors. Maybe you need anassistant? Orananny topick upyour kids after school sothat you have anextra hour torest?

You can also find your own way ofcoping with stress, just like one ofour merchants Colleen Hurley did.

Colleen Hurley,

Tocontrol stress, Ilike tolisten todifferent motivational speakers onYouTube. Ի are two ofmyfavorites. Listening tomusic while working isalso helpful, something soft andeasy inthebackground. Ilove tolisten tothecello.

Every day Itake mydog forawalk around theblock. It’s important toget out oftheshop andtake abreak. Iremind myself totake nice deep breaths andtolook upatthesky orthetrees, andwatch forbirds. Ithelps toclear mymind andfeel refreshed. Bythetime Iget back totheshop, I’m ready towork!

Keep inmind that stress isinfectious. Ifyou manage ateam, remember that they are thesame human beings asyou. Your employees can also experience work-related stress. According to, more than one-third ofemployees reportthatthey are typically stressed out during theworkday.

More than one-third ofemployees are typically stressed out during theworkday

Always have regular one-on-one meetings with your employees. Listen tothem attentively, reveal their stress attheearly stage, andshow them that you care.

Organize your time andworkflow

When you’re self-employed, itiseasy toget carried away with “flexible work hours”. Next thing you know, you’re sitting behind your computer at2a.m., packing anorder, andpraying you won’t oversleep andfail todrive your kids toschool inthemorning.

Being your own boss means:

Individual workers with burnout “need help instructurally changing their working conditions”, . You have tothink through your workflow sothat itdoesn’t damage your health inthefuture.

showsthat ithelps: workers who employ time management have less role ambiguity, psychological stress orstrain, andgreater job satisfaction.

Ifyou are often busy with loads ofwork, start with something easy, like using Google Calendar. When you see that your day/week isalready stuffed, you won’t take more tasks andspread yourself too thin. And don’t forget totake abreak: thestudy saysthat short breaks let people maintain their focus onatask without theloss ofquality.

One ofyour fellow 51Ƶ merchants, Ralph Watson, also can’t stress enough theimportance oforganizing.

Ralph Watson, thecreator ofShopGOAL.ecwid.com

Stress usually comes from thelack oforganization. Inthis case,people have noidea what they want toaccomplish, orhow andwhen they want todothat.

Focusing onorganization lets meprevent thestress factor, especially inbusiness. 51Ƶ helps mebecause Ican use anumber ofdifferent options onthesite tocontrol mybusiness andall ofthem are easy tonavigate.

number-one tool tobeat stress isorganization. How doyou get organized? Use 51Ƶfor your business.

Stop being acontrol freak

Itmay sound odd, but asking someone else todoyour work can actually boost your profits. confirms it:when done right,delegating tasksincreases therevenue. Think about theٴ-Dzٳ󲹳 are time-consuming andcan beaccomplishedby another person.

Doyou really need tospend your time onpackaging andshipping theorders? Ormaybe you’re spending too much time onyour social media posts?Busted!

It’s hard tostop being aperfectionist andtrust someone with your business. But ifyou want ittobesuccessful, it’s criticalto let itgrow. You won’t control your adult child even though you wish thebest forthem, will you? Treat your business like your child: itneedstochange, andsodoyour responsibilities.

Ifyou work from home, don’t forget that you can also delegate some non-business chores tothemembers ofyour family. Oratleast discuss hours when you shouldn’t bedisturbed.

Stay realistic

We’ve all been there: you’re trying todoasmany orders aspossible, working onweekends,Ի staying uplate.

Ask yourself: does ithelp? Ifyou’re just starting out, maybe acouple ofextra work hours can make achange. But when you’re working like this formonths andsee nodifference, it’s time forafeedback session with yourself.

Ignoring theproblems will surelylead towork stress andeventually toburnout. Take time toanalyze andfind new methods foryour work.

Ittook mesome time tounderstand that funprojects,or theones I’m eager tospend time on,are not always theones that are paid well. Sometimes itsaves you money todrop anidea rather than tospend time trying tomake aprofit from it.

When onholiday, stay onholiday

business entrepreneurs check inontheir business every day while onvacation.

Technologies like 51Ƶ Mobile create agreatopportunity tostay intouch andalways beaware ofwhat’s happening with your online shop, even when you’re building asandcastle with your kids onafamily vacation. But it’s better tocome home refreshed andready towork than tosacrifice your well-earned rest forthesake ofanothersale.

Moreover, thestudyon vacation impact shows that people who take vacation are more productive intheir jobs than those who donot.

Spend time doing something different from your everyday routine, but ifyou can’t goonvacation right now, try tomix upyour activities.

Joe Crow, theowner of

Igotoboth extremes, being anactive person. Istrive tobreathe deep andexhale andkeep adaily meditation practice. Iwill use different light exercises andviolet flame visualizations. This keeps mefeeling free oftheemotional baggage that weall carry and/or create every day. Ithelps metofeel anew sense ofpeace andtherealization ofgoing back toloving what Ihave chosen forabusiness.

Now theother side toprevent burnout. “Take time toplay” ismymotto. Ilove going surfing andcamping intheredwoods andwalkingon thedeserted beaches. This ismypassion andconstant surge ofrenewed energy andvigor tomyworld. Ifitiswinter, then snowboarding takes theplatform.

Iguess inanutshell, myway ofpreventing burnout isgetting out innature,swimming, hiking towaterfalls, biking, andplaying disc golf too.

Picture byJoe Crow

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Now that you know how toprevent ajob burnout, remember it’s crucial tostay physically andemotionally healthy torun abusiness. Work-related stress can beareal loss maker, causing afailed sales season ortheloss ofaninteresting project.

About The Author
Anastasia Prokofieva is a content writer at 51Ƶ. She writes about online marketing and promotion to make entrepreneurs’ daily routine easier and more rewarding. She also has a soft spot for cats, chocolate, and making kombucha at home.

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