Preventing a Burnout - 9 Top Tips

As an entrepreneur, the last 25 years have not always been a walk in the park. The first 20 years of my entrepreneurial life were characterised by working between 80 and 90 hours a week. Not only was the business environment I had to function in very competitive and challenging, it was also a time in which crowdfunding and business angels simply didn't exist yet. In other words: the loans my husband and I took out to invest in our business rested as a heavy burden on our young shoulders, and this in the midst of raising two children.

I could have fallen prey to a burn out at least 5 times in the course of those years… if I hadn't followed some basic rules, that is! Which is exactly why I am so adamant and happy to share with you what I personally did to flourish in spite of all of the challenges I faced.

1. Do what you love.

By doing what you love, you fuel your daily energy level and lay the foundation of your overall happiness. Ask yourself: do I derive energy from what I am doing right now? Is what I am doing right now contributing to my mission? Is my work aligned with who I am - is it an expression of my true self? If not, find new and better ways to do things that reflect your unique talents: do more of what makes you happy! Because your real job in life is to find and follow your heart's desire - to think it all through, and decide what you believe in and what you stand for. And after you have done so, select an activity or area of endeavour that is completely congruent with the very best that is within you.

2. Connect with your values.

Get clarity about the things that really matter to you - about your values - before you apply for a job. Make sure the values of the company you work for are aligned with your own values. Never make compromises here. Never act against your own values. Learn to recognise and control whatever pulls you off-track. Learn to say NO.

Then, little by little, take things away that you don't like and replace them by things that you do like.

Everything you are and everything you ever will be, is completely up to you. Attaining personal happiness and success is a choice - a choice only you can make! So establish a clear purpose that enables you to become everything you are capable of becoming: fulfil your full potential, and make a wonderful contribution to the world around you.

3. Never stop investing in yourself.

William James, one of the greatest philosophers of the 19th century, once said:

"If any organism fails to fulfil its potentialities, it becomes sick."

It is important to set goals for yourself so that you can continue to grow. Where do you see yourself in one or five years from now - with regard to your family life, with regard to your financial status, with regard to your job, with regard to your health, … ?

It is important that you set challenges to stretch yourself - on a mental and on a physical level. Constant learning keeps your enthusiasm high and raises your self-esteem. And this in turn will make you more resilient.

4. Get physical & eat healthily.

I see so many people collapse because they never invested in building a good physical foundation. You need to be healthy and strong to be able to cope with unexpected (mental) set-backs. The famous quote "a healthy mind in a healthy body" is very true - everything is linked together. If it hadn't been for my health, I would have collapsed 100 times already!

Practicing sports is a must for anyone wanting to successfully function in the highly demanding business world we live in. It makes you stronger - both mentally and physically. It raises your self-worth and helps you generate more energy than the average person.

And the same applies to your eating habits: "you become what you eat". Make sure you eat in a very healthy way: lots of unprocessed foods, greens, fruit, cereals and little meat.

5. Connect with the right people.

The quality of our relationships is one of the most determining factors of our overall emotional stability, mood, personal growth and level of satisfaction in life.

So surround yourself with those people who want you to succeed, who recognize you for your contribution. Surround yourself with positive people, who lift you up and give you honest feedback. Working in an indifferent environment in which you are neglected or ignored, will kill you softly.

6. Live a life of gratitude and appreciation.

Be grateful for everything that crosses your path. Even if it is challenging! Always ask yourself: "what can I learn from this?" and try to leave a trail of little sparks of gratitude throughout your day.

Appreciate your co-workers and turn it into a habit! Give honest and sincere appreciation. And by the way, did you know that when you appreciate someone, it reinforces your own immune system? Appreciating people simply is a win-win situation!

7. Improve positive self-talk.

That little voice in your head has a huge impact on who you are and who you will evolve into. If you develop a habit of positive self-talk, it will uplift you: it will help you increase your confidence and it will enable you to attract what your heart desires. Your beliefs lie at the basis of your ability to create change, to lift yourself up and to overcome every difficulty.

There is nothing more powerful in life!

So make sure you control your self-talk: get rid of the negative beliefs that are causing you not to experience life to the fullest. You are unique and the world needs you. Tap into that uniqueness: dare show it and allow your own individuality to shine through.

8. Connect with the power of nature.

Free up one hour a day to go into nature or to meditate. This will neutralise your negative energy and will fuel you with new energy and oxygen. Both of these things are very important if you want to maintain a high energy level and make sure all of your organs function healthily.

And if at all possible, why not get a dog? A dog is bound to make you smile, and having one as your family pet will force you to go out in nature - day after day.

9. Love abundantly.

"To love abundantly is to live abundantly" - Paulo Coelho.

We need to love ourselves first before we can love anyone else. And it is only by applying this crucial tip that we can look for the good in others and love the people that surround us. If we don't love ourselves, we will not be able to forgive ourselves and (as a consequence) will be more likely to judge others. This, in turn, will drain our energy. And before we know it we end up in a downward spiral, attracting negative experiences.

So see yourself as wondrously made. Just imagine you are like the sun and every time you encounter someone, you touch that person with your sunbeams - your warmth, your love and your care. This loving approach to life will give you energy: it will lift you up and you will draw more positive things into your life.

What you give will come back to you!

Conclusion

"Money is a result, wealth is a result, health is a result, illness is a result, your weight is a result. We live in a world of cause and effect." - T. Harv Eker

It may sound like a bit of a contradiction, but you can only prevent yourself from falling prey to a burn-out or heal yourself if you discipline yourself to apply these 9 tips until they are automatized: self-discipline is the Number One trait to develop if you want to successfully put these principles into practice and prevent a burn-out!

And if you don't like the word "discipline" - like so many people - let's just state it differently: your key to leading a healthy and successful life is to "develop good habits" in the form of these 9 tips… and obviously to cultivate joy and laughter every step along the way!

Good luck!

Nathalie Arteel
Entrepreneur - Motivational Speaker