920: 6 Hidden Warning Signs of Burnout (And How to Reverse Them)

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2:10Burnout can creep in when we least expect it. And most of us don't recognize we're burned out until it's already taken a toll on our health, our work, our relationships, and our joy. In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on the subtle hidden signs of burnout, the ones that you might be missing, and how to start reversing them before they take you out completely. I'm Jenna Kutcher, and I help you trade hustle for purpose and build a business that gives you the life you actually want to live. From a$300 Craigslist camera to a seven-figure business I run from home, I've learned that success isn't just about what you do, it's about how you live.

2:49Here, you'll get strategies that work, systems that give you your time back, and steps that turn your effort into results and impact. If you're ready for clarity, confidence, and a business that feels as good as it looks, you're in the right place. This is the Gold Digger Podcast. You don't have to be working 80-hour weeks to be burned out. Burnout can creep in quietly, hiding behind things like endless to-do lists, irritability with the people you love or that nagging sense that no matter how much you get done, it is never enough. I know because I've been there. The thing about burnout is that it rarely announces itself with flashing red lights.

3:31It is sneaky. It shows up in your body as constant fatigue, in your calendar as overcommitment, in your relationships as short fuses or disconnection. And if you don't catch it early, it can unravel everything you've worked so hard to build. That's why I want to walk you through six hidden warning signs of burnout that you might be missing and more importantly, how to start reversing them so that you can feel grounded, energized, and aligned again. Whether you're a business owner, a busy professional, or just someone trying to juggle all the things, this conversation is going to feel like a deep breath.

4:03Now, if you've been around the show for a while, this episode might sound familiar. That's because it's one of those timeless conversations that I believe is worth revisiting. I first released it a while back, but it's even more relevant today. So whether this is your first listen or a much needed refresher, I am so glad you're here for it. Let's dive into the six hidden warning signs of burnout and the steps you can take to reverse them starting today. So I was recently texting with a friend of mine who is on a health journey, and she's also a super successful entrepreneur. And she sent me a photo of a cortisol test.

4:37And if you don't know much about cortisol, it's the stress hormone that we hold in our bodies. And for me personally, after our second miscarriage, I too had tested my cortisol and needless to say, it was through the roof and this physical manifestation of how I was feeling in my personal life and in my business life, which was entirely stressed and anxious and exhausted. I had to do a lot of work both personally and professionally in order to support my body and my hormone levels and especially my cortisol. And as I was texting my friend, we were talking about our cortisol glow ups, we recognized how much our bodies can react to being burnt out and more so how often we ignore the signs we ignore our bodies.

5:20And we just operate from this place that tells us well, the way that we're feeling is normal. Everyone does this. Entrepreneurs inevitably carry this heavy load of responsibilities and pressure. And it doesn't just affect our mindset or our mental health, like burnout can affect everything from our physical health to our mood to our relationships, so much so that the World Health Organization called it a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. That's how they described it. It listed three main symptoms for burnout, which are first, feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion.

6:01Second, increased mental distance from one's job or feeling negative towards one's career. And lastly, reduced professional productivity. The Harvard Business Review reported that burnout can lead to job dissatisfaction, absenteeism, inefficient decision making, depression, and heart disease. I don't know about you, but as the leader of a business, we can't really afford to be inefficient with decision making or absent for large periods of time. and we certainly cannot afford risking our physical and our mental health. The same article states that entrepreneurs are more at risk of burnout because they tend to be extremely passionate about work and more socially isolated.

6:44They generally have limited safety nets and operate in high uncertainty. So because of all these factors, a study found that 28 % of founders feel moderately or strongly burnt out. that's almost one in three of us so if you're raising your hand and you're like um jenna i'm there that's me i'm burnt out we'll keep listening and if you're like i'm not there yet but i would love to avoid that destination thank you very much then listen to these six signs that will help you either qualify yourself as officially burnt out or notice the signs that you're on your way towards it. So sign number one is this, your passion or creativity is zapped.

7:27So one of the things that I love about entrepreneurship is that oftentimes it means that we get to pursue our passions and we're lucky enough to get paid to do them. I mean, we've all heard that saying, like, if you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life, right? If it feels like your passion pieced out and completely left your body and brain, that is not good. There's actually a close tie between a healthy amount of passion and your productivity. I remember at the beginning of my photography career, I would bring my camera literally everywhere. I'd bring it to barbecues and baseball games.

8:02Like I was so wildly passionate. And when I hit burnout, I did not want to touch my camera unless I had to. The thing that I was once passionate about signified work and responsibility. And frankly, I started to loathe it. Now, thankfully, passion can come back when you start to work on curing your burnout. So trust me when I say it can ebb and flow, but it is important as humans for us to learn to protect our passions. The Harvard Business Review conducted a study that shows that entrepreneurs who reported high levels of what they call harmonious passion experienced solid levels of concentration, attention and absorption during their work.

