Everything You Need To Know About Business Burnout

January 2021 I was burnt out. I was running my small business, Luna & Jade, pretty much solo since its launch in 2019 and I was treading water and getting nowhere fast.

I remember the day I felt like I was ready to throw in the towel perfectly. I was sitting in my office packing everything up to take with me to Florida for Spring Training where we’d be gone for 2 full months (my husband works in MLB). I was totally overwhelmed at the thought of packing, traveling, and uprooting my entire life while also needing to be present for a rebranding photo shoot and hosting a full night of permanent jewelry appointments afterwards. I was literally in survival mode thinking there was no way I’d get through it all without a minor breakdown (or two). My mind + body were screaming for a BREAK that time just wouldn’t allow. I sat in total silence on my office floor thinking, “is this all REALLY that worth it?”

I walked out of my office and down in the basement where my husband was working, sat on the couch and told him I think I am done with Luna & Jade. He walked over and just sat with me while I had a tiny little breakdown thinking that I worked so hard to just give up. After a good cry sesh, we chatted about why I felt so overwhelmed and it all came down to one thing: I needed help.

That year I ended up hiring some help that took a some back-end tasks off my plate and for the first time I felt this sense of relief that maybe I didn’t have to do it ALL, maybe asking for help wasn’t weak but really, really strong. For the longest time I thought that in order for this to be a success I had to be working 24/7. All we ever hear about is hustel culture and if you’re not 2 steps ahead of your compeition you’re 5 steps behind and while there may be some truth to this, this doesn’t have to be your truth if it doesn’t align with your lifestyle.

Why is do many think taking breaks are bad? Why don’t we allow ourselves time to rest when we KNOW we need it? And why don’t we ask for help more often? As humans we truly weren’t meant to do it all alone, life or small business so I urge you to take a break when your mind and body are calling you to. If the mountain of never-ending tasks makes that feel impossible, ask for help. I assure you there will be someone able to pick up some of your load when it feels too heavy.

If this blog helped, make sure to follow @xomandyscott for more small business tips, advice, and encouragement along your journey.