You knew it from the beginning – being an entrepreneur is no walk in the park. Hard work, hustle and the occasional all-nighter come with the territory. But if “up to your eyeballs” has become your everyday reality, you’re headed for trouble. That way leads to lower performance, poor decision-making, health issues (or health emergencies!), damaged relationships and more.

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Many entrepreneurs, including myself, have trouble recognizing when we’re overburdened, much less admitting it to ourselves. Not only do small-business owners tend to overestimate our capacity for burning the midnight oil, we’re also good at carrying the burden for others. We believe that if we aren’t OK, our business isn’t OK, our employees aren’t OK and our clients aren’t OK. When you have all that weight on your shoulders, it can feel terrifying to admit, “I need to dial it back.”

I speak from experience. Several years ago, I went to the ER for what I thought was a heart attack but turned out to be a panic attack brought on by business-
owner burnout. In hindsight, this shouldn’t have been a surprise. I had way too much on my plate, and I had been ignoring the many signs that I was exceeding my bandwidth. I thought I didn’t have time to be stressed, and not addressing it took a serious toll.

Here are 10 signs that it may be time for you to step back and take care of your stress – ideally, before it morphs into full-blown burnout.

10 signs of burnout
You may be on the road to small-biz burnout if:

1. You put all non-work-related tasks on the back burner

This could be something big (ish), like canceling a doctor’s appointment or postponing a vacation. Or it might be something small, like hitting the drive-thru instead of cooking or calling clients instead of going on a walk. Let’s be real – we all make these choices from time to time. But when they become the norm instead of the exception, that’s not healthy.

2. You resent “real life” for infringing on work

Sometimes there are real-life tasks you can’t cancel, put off, outsource or trade in for a less time-consuming option – and that irritates you! Whether it’s a date night with your partner that’s been on the calendar for weeks, your child’s sporting event or even your own need to sleep, you’re borderline annoyed because you could be checking things off your business to-do list instead.

3. You always feel like you’re behind

You’re constantly playing catch-up, racing to meet deadlines and putting out fires instead of steadily working through action items or (gasp!) getting ahead. Maybe that’s why …

4. You’re nervous when you don’t have something urgent in front of you

It’s like that feeling you get when you think you may have left the oven on. When you have a rare moment of free time, you obsess over what you’re not doing – because surely you must be forgetting about something important!

5. You’re proud of how busy you are

This is the flip side of feeling nervous when you’re not actively putting out a fire. You see “busy-ness” as a badge of honor. The more balls you’re juggling, the more successful you must be, right? (Right? Anyone? Anyone?)

6. The word “no” isn’t in your vocabulary

Whether you don’t want to disappoint someone, are trying to avoid conflict or are afraid to let any opportunity pass you by, you say yes to every client, partnership, project and offer that you can.

Of course, that doesn’t mean these opportunities are well suited to you and your business, or that you truly have the time and resources to devote to them. Often, they lead to resentment and stress instead of growth.

7. You’re laser-focused on metrics

I know that metrics have to be top-of-mind for business owners. But be honest: Are you focused on the numbers to the exclusion of your relationships, your engagement and your well-being? Achieving your goals in one area may still end up negatively impacting you and your business if your work-life harmony is in shambles. Success isn’t solely connected to finances.

8. You score low on trust – and high on perfectionism

In other words, you think there is no room for error, and no one else can meet your standards (or worse, you believe no one else is willing to pull their weight). This manifests in micromanagement, distrust and workaholism.

9. You’re just not yourself

Every entrepreneur has burnout red flags, and it probably won’t be difficult to identify some of yours. Red flags are actions, habits or behaviors that indicate you’re off balance, stressed and running on fumes. For instance:

• You’re having trouble sleeping (or you’re sleeping too much).
• Your interactions with others have become more contentious.
• You’ve started to socially withdraw from friends and family.
• You’re finding it difficult to focus, make decisions and/or come up with new ideas.
• Your self-care (e.g., grooming, nutrition, exercise, etc.) has slipped.
• You’re leaning harder into a coping mechanism (e.g., alcohol, medication, etc.).
• You’re clinging to the belief that if you can “just get through” a particular deadline or challenge, everything will magically get better.

10. You feel stuck in or trapped by your business

The passion you once felt has turned to dread. Instead of fulfilling you, your responsibilities feel like a burden. You wish you could operate on autopilot and let someone else make the decisions, but you’re the boss – so you can’t. This is usually one of the first warning signs that you’re out of runway and are plunging into full-on burnout.
Conclusion
“Carefree” and “small-business owner” don’t go together – but that doesn’t mean being constantly overwhelmed is OK. If you see yourself in this list, I urge you to do the hard work of making time and space to address your stress before you end up in the emergency room.

Take an intentional pause by saying “no” to new opportunities for now. You need space to review your existing commitments, clarify your goals and priorities and get real about your work-life balance, or lack thereof. Once you have that clarity, you can start taking on new opportunities again, in a way that’s fulfilling and sustainable.

Julie Bee is the author of the new book, “Burned: How Business Owners Can Overcome Burnout and Fuel Success.” She is a business owner and burnout strategist with more than 15 years in the entrepreneurial field. She is a consultant and speaker who sheds light on the darker side of business ownership. For more information, visit www.thejuliebee.com.