How to Prevent Burnout: Energetic Strategies for Sustaining Heart-Led Business.
Updated: Oct 24, 2023
The Sacred Journey of Business.
In the expansive realm of business, your role as a heart-centred leader is pivotal. You are not just an inspirational guide, you are a custodian of the energy of your business, responsible for steering it towards success and fulfilment.
But in this sacred journey the risk of burnout looms. The demands of needing to be reachable and online 24/7, working crazy hours both on and in your business leaves little time for anything other than disharmony for you and your legacy.
The Energy of Business reminds us that the partnership between you and your enterprise is sacred, a co-creative endeavour with a profound purpose. And although unseen, there is immense support ready and available to you.
Preventing burnout becomes is paramount in honouring this partnership and ensuring the sustained growth and prosperity of your business. It's a matter of learning how to connect with and nurture that bond.
In this post, I am sharing ways to conserve your energy, create more space and find time for yourself again.
The Conscious Business Owner's Burden: Recognising Burnout.
Burnout is not a mere buzzword, but a real concern for heart-led leaders as we are prone to over-giving, overthinking and often place our own needs last. Oftentimes, we are also empaths who can take on far more energy than just our own.
This state of depletion can manifest as physical and mental exhaustion, leading to a loss of energy, clarity and creativity. If left untreated, burnout can also lead to serious mental and physical health issues.
Early stage burnout presents as disharmony within your business and your life. It's a sign to realign, come back to yourself and redefining what matters most. Then making the necessary adjustments to support your vision and mission.
The nature of energy is movement, and your needs will continue to shift with the ever-changing conditions of business. Checking in regularly to stay attuned to what no longer serves you is a high value form of self care.
Energetic Self-Care.
The first step in preventing burnout is understanding your needs as a sensitive, intuitive, compassionate and generous heart-centred soul. Your family, clients, staff and your business rely upon you to be in good stead.
You can't give from an empty cup.
The Energy of Business teaches us that your energy is intertwined with the energy of your business. To safeguard this connection, self-care must become your highest priority. A non-negotiable practice.
Devote time for yourself to explore relaxation techniques; engage in activities that allow you to flow more creatively, and dedicate time for self-reflection. A great first way to start this is by journalling.
(I wrote a detailed article about my favourite style of journaling. You can read it here...)
The Energy of Business reminds us that as you nurture yourself, you enhance your capacity to nurture your clients and business effectively. So to serve in the highest, you must first raise yourself to a higher vibrational, energised and rested state.
Authentic Alignment.
The sacred partnership between you and your business thrives when you stay true to your authenticity. Your unique energy, values and purpose should be at the heart of your business.
The Essence of Business amplifies the power to authentically attract your soul clients and cultivate genuine connections. When you can stay true to who you are, you will find that yourself magnetising the perfect clients to you.
I've observed that when taking the time to get in my zone and attune with my intentions before I creating emails, social posts or even a new program - my offerings land far better and I generate more sales than when I don't align first.
One time, I created a social media post which resulted in receiving sales equivalent to one year's income. That is how impactful working from the energetic perspective can be - so it is worth your while learning to harness it.
Restoring Balance: 7 Strategies for Preventing Burnout.
Preventing burnout requires dedication and an approach that aligns with your needs as well as that of your Energy of Business. The following are some preliminary strategies to help you stay energised.
1. Mindful Delegation: The Energy of Business reminds us to delegate the non-detrimental. If you have staff or a team, look at refining their roles and award them more responsibility. When working solo, outsource or automate some of your tasks and processes.
Over the years as a solo CEO, I've needed to learn how to streamline my company processes and refine my services to accomodate the growing needs of my business. This required looking honestly at what I was willing to let go of. (TIP: When delegating or outsourcing, make sure to be focused on the sense of ease and spaciousness you are creating. This will ensure a smooth transition that will bring successful outcomes for all involved. If you are focused on negative feelings or thoughts as you transfer your tasks, you will only attract more of the same. Remember - energy attracts like energy.)
