Burning Out

Happy Monday, ya'll! It's back to business this week after a week off for my 'Staycation.' I had such a great week with family and friends. It was really nice to stay around town and do all the things I love about Fredericksburg (and its surrounding areas) like hiking, picking crabs, berry picking, happy hours, shopping downtown, spending time on the boat, and more. It was a much needed break from the crazy hustle and bustle of this summer.

Over the past few years of running a small business, I've learned both from first hand experience and from others just how important it is to take time for yourself. I've burned myself out more times than I'd like to admit. It is just so easy to bite off more than you can chew, and it's a huge learning experience to actually say 'No.' 

Up until last week, I was on the verge of burning out. This summer blasted off more than I expected between work and my personal life and I definitely took on way too much. It's so hard to say 'no' to things that you truly want to do or be involved in, even if you really don't have the time.

As small business owners, we want to do everything, be a part of everything, be friends with everyone and just generally be involved. It's good for business, right? But it's exhausting sometimes. This industry has so many opportunities (and I'm not saying that as a bad thing at all), but if I'm being honest, it can be incredibly overwhelming.

There's a lot of pressure to be many different things as a small business owner; pressure to be perfect & not make mistakes, pressure to be creative, pressure to be your own person and business yet to somewhat fit in within the industry. After a while, the pressure just gets to you. 

It is so important to set take breaks for yourself (and to set weekly office hours and actually abide by them and step away from your business). This past week was a great breath of fresh air and I was able to, in a sense, refresh myself: refresh my attitude, my brain & creativity. I was able to catch up on sleep, relax and take a break from the pressures of owning a small business and social media and just be...ME. 

If you're feeling overwhelmed or anxious or like there's a ton of weight and pressure on your shoulders, you are not alone! Remember to take a deep breath, relax and that it's okay to say no.