As small business owners, learning to avoid burnout by finding a balance between work, relaxation, hobbies, and household chores can feel like an impossible task.

If you’re anything like me, you see free time as an opportunity to dive deeper into your business. 

Why? Well, there are no time constraints like a traditional 9-5 job. You’re not anxiously watching the clock, waiting for 5:30 pm to roll around so you can get the heck out of the office. Instead, you’re at home, with no time-constraining boundaries and a never-ending to-do list. 

It can feel like there’s always something that can be done for your business, like content creation, newsletters, responding to DMs, etc.

My Burnout Story

As a small business for over three years, I ran into SERIOUS burnout toward the end of my previous business, The Messy Brunette. 

I no longer had a passion for it because it became a chore, not something that fueled my fire. 

I knew that when I started 5 to 9 Socials, I HAD to take care of my mental health to avoid falling into the burnout trap once again. 

I’ll be honest – I’m far from perfect. Balancing my full-time job, life, and everything in between, has been an ongoing journey of trial and error. 

One valuable lesson I’ve picked up along the way is the importance of shaking up my routine. 

For the past four months, my Friday afternoons were dedicated to 5 to 9 Socials. But lately, that routine has started to feel a bit stale, and the burnout alarm bells are ringing loud and clear. 

After some reflection, I found a few ways to reframe my routine to make it exciting, a bit spontaneous, and definitely putting self-care first (at least…I’m getting there). 

Here are 5 ways I’m reframing my routine to avoid burnout as a solo small business owner

1. Spreading out my to-do list

As I mentioned earlier, I have consistently dedicated Fridays as my small business work time. However, I soon found myself dreading weekends rather than looking forward to them. 

With that, I knew I needed to switch things up…and fast. 

Even if you don’t have a full-time job outside of your small business, mixing up your routine is still very important. 

For me, instead of piling up tasks for the weekends, I’ve started allocating some time on Wednesdays and Thursday nights to chip away at my to do-list. By spreading out my workload, I can prevent the overwhelming buildup of tasks come Friday evening. 

And if you’re anything like me, having a super short to-do list is WAY better than stockpiling it for a particular day/time. 

Even though I do continue to work on Fridays and the weekends, it’s not nearly as cumbersome as it once was.

2. Small incentives

The small, inexpensive incentives always bring a little extra spark to my day. For example, I love grabbing a cappuccino from my local coffee shop & purchasing some fresh flowers from Trader Joe’s to spruce up my apartment. These small pleasures help break up my day, get me outside, and provide a little boost of serotonin. 

If I’m not looking to spend any money (or leave my apartment), I make sure to carve out some extra time for my hobbies. My two favorite things in the world are journaling and reading (okay, and watching The Bachelor). When I first started my business, I noticed that these sources of joy started going on the back burner. Now, I am actively carving out time during the day to rewind & dive back into these pastimes…even if it interrupts my workflow. 

3. Creating a cozy workspace

Whether you have an office or simply work from your living room like me, turning your workspace into a cozy environment can be a game-changer. Lighting candles, grabbing a cup of tea, wrapping myself in a soft blanket, and curling up on the sofa while I work not only enhances my productivity but creates a sense of comfort in my environment. 

Plus, I like to give my apartment a quick tidying up before working on my business so I’m not distracted by household chores.

4. Setting boundaries

Ironically, as someone who preaches boundaries to my clients, I find it hard to set work-related limits on myself to avoid burnout.

For example, my typical routine for content-related tasks is (1) write newsletter (2) create 2 posts for the week (3) prepare for Tuesday Night Live. Yet, I STILL find myself asking if I’m doing enough.

Could I be posting more? Should I be attending more networking events to get my name out?

By setting solid boundaries about how much content I’m putting out each week, I allow myself to feel confident in the amount of work I’m putting in. Now, my boundaries look like this:

1. End work on Fridays by 5:30 pm 
2. ONLY create 2 organic posts/week (not including Tuesday Night Lives)
3. Write Thursday Newsletter
4. Create questions for TNL guest

As someone who is obsessed with getting ahead, I try to approach my schedule with a week-by-week mindset. I’m not one to plan content months in advance. Doing so ticks up my stress levels and pushes me beyond my work boundaries.

5. Celebrating small wins

This final point is the most important. It’s so easy to get caught up in what needs to get done, forgetting to acknowledge the achievements along the way. 

Recently, what’s been helping me is celebrating every win, no matter how small they may seem. For example, I just hit 1,000 views on my first Instagram Reel on 5 to 9 Socials. Sure, initially, I wasn’t doing cartwheels because I’ve helped clients obtain millions of views before.

But then, I had to give myself a reality check: this business of mine only took flight back in October. Yet, I’ve already accomplished so many goals I thought would take months to achieve.

Learning to Avoid Burnout is an Ongoing Process

Perfectionism is a slippery slope, trust me, I’ve been there. As a fellow perfectionist, it’s all too easy to look ahead instead of seeing what you’ve already accomplished. But, sometimes, you’ve gotta zoom out, take a breath, and really take stock of how far you’ve come. 

By giving myself that reality check and acknowledging the milestones I’ve already reached, I’ve come to realize that maybe, just maybe, I don’t need to be so hard on myself after all. 

If there’s one thing my three-year journey has taught me, it’s the power of setting boundaries, finding joy in the little things, and pacing myself with my workload. These simple shifts have transformed my perspective. 

I’m so excited to invite you all to join me on this journey of self-care and the ongoing exploration of balancing life as a small business owner. 

Time to embrace the challenges & small wins together!