8:43So if you start feeling fatigued about working or like your focus and your creativity isn't there, that's probably an indication that you might be heading towards burnout. When you sit down to work and you're trying to get your wheels spinning, but you feel nothing or worse, you feel anxious or sad or stressed or annoyed by your work, know that you don't have to power through just to get it done. These are some telltale signs that you're either nearing or that you've reached burnout, but you shouldn't have to just do what you can to survive and stay afloat. You deserve to feel like a passionate leader the majority of the time.

9:18So first, just pay attention to where your passion is at and figure out ways to prioritize boundaries that will support that passion and help give you rest. So sign number two is you're working crazy hard, but you can't really put a finger on what you're actually achieving. I felt this way the most postpartum when I came back from my leave after having Coco, not only was I still in that kind of new motherhood fog, but I didn't have systems or the right help in my business to make sure that the precious time I spent working was actually moving the needle. And that was when I finally hired Marissa, my integrator, and it was a massive turning point for me in my business.

10:00When you find yourself working like crazy, but you're not actually able to take an inventory or report what you've got done or the results that your work drove, I call this multitasking brain. It's kind of like pregnancy brain. But instead of forgetting where you put your keys 57 times a day, you can't quite distinguish what you're spending all of your time on at work. And in fact, you can't really tie your hard work to results or figure out how to stay focused on important tasks whatsoever. It's not like you're not working. It's almost the opposite. It's that most of your efforts are getting thrown off by less important tasks like cleaning out your inbox or reorganizing your content calendar.

10:39And while you feel busy, you're not really moving much of anything forward. And so it's easy to always feel behind and frazzled. You attempt to multitask to get more done and you only end up sidetracked, frustrated, and even more tired than before. This is an approach that keeps your time occupied, but isn't exactly productive or sustainable. bold. This podcast is brought to you by Mercury, banking that helps entrepreneurs do more with their money. Okay. I remember in the early days of my entrepreneurship journey, clients would literally mail me checks and then I would have to drive all the way to the bank to deposit them.

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11:51Visit mercury.com to apply in minutes. Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. For important details, check the show notes. When we were young, we dreamed of castles and fairy tales. And as we grow up, those dreams might shift into building something real, like starting a business. You need a website, payment systems, a logo, and a way to reach customers. It can all be overwhelming and confusing, but thankfully, that's where today's sponsor, Shopify, comes in. Shopify powers millions of businesses around the world and 10 % of all U.S. e-commerce from big brands to folks just getting started.

12:30They offer beautiful ready-to-go website templates so you don't need design skills to look professional. Their AI tools help with product images, descriptions, discount codes, and more. Shopify also makes it simple to run email and social campaigns so people can find you. And if you ever feel stuck, their award-winning 24-7 support is always available. Turn those dreams into and give them the best shot at success with Shopify. Sign up for your$1 per month trial and start selling today at shopify.com slash gold digger. Go to shopify.com slash gold digger, shopify.com slash gold digger. Sign number three is that your body is signaling that it is tired.

13:15So I feel like when people respond with the words, I'm tired, we just kind of laugh it off. Because I mean, I think if we're all honest, we're all a little bit tired. But when I look at my life during my wedding photography days, I was tired at a different and unhealthy level. Like I required a nap every single day, I wasn't functioning well, I didn't have energy, I wasn't sleeping well. I mean, my life looks a little bit like that these days, balancing this whole motherhood pregnancy journey. But it's different. It feels totally different. And our bodies, when we're doing these types of things, are trying to communicate to us.

13:51And a lot of times we stink at listening to our bodies. So get this. According to psychology today, one of the main signs of burnout is chronic fatigue. You feel physically and emotionally exhausted no matter how much sleep you get or how many breaks you take or how much caffeine you consume. Like you just can't seem to feel like your regular self or get a boost of energy no matter what you do. When you're working, you might experience easy distraction or feel like you can't get into the groove of work, even with tasks that you usually enjoy or that you love to do. Or maybe you constantly feel the physical signs of stress because it seems like there's this never-ending list of responsibilities and the weight of it all can feel so overwhelming.

14:37This kind of continual stress actually can lead to those heightened cortisol levels and adrenal fatigue, which only furthers the cycle of making you feel more tired and more spread thin. Sign number four, you simply want to throw in the towel. Now in the past, I could tell that I was burnt out when the grass everywhere starts to look a whole lot greener than mine. As entrepreneurs, we can carry so much responsibility and pressure, which at times can get to be too much. Burnout tempts you to throw in the towel and pursue something else, really anything else that appears to be less stressful. And maybe you find yourself browsing job sites to see if you can find something that would provide you more security and consistency rather than being the one running the show all the time.

15:23Or you might just start dreaming up other seemingly low pressure opportunities like becoming a painter or selling homemade jewelry or pottery. By the way, I'm not saying those jobs don't have their own set of pressures or stressors. But when you're burnt out, I know for me that so many other opportunities become tempting and appear shinier than what's currently on my plate. And let me preface this point by saying that entrepreneurship is not for everyone. And I totally understand the appeal of security and being able to punch out. So don't ignore these urges if they truly are leading you away from entrepreneurship, and you feel like that is the right move for you personally.

