7 Types of rest and avoiding burnout as an entrepreneur

Burnout as an entrepreneur 

It’s been a tough few years for many businesses. Uncertainty, risk, and pivoting have been common themes for entrepreneurs, leading to exhaustion.

I wanted to share with you my experience with burnout. This is difficult to do because it seems taboo. We often think, “who would want to work with someone who has been burnt out” but that’s just reality. I like to think about this as people would like to work with someone who is honest and has dealt with these situations.

Here is my own experience with burnout.

During the Summer, as a team, we were traveling, launching, creating a new program, and launching again. We actually just ended the Summer by developing a new curriculum for our flagship program (man…it’s so good). However, all of these actions combined left us all jus…t tired. We even implemented a four-day workweek in June and July to try to combat all of the work we were doing, which I do believe helped tremendously.

I wanted to share this with you because, on the outside looking in, people might think, “look at all they are doing! I’m not getting nearly as much done.” Comparison can creep in, which is not what I want for you. I’ve sacrificed sleep and other essential life components to get as much work done as possible, and I don’t want that to be the case for you.

Let’s discuss the seven types of rest.

This life-changing concept is explored by a medical physician and researcher, Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, in her book Sacred Rest. I highly recommend giving it a read or a listen. 

Physical Rest

This is the most obvious type of rest, and there are two sides to it. 

The first side is passive, which is sleeping or resting (while being still). If for any reason you can’t sleep, by the way, lying there is the next best thing to do. I know this can be counter-intuitive because entrepreneurs often have an “if I’m awake, I’m productive” mindset.

The second side of this is gentle movement or activity. Walking, Yoga, stretching, etc. Physical rest can 

Mental Rest

Racing mind, forgetfulness, and trouble concentrating are some signs you might need a mental break. 

This doesn’t have to be turning your brain completely off, but maybe using it for joy instead. Adult coloring books, cooking, or even guided meditations are great ways to give your mind a rest. (Mediation can honestly apply to all of these, so you’ll see that one a lot).

Social Rest

Entrepreneurs - I want you to really hear this; your energy is sacred. You don’t owe anyone your energy. Take a look at your circle and note how it makes you feel. Do you feel lit up, inspired, and energized after chatting with these people? Or do you feel drained, tired, and like you need to be alone after? 

Spiritual Rest

This is a loaded one and can very person to person. You might be deficient in spiritual rest if you feel what you are doing is purposeless. We all need to feel like we have a sense of belonging and making some kind of impact on the world. 

Spiritual rest can look like this: 

• Reconnecting with your mission, vision, and why

• Finding a ritual that inspires you before, during, or after your work

• Tracking progress for any goal

• Ancesstrial connection, prayer, gratitude, etc. 

Sensory Rest

In a world of screens and devices, I think it’s fair to say that we could all use a sensory break. Sensory overload can look like: a lack of focus, anxiousness, anger, agitated, irritability, etc.

You can give your senses a break by:

• Listening to white, pink, or brown noise

• Laying in a dark or candlelit room (no bright lights)

• Laying in a relaxing bath

• Eating nourishing foods that you enjoy

• Removing clutter, and having a clear/clean space

Emotional Rest

If you’re a mother and a CEO, this is for you especially. We store and carry emotion that seems just to stay inside of us, and often it manifests itself physically, causing tension, pain, etc. 

• Therapy or professional mentorship

• Talking about your feelings with people who genuinely care

• Hip opening stretches  we store emotions energetically in our hip area)

Creative Rest

You might need a creative list if you feel you’re lacking: Innovation, inspiration, motivation, or obviously creativity.

Creative rest can allow you to enjoy the beauty in the things around you. It can also mean creating things that bring you joy: music, writing, relationships, programs, or even content! 

Having a creative outlet will light you up and get a new meaning into your life and give you the energy to do things that might not be as fun. 

I hope this blog was helpful for you, and I strongly encourage you to save your seat for our upcoming workshop, ACCESS YOUR AUTHORITY. During these 5-days together, you will experience breakthrough after breakthrough, such as:

✨ What it means to define & claim your authority: 3 fundamentals for establishing an authority brand

✨ How to leverage your authority in your sales system to create consistent conversions

✨ And a simple marketing approach designed to help you scale in a constantly changing digital landscape

Cheers, 

Steph