Small business, big burnout
Why You Have to Prioritise Yourself
I’ve been a small business owner for over five years now, and I work with other small business owners every single day. One thing I see over and over again is the willingness—sometimes even the obsession—to pour every ounce of energy and time into your business.
I’ve been there too. And look, I love this business. I’m obsessed with it. But I also know I don’t want to live like this forever. My long-term goal? To scale it to a point where I’m not working six days a week, where I’m not at the gym 12 hours a day. I’m not there yet, but that’s what I’m working toward.
And the other thing I notice constantly? How damn hard it is for small business owners to prioritise themselves—especially their health.
The clients who struggle the most with consistency in training? They're not lazy or unmotivated. They’re business owners. Their schedules are unpredictable, their days aren’t Monday to Friday, 9 to 5. Things pop up. That 5 PM workout you had planned? Gone—because something urgent came up at work.
It’s a beautiful thing to care about your business. But if you’re constantly choosing work over your health, your sleep, your downtime… that’s not sustainable.
At 41, I’ve realised I’m not here to live just to work. I don’t want to spend the next 10 or 20 years busting my ass, building something great, only to end up burnt out, unhealthy, and unable to enjoy any of it. What’s the point in having money if you’ve got no time or energy to enjoy it?
I know it’s hard to switch off. I know how uncomfortable it feels to not reply to a message immediately or to miss a potential lead because you were sleeping. I used to answer every enquiry at 10 PM too. But I’ve learned that boundaries aren’t just nice—they’re essential.
Because when you consistently put your business ahead of your physical and mental health, you’ll eventually start resenting it. You’ll feel trapped in something you once loved.
And I’ve seen it. I’ve seen people skip training because of injuries, when that’s exactly why they should be coming back. I’ve watched clients cancel their own health to tend to everyone else’s needs, and I get it—it’s hard to watch because I empathise. I’m still here 60 hours a week, but I’m changing that.
Now, I don’t take clients at certain times. I don’t just say, “What works for you?” anymore. I say, “This is what I’ve got available.” And if someone wants a 6 PM session? Sorry, I started at 6 AM—I need to go home. That’s a boundary.
You also set the tone for how people treat you. If you reply to that first message at 11 PM, that client will expect it every time. But if you set the expectation early—like, “I reply within 24 hours, but not instantly”—you protect your time and energy.
This mindset applies to your workload too. Know your limits. How many jobs can you take on and still deliver them with quality?
Let’s be honest—yes, we’re here because we love what we do. But we’re also in business to make money. And that’s okay. Just make sure you’re doing it in a way that leaves you, the human behind the business, functional—healthy enough to enjoy the money and the life you’re working so hard to build.
