I worked in a hospital caring for patients for most of my career, so work wasn't exactly the kind I could take home with me. I had a benefits package that included generous paid vacation time. On top of only being required to work an eight-hour day, I had a lunch break that I was required to take, which forced a breather in the middle of the day. That 9-to-5 job allowed me to turn off the work once I left the office because there was not much more I could do, and burnout was not a huge concern.
Once I became a mother, I decided to start my own business so I could be home with my daughter. I imagined this would allow me to have more work-life balance and take on small projects to cover baby gymnastics classes here and there. I never anticipated bringing in as much business as I have and having to balance even more than I did as a full-time employee.
It is challenging to say no to potential income, so I didn't. While this is a perfect way to make some serious cash, it is also a perfect recipe to get burnt out very quickly. And that is exactly what happened at the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey. I wasn't turning down any work and was working way too many hours without any boundaries. My daughter was home with me but was not getting the attention she deserved, and my husband was honestly getting pretty annoyed. Burnout had been uncharted territory for me, until it wasn't.
After that experience, I have luckily found ways to stay more balanced and keep both the quality of my work and my quality of life up. Here are some steps that I have committed to that have helped me avoid that state of mind again.