How do you deal with severe burn out and being worn out?

Ive been doing my startup for two years and I’m severely burnt out, worn out and exhausted. I don’t want to even think about the startup right now. I need the energy to push through and try a few more things and then if that doesn’t work I’ll admit failure and move on, but I have no passion anymore and I’m dragging my feet. How can I reignite the spark and move past this extreme physical and emotional burn out and exhaustion? Taking it easy for the holidays didn’t help at all.


  • This might not be want you wanted to hear but you may have passed the burnout stage and be in the depression stage. I’ve been there. I had to stop, take antidepressant, see a psychologist and rest. It took me a good month to start feeling better and see mood changes. After 3 months I was up and running.

    Granted that you may not have the luxury to completely stop like I did but you need to take action. Start by talking to your doctor. The talk to a psychologist, work normal hours and make sure that at least take a 30-60 min walks outside every single day.

    Be careful, if you still try to bulldoze your way through it, you way be incapacitated for much longer. I know people that were stopped for over a year and are still not able to function properly still.

    Take care of you!

    • Thank you for your comment and advice! How did you not give up though? I am so worn out now it seems I’m headed there.

  • I had the same issue and ended up shutting the whole thing down. I am a bit of a workaholic by nature, so I’m perfectly happy working myself into the ground if I have something to show for it. But I didn’t, and it wasn’t worth it to continue putting so much into something that had given me nothing in return. So now, four years after deciding to do my ill-fated startup, I have another one I’m working on! It’s pretty horrible when you’re in the trenches, but life goes on.

  • It’s very important to take care of your health (eat a healthy diet, regular exercise) and also have a life outside work (eg hobbies, family time). This is essential to prevent burn out.

    Think about things to do outside work and commit to them- they may seem like time drainers but in the long term they will make you more successful.

  • Follow the age old trusted and reliable formula ” A man is known by the company he keeps”. Be surrounded by people who are positive minded, it does not matter whether they are involved in Start Up or not. Gender and age does not matter, it can even be children as young as six months to one year.
    If you are a nature lover, pl spend time in the midst of nature without your cell phone, the less the number of people the better it is, just the flora and fauna. Get into the life process of nature, the struggles it undergoes, the trees that are barren without the leaves and flowers during the winter and yet spring with life after bearing the bitter cold. Trust me, it fills you with hope and confidence. So do the animals which hibernate for months together.
    Focus on something other than the Start Up. Any subject of your interest, it can be a book, a painting or even music.
    Focus on totally unrelated topic and try to get an insight into the topic. It will will give you new ideas for your Start Up.

    And last but not the least…get going…you will cross the bridge.

  • Hi, i’ve been there.

    Just persevere, we’ve had 3 bad years and I’ve been burnt out as well.

    Try and try new things, just like what we did.

    We’re profitable now, and I’m enjoying it way more than I am expecting it.

    All the best on your startup!

  • I experienced the very same thing a few months ago.

    The answer is simple: DO WHAT YOU HAVE FUN DOING.

    Let me give you a quick example.

    I love writing. I love reading/learning. And I love design.

    I was in a writing streak when I experienced burnout. I just couldn’t write anymore. Just the idea of looking at a blank WordPress page got me ill. So what did I next?

    I started playing with the design of my website while listening to music.

    This changed my mood instantly to a happy state because I like design, and I was making the company’s website better which brings me to the final point:

    PROGRESS EQUALS HAPPINESS

    — Tony Robbins

    Your problem is lack of progress.

    You just need to ask yourself what kind of work IS work, will push your business forward, and won’t feel like work but instead as something fun.

    That’s my asnwer to you.

    God bless

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