Burnout looks different to those working solo.
Meaningless work, lack of vision, tyrannical bosses, imposed overtime, unfair treatment…thought you avoided all the things that made you prone to burnout in the past by taking the leap to start your own thing right?
Hate to break it to you, but the principles of burnout still apply.
But they may require different remedies.
Most of the research looks like burnout within organizations as a "prolonged response to chronic interpersonal stressors on the job and places the individual experience within a social context that involves one’s conception of self and others". Though the three key dimensions of this response (an overwhelming exhaustion, feelings of cynicism and detachment from the job, and a sense of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment) are still relevant to working solo.
There are misconceptions about burnout:
>> where solo founders and creators might want to take these into account.
1) Under performers, excuse makers, or stressy people are prone to burnout. The opposite is actually true. It’s the energized over performers who often wear themselves too thin.
>> If you’re starting something up yourself, you are by definition an overachiever! Watch that tendency.
2) Time off, more sleep and “getting over it” is the solution. Unfortunately, burnout prone people will experience this state again as the root cause has not been addressed. You could even sleep all day and still feel burnt. It’s not about de-stressing, but stress resilience.
>> Having all the time in the world to manage can be its own stressor.
3) It’s a personal issue and it’s entirely on you to “get it under control”. A large percentage of burnout often stems from values conflict with your organization or not being understood/seen by managers. So it’s commonly an organizational issue.
>> If you’re solo, it can all feel like ‘your problem’ but can also be the lack of external support in place that ‘see and hear’ you from a perspective that counts. Getting unsolicited feedback from people who don’t play your game or align with your values can be destructive.
4) You burnout when you continually ‘do too much’. Though this is possible, it’s not causal. In fact, you can be someone that consistently does more in one day than you used to do in a week once you build stress tolerance.
>> As a founder or creator, it’s really important how to train yourself to hone your focus to do more of the right thing, with ample energy, in less time.
5) Burnout is all in your head. Though a lack of perspective and depressive symptoms are a part of burnout, it’s not all a top down (psychological) issue. Taking ownership of the compounding effect of bottom up (physiological) habits can go a long way.
>> Working solo allows you to own your time, so truly own it. Get enough sleep, prioritize active recovery, make room for play, and be grateful.
The remedies?
Here are some examples connected to the Maslach Burnout Inventory "3 Aspects" with their associated triggers. I work with a specific antidote I’ve designed into my sprints so that we can burnout-proof your venture from the start.
EMOTIONAL EXHAUSTION
- Lack of Control > Finding your Locus of Control
- Work Overload > Prioritizing & Filtering Systems
PERSONAL ACCOMPLISHMENT / EFFICACY
- Insufficient Reward > Designing Wins & Flow Activities
- Values Conflict > Articulating Values, Vision & Mission
DEPERSONALIZATION / DETACHMENT
- Unfairness > Assessing Self-Talk & Sabotage
- Community Breakdown > Finding Your ‘Average of 5’
If you work on your own and want tools to flow forward with your vision, check out my coaching sprints to get the missing team member support you need.
www.untappedlab.co/what-we-do
