by Brigid Ludwig

Small businesses are extremely front-loaded in that they take an enormous amount of work in order to get off the ground. With that being said, it’s crucial that you ensure you and your employees aren’t getting burnt out. Not only is physical and mental health important, but stress and burnout can cost American employers up to $300 billion annually.

When people start to experience burnout, their confidence and sense of purpose plummets while negativity skyrockets. No one wants to work with this type of employee, let alone be one. However, the effect on your bottom line is even more worrisome.

Studies have proven that confidence is just as important to earning profits as cognitive ability is. Furthermore, 1 in 10 companies bottom out simply from a lack of passion. Running a small business is no easy feat, but finding a healthy amount of responsibility for each employee is crucial to attaining and maintaining success.

As a manager, or even a CEO, how can you keep your employees motivated and excited about their work?

Keep an eye out for signs of burnout in your company. These signs commonly come in the form of exhaustion, for example tardiness, absenteeism and a decrease in productivity.

If your team is constantly overworked and overwhelmed, they will quickly lose enthusiasm. The stress at work can disrupt their work-life balance, making them less inclined to show up or perform to the best of their abilities. Of course, there will be times that chaos can’t be averted, it happens.

What can you do boost morale and job satisfaction on a daily basis?

Promote camaraderie among your team by creating an open line of communication and resolving conflicts quickly. You want your employees to enjoy working with their coworkers, because it will increase their happiness and productivity. Most people also want to be challenged at work. Let others weigh in on important decisions or issues even if it doesn’t directly pertain to them.

Offering incentives is also a good way to inspire employees. Be sure to offer a variety of rewards or prizes. Some people are motivated by vacation time while others would prefer a bonus or pay increase. In addition, don’t forget to give praise. It’s part of human nature to seek affirmation and acknowledgement for hard work. Recognizing your employees’ achievements will raise their confidence. Participating in a workshop is a great way to learn how to work better within your teams, give feedback when it’s due and create stronger connections.

If you find yourself starting to feel burnt out, take a step back and look at your workload.

• Are you spending the majority of your time on tasks or projects that can be delegated to others?
• Are you taking on the brunt of your business’ funding?
• Are you losing the vision you had for this company?

Fundera provided the infographic to explain ways to combat these challenges.

We’ve all been there before. The pressures from work can often feel inescapable and bleed into our home lives as well. That’s why it’s critical to know how to manage and offload stress. Whether you or your employees are starting to feel the effects of burnout, check out the infographic for actionable tips on how to avoid it.

Photo: Sebastian Herrmann (Unsplash)