16:03I always remember when Nastia Lukin came on the podcast, and she was sharing that on the days that she wanted to quit gymnastics, her parents would tell her that she had to quit on a good day. She can never quit on a bad day because bad days come and they go and they knew how passionate she was, even on those days that she had a bad day and was feeling burnt out. So I always remind myself, like, if you're going to quit something, quit on a good day. Make sure that it's not just this day or these circumstances or this stress that is telling you to quit. Quit on a good day if you're really going to quit.

16:35Sign number five is that you feel like your business has taken over your life rather than your business is enhancing it. There are always going to be busy seasons or seasons that require a bit more hustle or a lot more energy, but that isn't sustainable long term every month of every year and that should not become your norm. No one can go 100 miles per hour without eventually hitting a wall. Like most business owners went into business to enhance their lives, not to feel like their work has become their full life. I had this moment after my second miscarriage when I knew that I had to show up to a wedding or I wouldn't get paid, even when I felt crippling grief and my body was in the process of losing my baby.

17:17It hit me then that I had built this thing, something that required me. And the moment that I stopped working, everything stopped. Like that day, I vowed to build something that supported my life and the visions I held for it that would allow me to rest that didn't mean I had to show up when I literally or physically couldn't. For me, flexibility and freedom to spend my days as I wish is the absolute best part of running my own business. But in seasons where I've been burnt out, I don't feel like I'm free or flexible at all. And maybe you can relate. It can feel like your business is running you rather than you running it.

17:56And most of us didn't leave our regular nine to five jobs to then work 60 or 70 hour weeks on a regular basis. So if you're feeling like you are chained to your laptop, or you can't get away from your email or your to do list or responsibilities for more than an hour or two at a time. It is likely that something's got to change so that you don't run yourself into the ground and reach a state of complete exhaustion and unhappiness. All right, sign number six is this. You have zero boundaries. Hi, it's me. I was a girl who handed out her phone number, got pings and dings all hours of the night. I literally slept with my laptop on my nightstand and I didn't leave my house without it to make sure that I was always available and accessible.

18:39Maybe you feel that you work at all hours of the day. Maybe you never rest or sign off or log out. Maybe notifications are adding stress and anxiety, not delight. And maybe you always respond regardless of when they come in. Maybe you feel like you need to answer everyone right away or else the business is going to fall apart. Maybe you are believing that lie that you have to be available and accessible in order to be successful. There is actually such a thing as being too passionate about your business. The Harvard Business Review said that in the same study that I mentioned earlier, they call it being obsessively passionate.

19:15And these entrepreneurs are identified by being driven by more pressures and outcomes like social acceptance and status and financial gain than other things like contentedness and serving others well. Even though they don't lack passion by any means, that ironically means that they perform less effectively because they're too concerned with being on all the time, all hours of the day in order to gain more status or money or accolades in the long run. This is something that I've had to work consciously at over the years to break and relearn. And thankfully, I've been able to do it. But I do catch myself sometimes getting so excited and so obsessed with something that it can feel all consuming.

19:55Now, not every entrepreneur who lacks boundaries is obsessed with financial gain and status, but it could be that you're too attached to others' opinions or the fear of failure, which makes you unable to unplug or let go of control, adding that long-term exhaustion and burnout. The Harvard Business Review says that despite their qualifications, those who are obsessively passionate reported a lack of focus and a difficulty in balancing other roles and responsibilities outside of work. You know, I only share stuff I'm genuinely obsessed with. And so when I kept seeing Bowling Branch sheets all over Instagram, I was like, okay, are these actually worth the hype?

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23:42I look at entrepreneurship and I look at life as like seasons and there have absolutely been busy seasons and there have also been seasons of rest. But if you're currently feeling like you've jumped on a treadmill and the speed just keeps incrementally going up and there's no emergency strap for you to pull and you're dying to jump off, then it's important that we take those cues, that knowing, and that we start to create an action plan around moving away from that. If you've identified that you're on your way to burnout city, the first step is to evaluate your options. Can you take time off? Could you delegate?

24:17Can you scale back or eliminate some of your offerings? Have some difficult but necessary conversations with clients who you're not able to serve right now? Let's talk about those last two. Scaling back, eliminating offers or services, and letting go of clients. If you are headed towards burnout or you're already feeling it, here's the reality. Something has got to give. That is the hard truth. If you're a side hustler, what might that look like? Put a date on your calendar for an entire day, weekend, or week off from your side hustle. Then arrange your work and schedule to complete all projects or fulfill orders up until that date.

24:55Say no or not right now to any new inquiries or requests that come in before that date. Keep a running list or database of all those new inquiries, even those potential clients or customers that you have to wait list or that you can't serve right now and let them know that you can't wait to connect with them after X date. Once you've reached that magical date on your calendar, which will be motivating in and of itself to see it written in bright, bold letters as the days tick by, be firm in the boundary you set for yourself. This business you've created is not going to disappear overnight. night, your success is not fleeting.