A few years ago I remember divulging to my friend, Jen, while sitting at a crowded Cheesecake Factory through cries of exhaustion that I was done. I didn’t want to play the game anymore. I was so tired of worrying about what was next, how to stay ahead of the competition, and pushing the limit that I was a shell of so-called hustler. I told her that day that I just couldn’t do it anymore… I quit. ⁣
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I remember waking up and feeling DREAD every morning. I was scared to look at my e-mails. I wasn’t excited when I booked a new client. I felt like an imposter. Here I was, a leader in my industry, with everything I thought I wanted, accomplishments, awards, and conferences booking me left and right and it all made me PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY, & MENTALLY exhausted. ⁣
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I saw the signs as they slowly creeped up and I didn’t pay attention to them. I took a long hard look at why I started this business in the first place and realized that I had traded it all in and began to accept the “busy culture.” Once I saw what I had done, I immediately made decisions that allowed me to breathe and grow.

I booked less clients (while increasing my prices), I learned to say NO, and purposefully worked towards a more purposeful schedule when I was at home (aka no more “5 more minutes momma”). ⁣
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BURNOUT is even more common in a small business because we usually work from home and fail to set boundaries for ourselves. Let’s recognize the signs and make the moves to decompress all the stress. ⁣

5 COMMON SIGNS OF BURNOUT:⁣

1. Exhaustion: emotional, physical & mental
2. Feeling dread⁣
3. Hoping for reschedules / cancels⁣
4. Sleep issues ⁣
5. Bringing your business home⁣
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Have you ever experienced burnout? I think we all have in some way. When did you realize you were starting to feel burned out and how did you combat it?⁣

And don’t even get me started about the PRESSURE. This constant pressure to BE in your audience’s face all day every day is sometimes SMOTHERING and DEBILITATING and NOT OK. It’s not ok.

If your mental health is taking a beating and your anxiety is climbing, LISTEN TO YOUR GUT. If you’re having a mental breakdown, who is going to run your business, take care of your children, love your husband? WHO? ⁣
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The FIRST person you need to love, take care of, and run is YOURSELF. Without you, your business is nothing and your family is lost. It’s ok… no… it’s NECESSARY to take care of yourself. It’s VITAL.

YOU GUYS. Enough. I want to tell you something… ⁣

• IT’S OK TO LISTEN TO YOURSELF
• IT’S OK TO BACK OFF
• IT’S OK TO BREATHE
• IT’S OK TO MISS SOME SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS
• IT’S OK TO TAKE A HOT BATH INSTEAD OF CONTENT BATCH
• IT’S OK TO TAKE THE NIGHT OFF & WATCH A MOVIE WITH YOUR KIDS
• IT’S OK TO NOT SHOW UP TODAY IF YOU’RE NOT FEELING IT
• IT’S OK TO REMOVE APPS FROM YOUR PHONE
• IT’S OK TO NOT CHECK YOUR PHONE FIRST THING IN THE MORNING