According to a recent survey of small business owners, 42% of respondents report experiencing burnout, especially after navigating entrepreneurship through two years of a pandemic. Furthermore, 53% of business owners say burnout hinders them from succeeding in their business—just one of the reasons why it’s so important to understand the signs and causes of burnout and how to avoid burnout in the first place.
In this article, written by staff at Shopify, they will dive deeper into what burnout is, cover a few major symptoms of burnout, and provide you with a list of tips for burnout prevention.
What is burnout?
Burnout is a medical disorder that is the result of excessive and prolonged stress. The term was first coined in the 1970s by psychologist Herbert Freudenberger. Shortly after, professor Christina Maslach became one of the foremost researchers on the phenomenon, helping shed light on its full impact and implications.
Although “burnout” is a common buzzword these days, legitimate burnout can cause severe mental and physical health issues. For instance, Arianna Huffington collapsed due to severe exhaustion and burnout two years after creating The Huffington Post, breaking her cheekbone and requiring four stitches by her right eye.
