Managing Burnout While Balancing Side Projects

Work-life balance is the biggest lie we've told ourselves. Balance suggests equal weight at all times. But real life doesn't work like that. Sometimes work needs more. Deadlines, big projects, tight turnarounds. You sprint. You push. You deliver. Other times, life needs more. School holidays, burnout, family illness. You pause. You rest. You reset. Trying to keep both in perfect balance? That's pressure. And it's not sustainable. So stop chasing balance. Start managing your rhythm instead: 1. Know your season ↳ Are you in a sprint (high work focus) or recovery? ↳ Naming it removes guilt and helps set clear priorities 2. Plan your sprints ↳ Don’t wait for chaos, anticipate busy periods early ↳ Block time, set limits, and align with key people 3. Communicate expectations ↳ Let your team and family know what to expect ↳ Clear heads-up prevents tension and misalignment 4. Protect your recovery time ↳ Rest before your body forces you to shut down ↳ Schedule downtime like you would a deadline 5. Work with your energy, not just time ↳ Tackle complex tasks when your energy is highest ↳ Use low-energy windows for admin or rest 6. Zoom out, not in ↳ Stop chasing daily balance, it doesn’t exist ↳ Balance over weeks or months is more realistic 7. Treat rest as strategic, not a reward ↳ Recovery fuels your next sprint ↳ You don’t need to earn rest, you need to plan it Don’t force balance. Respond to what the moment asks from you. What season are you in right now? Let me know in the comments. ♻️ Repost to help others find their rhythm 👉 Follow Lauren Murrell for more like this

As someone who works 7 days a week, I have had to create weekends and strict rest periods inside my days of active work. Saturday and Sundays are more led with personal tasks but I can't fully disconnect from the mission on weekends and so day naps, strict working days of 10am-3am and working after 8pm (the kids bedtime) become a method of achieving all of my goals and commitments. My consideration for you is: Clarify your values: Reflect on what truly matters to you. Identify your core values and aspirations in both your professional and personal spheres. Understanding what is most important will help you make more aligned choices. Set boundaries: Establish clear boundaries between work and personal life. Determine specific times and spaces dedicated to work, and make a conscious effort to disconnect and engage in activities that bring you joy and fulfillment outside of work. Communicate your boundaries to colleagues, clients, and loved ones to foster respect and understanding. Prioritise self-care: Taking care of yourself is crucial for maintaining overall well-being. Prioritise self-care activities that recharge and rejuvenate you, such as exercise, quality sleep, hobbies, and spending time with loved ones. Remember that self-care is not selfish; it enables you to show up as your best self in all areas of life. Assess your workload: Evaluate your workload and responsibilities realistically. Be mindful of taking on too much and learn to delegate or say no when necessary. Recognise that you have limitations, and it is essential to avoid burnout by finding a sustainable balance between productivity and rest. Foster open communication: Engage in open and honest communication with your employer, colleagues, and loved ones about your work-life balance priorities. Clearly express your needs and concerns, and seek solutions that accommodate both personal and professional commitments. Collaborative dialogue can lead to mutually beneficial arrangements. Embrace flexibility: Explore opportunities for flexible work arrangements, such as remote work, flexible hours, or compressed workweeks. Flexibility can help create more space for personal pursuits and enable a better integration of work and life responsibilities. Practice mindfulness and presence: Cultivate mindfulness by being fully present in the present moment, whether you are at work or engaged in personal activities. By focusing on the task at hand, you can enhance productivity, reduce stress, and derive greater enjoyment from your experiences. Regularly reassess and adjust: Recognise that work-life balance is a dynamic process. Regularly assess your approach, considering your changing circumstances and priorities. Adjust your choices and commitments accordingly to maintain a harmonious equilibrium over time.

