Hey there
Posting here instead of a sub about mental health or something similar since I suppose their advice will be more inclined towards “go on vacation” or “go for walks, learn to delegate”.
I am super burned out and can´t afford to stop working. This is an endless circle of Im not as productive so I work longer hours that never ends.
I´m (21F) in uni, have a job in marketing and have a business (been doing this for a bit less than a year) that has just gotten into a startup accelerator, about to launch a marketing agency with a co-founder and an AI product with another co-founder, this one will take longer to see the sun.
I know it looks like I have a lot on my plate, and I probably do, but I have talked about the projects with mentors and investors and they think they are genuinelly good, I can´t stop or choose one or the others.
I also don´t have the funds to employ someone yet, and I think even if I did I don´t think i could have someone doing what I´m supposed to be doing (yes I have a bad case of “want things my way”).
I go on walks, to the gym, read and spend spare days in bigger towns museum hopping every now and then, but I can´t stop myself from looking at things in terms of ROI: I might go to a museus, but I´m lowkey looking for inspiration for designs for one of my ideas; I might go to the gym but i´m just trying to look hotter because I´ve seen how much better people treat me than others for my looks (also would want to try modeling so I´m getting my measurements in check for that). I might read something but only if its related to business, M&A, mindset…
I take long as f* getting ready in the morning when I used to jump out of bed and get straight to work, and can´t really feel strong emotions anymore: not a lot of joy, not a lot of sadness either, I only ever feel super happy when something i had been working on materializes.
So… what do you do when you´re burned out but can´t stop? What are things that keep you from burning out? Do you have a very strict routine or go with the flow as the day goes?
Yeah you got to know what opportunities to cut simply.
Doesnt matter what mentors / investors say, they have their own agendas, you have to judge it. pick the ones with the real world traction that bring in money and run with those.
Sell your business or learn the difference between being productive and busy.
Your biggest hurdle is your mindset. Work with a coach to change that, and your (work)life will improve. You are telling yourself all these stories about why everything is so important and needs to happen right now. If you continue to do that, you’ll reach a point where your body will just shut off. It’s already giving you very clear warning signs, listen to those!
54 with multiple start-ups and an Agency running for 15 years. Doing my Masters in AI as well so we have something in common.
The number one skill you need to learn as a young entrepreneur is time management. Get a schedule down and make it a routine; you will be surprised at how much free time you have if you schedule it; proper time management has to include free time or restful activities. For me it means going to the steam or sauna and sitting in silence or listening to music/audiobook for an hour. I literally schedule an hour to play chess or CSGO BEFORE I start my day. These are rewards for working so hard the rest of the time, my body looks forward to it.When I feel overwhelmed, i do two things. Go into a floatpod (sensory deprivation tank) or sit in an empty room, doing nothing. To reset my system i need to be bored AF. And the SDT gives me the extra 10% capacity out of my brain if everything feels heavy and or sluggish.
It a bit like: If you go on a fantastic holiday, going back to your regular life seems daunting. Go for a holiday to buttf*ck nowhere and your reg. life seems fantastic. It’s all about recalibration.
You sound ambitious; be careful and be honest with yourself. Good luck.
You got too much on your plate. I suggest pausing some things. You are at university so to me that should be your first priority. You have a job, which you need, so you have to keep doing that. Put your business on hold or reduce the time you put into it. Restart when you’ve graduated.
You’re very young. Do you have friends? Socializing once or twice a week is good for your mental health and just to unwind from all you’re doing. That includes a bf, you don’t mention that. You can’t just think about and your life be all about work. You need to have fun too. You don’t want ten years from now think you’ve not taken advantage of your 20s and that you want a partner or children or friends, it’s going to be more difficult in your 30s, especially if you did not develop those skills. Slow down, figure out what you really want in life.
I can’t restart once I graduate, plus I’m in uni because my parents want me to, it brings me no return and I learn far more starting initiatives. I do have friends but mostly focus on networking now, still “friends”. My high school friends are now doing drugs and partying every weekend and resent me for my success, so I’d rather keep things as they are now. As for boyfriends, I don’t think I “need” one, I’m not focused on boys tbh…
If you are not passionate about what you do and been forced to do it, I suggest to quit university. You’re 21, an adult, take control of your own life. Don’t worry about what others think, your parents included.
You should still make friends, cut off those older friends you’ve had who don’t have the same values. Besides, a friend who resents you for your success and is not happy for you, is not a friend. If you don’t need a boyfriend, fine, but do have some kind of social life.
I believe that once you clean up your life - get rid of toxic friends, do what you are passionate about, have boundaries with friends and family - you’ll feel much better and not be burned out.
reading your post history it would imply you may have a myriad of mental health issues (sugarbaby subreddit for example)
please seek help I hope you find your way out of the fog
Posting here instead of a sub about mental health or something similar since I suppose their advice will be more inclined towards “go on vacation” or “go for walks, learn to delegate”.
You’re asking for advice but don’t want to accept the advice given. So, why ask?
not all advice is good just because, and not all applies to everyone. I ask here because we supposedly deal with many similar responsabilities and struggles.
I felt the same way and still kinda in the burnout funk. I learned that there isn’t anything that compares to just taking a vacation and getting away from everything and do whatever you can to relax. You really should find a way to take a week off and force yourself to not even think about work. Go to a hotel or somewhere new and quiet and just binge watch some show or something.
I’ve learned to set a strict schedule and being able to take control over parts of your day helps. In the office by 8am every day, put out any fires and catch up on news or whatever to warm up to work then at 9am be in total grind mode. Force yourself not to do anything else other than x task and don’t touch your phone or anything until you finished the tasks. Then breaks and have a 2nd grind mode after lunch.
Using WIP boards and dividing big projects into small tasks helps you feel accomplished and shows yourself you’re productive.
The silicon valley show has the perfect example of how a scrum board helps feed productivity https://youtu.be/oyVksFviJVE?si=T2nHYxSXWpxbiwTC
You say you cannot afford hiring an employee, what about handing out equity to get someone else on board to share the work load?
Getting Things Done method for time management, will save you time and mental clarity. You can read the book or online summaries that will explain far better than me. I can also suggest ice baths or to take baths with cold water, it gives me more energy to go throughout the day.