The Secret to Building a Successful Side Hustle: Avoiding Burnout and Staying Motivated

Years ago, when I first began my side hustle, I loved it.

I was driven and passionate, and I threw myself into my work, dedicating countless hours towards making it a success.

I was always pushing myself to do more, to be better, and to achieve my goals.

However, as time went on, I started to feel more and more exhausted.

Despite getting enough sleep and taking care of myself, I felt like I was running on empty.

Suddenly I struggled to find joy in my work and even simple tasks seemed insurmountable.

Despite all of this, I didn’t think I had burnout. I thought I just needed a break or to push through it.

One of the worst things you can experience as a side hustler is burnout. 

When we’re building a side hustle, we’re often working long hours and dedicating a lot of our energy to something that may not be generating much income yet. This can be a recipe for burnout.

Burnout is a state of mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion that can happen when we are overworked, undervalued, and disconnected from our sense of purpose. 

That’s why it’s so important to recognize the early warning signs of burnout and take steps to prevent it so that you can continue having fun while building your side hustle (without sacrificing your mental well-being)

Ready to regain your energy? In this newsletter, we’ll help you do just that! 

This week’s newsletter brings you:

  • Strategies. Learn all about the dangers of burnout, including its symptoms and causes, and follow our tips to recover from it, and avoid it in the future.
  • Tool of the Week. Avoiding burnout is all about managing your time effectively, and there’s no better way to do so than with Harvest.

Strategies

Let’s talk about recognizing burnout, overcoming it, and making sure you never fall into it again!

Uncovering the root causes of burnout

Burnout occurs when the body and mind are exhausted physically and emotionally. When you work in a physically or emotionally draining job for a long period of time, you may suffer from long-term stress. Even if your side hustle isn’t your full-time job, it can still cause you to feel burned out.

Side hustle burnout can be caused by a variety of factors including excessive workload, a lack of control over work-life balance, and the constant pressure to succeed.

Surprisingly, an absence of clear goals or a sense of fulfillment in your side hustle can also contribute to burnout.

Personal stressors such as poor self-care practices, relationship or financial difficulties can also amplify the risk of burnout.

It’s important to recognize the early warning signs of burnout and address the root causes in order to avoid burnout and maintain a sustainable side hustle.

Burnout caused by your side hustle

  • The feeling that your work is out of your control.
  • Being bored or unchallenged by your work.
  • Working in an environment that is chaotic or high-pressure.

Burnout caused by lifestyle choices

  • Spending too much time working and not enough time relaxing or socializing.
  • Overcomplicating things and not asking for help.
  • Sleep deprivation.

Burnout can be caused by personality traits

  • Having perfectionistic tendencies; nothing is good enough.
  • You see the world and yourself in a pessimistic light.
  • Controlling nature; reluctance to delegate.

Burnout occurs gradually. You don’t get sick overnight, but it can creep up on you. Initially, the signs and symptoms are subtle, but they become more severe over time.

The early symptoms are warning signs that something is wrong and needs to be addressed. It is possible to prevent a major breakdown if you pay attention and actively reduce your stress. Ignoring the signs will eventually lead to burnout.

Here are some warning signs that you are already feeling burned out:

Burnout symptoms and signs

  • Often feeling tired and drained.
  • Muscle or headache pain on a regular basis.
  • A change in appetite or sleep patterns.

Symptoms of burnout on the emotional level

  • Feelings of failure and self-doubt.
  • A feeling of helplessness, a feeling of being trapped, a feeling of defeat.
  • A lack of motivation.
  • An overall decrease in satisfaction and accomplishment.

Signs and symptoms of burnout in behavior

  • Separating yourself from others.
  • Taking longer to accomplish tasks due to procrastination.
  • Taking your frustrations out on others.

Resources:

Burnout by Mental Health

Stress and Burnout: Symptoms and Causes by Very Well Mind

The secret to recovering from burnout

Burnout can be brutal for your personal life, and the success of your side hustle, in the long term. If left untreated, it can lead to:

  • Feeling alienated from your business, and wanting to distance yourself from it.
  • It is possible to feel emotionally drained and incapable of coping as a result of burnout symptoms if they are left untreated.
  • In addition to feeling negative about tasks, burnout symptoms are often associated with difficulty concentrating and a lack of creativity. Combined, these factors reduce performance.

It is important to note, however, that burnout is not just about exhaustion and fatigue. Those who are burnt out withdraw emotionally and cognitively from not only their work, but also the people around them as a result of their emotional and physical exhaustion.

Recovering from burnout, no matter what the cause, isn’t a simple or fast process. You must take the time and be kind to yourself. If you are suffering from burnout, try following these tips:

1. Exercise regularly

Exercise releases tension in your body and produces feel-good hormones like endorphins. A virtual workout like online yoga can help you relieve stress without having to leave your home.

2. Balance your work and personal lives

Unbalanced relationships with work can contribute to burnout. It will be easier for you to lead a stress-free and functional life if you cultivate a work-life balance.