The harsh truth? You chose big goals, so you can't expect it to be easy. Your feeling overwhelmed, I get that. Here’s the good news: ↳ It means you’re on the right track. Your plate is full... that’s a sign of ambition. But burnout is real. And you can’t afford to ignore it. If you handle your workload wisely you: ↳ Protect your well-being. ↳ And set yourself up for sustainable success. Here are 5 simple strategies that helped me: 1. Gratitude: Why it matters: → It rewires your brain to focus on positives. → It turns challenges into growth opportunities. → It keeps you grounded in the chaos. How to: Morning Reflection: • Write down 3 things you’re grateful for. Gratitude in the Moment: • Pause and find something to be thankful for. End-of-Day Recap: • Review your day and note what went well.   2. Prioritization: Why it’s crucial: → Not every task is of equal importance. → Effective leaders focus on what matters most. How to: The Eisenhower Matrix: • Divide tasks into Urgent and Important categories. • Use Trello or Asana for task management. The 80/20 Rule: • Identify the tasks that drive results. • Use data analytics to track true impact. Time Blocking: • Allocate time for high-priority tasks. • Use Google Calendar to protect those blocks.   3. Delegation: Why it’s key: → You can’t do it all—nor should you. → Trusting your team lightens your load. How to: Identify Strengths: • Know your team’s strengths and weaknesses. • Assign tasks using Slack or Teams. Communicate Clearly: • Provide clear instructions and expectations. • Use project management tools for clarity. Follow Up, Not Micromanage: • Check in to offer support as needed. • Use task tracking to monitor progress.   4. Mindset: Why it matters: → The journey is mental as well as physical. → Being positive turns obstacles into stepping stones. How to: Reframe Challenges: • See obstacles as learning opportunities. • Use e-learning platforms to upskill. Visualize Success: • Spend time visualizing your goals daily. • Map out steps with visualization apps. Practice Self-Compassion: • Be kind to yourself when things falter. • Reflect using digital journals.   5. Balance: Why it’s non-negotiable: → Sustained success requires both hard work and rest. → A burned-out leader can’t lead effectively. How to: Set Boundaries: • Define clear working hours and stick to them. • Use RescueTime to manage screen time. Prioritize Health: • Make time for exercise, sleep, and health. • Use fitness trackers to meet goals. Schedule Downtime: • Plan breaks and vacations as you would meetings. • Relax with apps like Calm or Headspace.   Now, it's time to put them to use. Because you can cry about having a lot on your plate... But you don't have to. What’s one tool that helps you manage a full plate? 👇 Share your tips in the comments!

Your hustle has a speed limit. Balance and ambition? That's the sweet spot. Most people try to “balance” work and life by cramming them together. I did that for years. Constantly rearranging. Constantly overwhelmed. It never worked. The shift came when I stopped forcing work into one box. Now I treat my time, skills, and passions like an investment portfolio. It's built to grow joy, protect health, and deliver results. Here’s what that looks like: - Stability from diverse projects and income streams. - Growth from experimenting with new ways of working. - Fulfillment from decisions grounded in self-awareness. My portfolio includes: 1. Workshops, writing, collaboration (impact at scale). 2. Exploratory sprints (new programs, projects, and products). 3. One-on-one client work (deep transformation, pure purpose). Each lane connects to my core goal: Dismantling burnout culture. Swipe my re-balance process: ✅ Define what you want most. ✅ Ask yourself why 5-7 times to anchor motivation. ✅ Audit your time with radical honesty. ✅ Spend 80% of your time on your mission. Make it sustainable: ✅ Set and hold your boundaries. ✅ Map your natural energy drivers. ✅ Build, test, and refine your unique plan. ✅ Adjust when life throws you inevitable curves. This isn’t a lack of focus. It’s the long game. Build a career and life that fuels you. Balance ambition without burning out. If you want work to fit your life: - Pick a mission that gives you purpose. - Experiment with different lanes that work for you. - Focus the majority of your time on those projects. 💬 What’s one thing that would put you closer to the speed of balance? Follow Emily Parcell for more like this and ♻️ share to help others make the shift.

Burnout isn't about workload. It's about performance. And I don't mean your results. — A VP I worked with nearly quit. Not because the job was too much. But because the performance was. She wasn't lazy. She wasn't weak. She was exhausted from being "on" all day. That's not personality mismatch. That's culture misfit. Cambridge research confirms it: Introverts who act extroverted to succeed Pay for it with their well-being. The painful twist? It works. They get promoted faster. But the cost is massive. You don't have to choose between success and sanity. Five ways to protect your energy without sacrificing your career: 1. 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗼 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 → Block a 1h slot daily as "Strategic Work" → No one questions strategy time → Use it to reset, not just to work — 2. 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 You don't win by being everywhere You win by being essential → Choose 3 high-leverage meetings → Send notes for the rest → Stay visible without being present — 3. 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 Extroversion has a shelf life → Leave events at 80%, not zero → Walk for 5 minutes after calls → Say "I need to think on this" instead of answering fast — 4. 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 If success requires acting The system (and not you) is broken → Propose async updates → Document your wins → Let results speak louder than airtime — 5. 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 People with side projects report 30% higher well-being → Start the newsletter → Mentor someone who gets it → Build where depth beats volume — That VP? She pitched a hybrid analyst role to her boss Less client meetings, more strategic thinking Same title, new structure Six months later, promoted to SVP Not for pretending But for being seen doing what she does best Her biggest energy leak? Weekly stand-ups. Now she sends a Monday update instead. You don't need to act to advance You need systems that help you last — ♻️ Repost or save if you're done trading performance for peace 📬 Want more like this? Follow my newsletter for weekly energy and career strategies: https://lnkd.in/e2Yn259g