And let's not forget about The Energy of Business. When learning to work with this energy, you can seek help with tasks on your to do list and can trust that they will be done.
#energytip - when you are delegating or outsourcing, make sure to be focused on the sense of lightness, ease and spaciousness you are creating.
2. Prioritise Your Energy: This is less about time and more about prioritising your most important responsibilities. Make time to create a schedule that works with your natural energy flow, and that nurtures your inner work, self-care and creativity.
Take on bigger tasks when you feel energised, and leave the lesser tasks for your lower energy phases. This will open you to divine timing, and helps to conserve your energy.
REMEMBER: Your energy is valuable currency, so pay attention to where you are spending it.
3. Set and Honour Boundaries:
Set clear boundaries between work and personal life. The Essence of Business advocates the importance of a harmonious work-life balance. Boundaries help us to prevent depletion, as we get to define our edge so that we don't overextend ourselves.
Sometimes working out those energetic lines can be tricky, especially when then having to communicate them with others.
If you are someone that struggles with this, there is an energetic process which is far simpler but just as powerful. I use this myself and have taught it for years as part of my mentoring programs. It's called, What Am I Available For? Firstly, Grab a notepad and pen. And write this title at the top of the page.
Next, on the left hand side of the paper, write a list of all of the things you like to do and ARE available for.
Examples could include:
eating delicious food
having positive conversations
tasks that feel easy
people that make you feel good
projects that make your heart sing
exercise that feels fun
uplifting books or films
the perfect conditions that inspire your creativity or passion
Keep going until you have a decent list in front of you.
On the right hand side of the page, write a list of what you are NOT available for.
This could include rude people, conflict, negative conversations, toxic relationships, boring house chores and so on...
Continue writing all that comes to mind that doesn't feel good. The left hand side is your list of dominant preferences - what you will naturally say YES to.
The right hand side is where you'll find resistance and aversion.
This question serves as your charter to create a life that is more resonant with who you are, and empowers you to craft your own personal and professional boundaries.
4. Do The Inner Work:
I am a strong advocate for healing being an inside job, with the inner climate being the internal navigation system which influences how we relate to the world around us.
Here, we do the work of emotional regulation, building resilience and developing principles and values that align with who we truly are.
When you devote to healing and developing the tools internally to navigate life well, burnout can be prevented.
5. Get Adequate Rest: Rest is not just about getting a good night's sleep. Burnout can occur despite how much sleep we are getting at night. Rest is about finding opportunities throughout your day to slow down, find stillness and replenish.
This can look like: setting your alarm 15 mins early and doing meditation, or leaving a 5 minute buffer between meetings to close your eyes and catch your breath. Create small moments in your day to cultivate rest.
6. Soothe Your Nervous System: Nervous stress is very common in the realm of business. Support your nervous system, in combination with the other strategies I am sharing here, by focusing on foods that can do that work for you. Foods such as oats, magnesium and fresh dates are rich in magnesium and are wonderful nerve caretakers. And plant allies such as lemon verbena - shown in medical studies to lessen convulsions in epilepsy - are helpful in balancing neural activity and calming the mind during times of stress.
TIP: Find a reputable naturopath, herbalist or plant practitioner to find out more about how plant allies can help prevent burnout.
7. Seek Support:
Don't hesitate to seek support when needed. Whether it's through business mentorship, coaching, or a supportive community, the Energy of Business encourages you to reach out for assistance.
The Energy of Business reminds us that our job is to know the WHAT. Everything else is God's work.
Preventing burnout is not just a personal endeavour; it's a journey that aligns with the Essence of Business.
As an owner or CEO, your well-being is a vital component of the energetic partnership with your business.
By prioritising self-care, cultivating authenticity and curating a life that supports your soul mission, you're not only preventing burnout but also nurturing the sacred connection between you and your enterprise.
If you are eager to learn more about The Energy of Business, please visit our Business Healing page.
If you found this article helpful, or have a question please feel welcome to leave me a comment.