Try to balance time spent at work and time spent on non-work activities by taking small steps every day. Reduce your screen time by using time blocking and adopt a new health and wellness trend.

3. Engage in activities you enjoy

A good place to start when it comes to recovering from mental exhaustion is to have fun. It helps you reconnect with yourself on an emotional level and calibrate your stress levels by committing to things that make you happy.

4. Learn how to manage stress

Different people process stress in different ways. Mindful breathing, intuitive eating, or cardio are all stress management techniques that can be helpful if you give them a try.

5. Define your boundaries

When asked to do extra work, many people struggle to say no. Burnout can be reduced by learning how to set boundaries at work and in relationships.

6. Spend quality time with your family and friends

You are more likely to be healthy and happy when you have a good work-life balance because it will help you prevent burnout and improve your relationship with loved ones.

7. Eat healthily

You’ll be less vulnerable to stress and fatigue by eating fresh, wholesome meals. If you want to feel more energetic, try embracing a nutritious diet.

8. Get a good night’s sleep

Physical strength, mental focus, and emotional stamina are all compromised when one doesn’t get enough sleep due to stress. Sleep between seven and nine hours a night. Sleep trackers or sleep hygiene could be used to accomplish this.

9. Meditate and practice mindfulness

A common question is, “How long does it take to recover from burnout? Recovery is a process, not a destination.

Mindfulness and meditation are life skills that focus on the bigger picture. People are encouraged to develop a more peace-oriented lifestyle as a result.

Resources:

Burnout Prevention and Recovery by Help Guide

How to dodge burnout effectively while building your hustle

Trying to take your side hustle to the next level takes a lot of work, which can often lead to burnout. Balancing your life, your work, and your other business ventures can feel like an impossible task, but it’s all about developing effective management strategies.

Use these tips to manage your side hustle while avoiding burnout:

Be careful what you promise

Don’t make promises that you can’t (or shouldn’t) keep. You’ve heard it before, but every go-getter needs the reminder. There are only so many hours in the day and so much energy to work with when managing a day job. You have a right to time with family, friends, and fun, too, so use it wisely. Likewise, you must respect a potential client’s right to quality work. Don’t take on more than you can handle, or you will burn out and lose good referrals.

Whenever possible, outsource

You don’t have to do everything yourself just because you’re bootstrapping. One of the most important calculations you need to make as a business owner is what is best for you to do yourself versus what is best to have someone else handle. You’re better off paying someone on Fiverr or Upwork to design your logo than spending days trying to learn how to do it yourself if you’ve never used Photoshop before.

You can also outsource tasks like bookkeeping, social media marketing, website design, and even admin functions through outsourcing services, which will handle everything from SEO optimization to booking a grooming appointment for your dog.

Make the most of your free time when you have it

After a full day at your day job, it’s difficult to muster the energy to do extra work for your side hustle. Regularly dedicate small windows to your side business instead of extending your day by several hours. Work on client projects half an hour early each morning. Take ten minutes during your lunch break to polish proposals. During your commute, while waiting to pick up the kids from school, or during other less cliché interim moments during the day, keep your smartphone or tablet handy.

Don’t waste your time on things that aren’t worth it

There are different types of opportunities out there. While taking free work when you’re just starting out may be a smart way to build your portfolio and experience, over time you have to weed out what no longer benefits you. Gaining experience means letting go of “lesser” work in order to take advantage of better opportunities. If a potential client contacts you, ask yourself, “Does it work for me?”

  • Does it pay better than what I’m doing now?
  • Does it help you reach a wider audience?
  • Is their audience better suited to my goals?

Take time to rest and refresh yourself

After a long commute, you’re worn out after waking up early and using your brain all day. Prime Time is just around the corner, so you’re ready for dinner, PJs, and a cozy couch. There is no time for that in the world of entrepreneurship. Everyone needs to rest their brains after a long day at work. After a long day of work, launching your side gig straightaway will lead to burnout.

The best way to relax is not to shut off your brain, but to refresh it instead. Why not try listening to music, going for a walk, or doing any other activity you enjoy? You’ll feel refreshed after taking some time for yourself, which will make working on your side hustle much easier.

Resources:

How to Avoid Side Hustle Burnout by Ownr

Tool of the Week

Are you feeling burnt out and in need of some help managing your workload? Well, the Harvest app might just be the solution you’re looking for!

With its simple and user-friendly interface, the app makes it easy for you to keep track of all your tasks and projects. It can help you identify where you might be overworking and remind you to take breaks for some much-needed self-care.

Plus, it’ll even keep track of your time off so you can make the most of your vacation days. The app can even provide you with some cool insights into your work patterns, so you can make informed decisions on how to manage your workload better and avoid burnout. Try it out and say goodbye to burnout!

Resources:

Harvest’s Website

The 7 Best Time Management Tools for Small Business by Benchmark One