The world never stops spinning. New trends, technologies, and demands rise faster than ever. It's easy to feel pressure to keep up, to constantly be working, and to sacrifice personal time in the name of work. But the reality is, that truly great work doesn't have to come at the cost of a fulfilling personal life. So, how do we find that elusive balance? It's all about smart strategies. First, prioritize. Not everything needs your immediate attention. Learn to differentiate between urgent tasks that need you now and important tasks that can be tackled later. Focus on what truly moves the needle for your work, and delegate or reschedule the rest. Efficiency is our friend. Streamline your workflow. Use technology to automate repetitive tasks, and leverage time management techniques to maximize your focus during work hours. Clear communication is key, both with colleagues and family. Set expectations, delegate tasks, and let people know when you need dedicated time to focus. Finally, schedule your life! Block out time for work, family, hobbies, and even self-care. Treat these appointments with the same respect you would a client meeting. Disconnecting to recharge is also crucial. Taking breaks isn't a sign of weakness, it's essential for maintaining focus and avoiding burnout.  Switch off notifications and truly disconnect during personal time. My logic is simple. When you prioritize your well-being and personal commitments, you'll return to work feeling energized and ready to tackle any challenge.

As entrepreneurs, we wear multiple hats We also have countless priorities competing for our time and energy. And since we’re passionate about our startups - so we end up sacrifice our health, relationships and “me time". Balancing our enthusiasm and creativity in both personal and professional aspects is crucial for avoiding burnout. In my eventful decade in startups, I've found 4 key practices to maintain this balance: 1. Setting Priorities and Boundaries: Committing to work is essential, but I've learned to reserve specific times, like evenings and weekends, exclusively for family. This non-negotiable boundary ensures quality time with loved ones. 2. Carving Out Personal Time: Incorporating simple activities like reading, introspection, or exercise into my schedule has helped bring calmness to my mind and provided a much-needed energy boost. 3. Self-Care Habits for Sustainability: Prioritizing my health through proper nutrition, regular exercise, meditation, and sufficient sleep has been a significant learning. These self-care practices enhance resilience, enabling me to tackle the challenges of being a founder. 4. Managing Energy Across Roles: Balancing intense work with downtime is key. I've learned to pace myself and use tools like delegation and task batching to prevent energy drain. 5. Taking breaks:  While dedication to our startups is vital, success loses meaning without harmony across all aspects of our lives. That's why I've learned that taking a deliberate break is just as crucial as meeting a big deadline or closing a huge deal. And the end of the year offers the perfect opportunity to pause and devote focused time to restoring ourselves. I highly recommend entrepreneurs take at least a few weeks off over the holidays to completely detach from work. Remember - Fine-tuning our personal well-being is as important as pursuing our professional ambitions. I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on how you balance priorities as an entrepreneur. What strategies work for you? #entrepreneurship #worklifebalance #personalcare #entrepreneurlifestyle #kindlife #startupecosystem

This is most of us when it comes to work, We take more things on our plate and then we burnout 🥲 I've been there, trust me. Taking every project, saying yes to every meeting, and then wondering why I feel exhausted all the timeeeee and I wanted to quit. Here are the things that actually helped me avoid burnout: ✅ Block 2–4 hours of uninterrupted design time daily (no meetings, no slack!) ✅ Say no to meetings where you're not actively contributing (your time is valuable and tbh it drains your enegery) ✅ Ask for async feedback instead of live reviews (saves SO much time) ✅ Focus on outcomes, not artifacts (good enough is often enough, design, test and iterate) ✅ Document decisions so you're not re-explaining work again and again and aginnnn ✅ Define working hours and stick to them (seriously, log offff!) ✅ Push back on unrealistic timelines BEFORE work starts (not after you're drowning and you need help) ✅ Avoid being the "yes designer" (you're not responsible for everyone's happiness) ✅ Separate critique of work from critique of self ✅ Take real vacations (no you can't check slack, delete the work apps from you phone if possible) ✅ Move your body Your mental health > any project deadline 🫶🏻 PS: What's your go to strategy to avoid burnout? Let me know in the comments! 💬

Building a business is exciting... until it’s exhausting. Let’s talk about something most entrepreneurs don’t: The emotional toll of building your business. The late nights. The uncertainty. The moments of doubt when you wonder, “Did I make the right choice?” Entrepreneurship is exhilarating, but it’s also overwhelming. And too often, we push through, telling ourselves, “This is just temporary.” A client of mine said this recently... “It’s really easy to get overloaded or burned out… telling yourself, ‘This is just short term,’ until you realize you’ve been saying it for 18 months.” Here’s the reality: • 72% of entrepreneurs experience mental health challenges, including burnout and anxiety (Source: Gallup). • Among business owners, 50% work more than 50 hours per week, despite wanting more work-life balance (Source: Small Business Trends). The risk if this problem goes unaddressed: 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘁: Overwork leads to decreased creativity and diminished results. 𝗗𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀: Your health and connections suffer when work takes over. 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲: If you’re not at your best, neither is your business. Here’s how to avoid burnout and prioritize balance as an entrepreneur: 𝗥𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀. Success isn’t about working 24/7. It’s about creating impact while honoring your well-being. 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗕𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀. Block off time for rest, family, and hobbies. Treat these commitments as sacred as client deadlines. 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲. Identify tasks you can hand off or streamline. Free your time for high-value work and self-care. 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺. Surround yourself with mentors, peers, or coaches who understand the entrepreneurial journey. Entrepreneurship isn’t about sacrificing your life for your work. It’s about building something meaningful—without losing yourself in the process. Struggling to find balance? Download our 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿’𝘀 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝗸𝗶𝘁 to create boundaries, avoid burnout, and thrive in your business. How do you get it? Post "Wellness" below -or- DM me and I'll send it to you.

Burnout usually isn’t about working too hard. (That’s almost always part of it - but it’s more complicated than that) The most common culprit that I see in myself and others is that you’re not only working hard, but you're consistently working outside of your “flow” state. Let me explain. When you’re working through a problem, you want its challenge level to roughly align with your skill level — otherwise, there’s a mismatch. For example, if you’re highly skilled in a particular area, tackling an easy challenge can be incredibly dull. What’s more problematic, however, is trying to take on a task that requires much more than your current skill level can comfortably support. Working AT THE EDGE of your capacity can be incredibly rewarding — you get engrossed in a problem, you feel like you’re making progress on it (and yourself) and that’s where growth happens. But being in way too deep? Staying in that overwhelming zone too long can be insanely draining and undermine your confidence. This creates stress, frustration, and eventually… burnout. However - this zone is a zone that many founders and leaders often feel like they have to spend time in because there is no-one else to solve the issues. So what’s the solution? Be self aware — You need to recognise that you’re working on something that you don’t know how to do (yet) and you are outside of your flow state. This can be very difficult, especially if you’re working 60/70/80 hour weeks, when it’s hard to recognise that you’re drowning in a problem — but it is critical. It allows you to feel less anxious about it, and sets you on a path to working towards a more creative solution. Reframe the challenge — Instead of just trying to solve the problem, focus on how you can set yourself up to solve it — through support, learning, or collaboration. This won’t necessarily be easy, but I have found this simple reframe to be much better than continuing to bang my head against the wall. Take breaks seriously — This feels incredibly obvious, but it’s the truth. When you’re trying to solve a difficult (and important problem), it’s easy to feel like you should always be working on it. Taking time-off, whether it’s weekends or holidays or even a few hours, and using this time to truly step away can give you the space and clarity that you need to either solve the problem yourself, or take some useful steps towards getting it solved. There have been many times that a seemingly intractable problem got solved while I was on a long walk, or chatting about something else at the pub, or doing the dishes. We’re over halfway through the year now, so it’s a great time to do some self evaluation! Are you banging your head on something that is fundamentally outside of your flow state?