How Entrepreneurs Can Battle Burnout, According to a Psychologist | Entrepreneur

"If you own a small business, you'll probably relate to Tracy Klopfenstein. "The first two years were the worst," says Klopfenstein, who bought a homemade ice cream shop in Goshen, Indiana, called The Chief with her husband, Chad. "We worked all the time, and I suffered burnout. My mind would spiral at night, and I'd worry about everything. I had what I would call an absence of hope.""

"Without a large staff to absorb the bumps in the road, mom-and-pop owners often feel like they're riding on the rims. This past June, the WSJ/Vistage Small Business Index showed that nearly 1 in 4 CEOs frequently felt burned out or emotionally exhausted over the past three months. In a separate survey by Startup Snapshot, 72% of founders reported that the grind affected their mental health."

"Burnout is business as usual for entrepreneurs, according to clinical psychologist Chandler Chang, whose mental health platform, Therapy Lab, offers short-term treatment based on approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy. "Your concentration starts to be affected, your ability to focus. And there's something called depersonalization, where you feel like you're not even yourself; you've become a work machine." Related: How Entrepreneurs Can Master Resilience and Protect Their Mental Health If you're feeling that way, she says, it's a sign that you need to take a break - the very thing that seems impossible to do. But at some point, breaks become necessary - for you and your business."

Many small-business owners work long hours and experience burnout, spiraling thoughts, and an absence of hope. Limited staff leaves mom-and-pop operators vulnerable to stress from day-to-day setbacks. Recent surveys show widespread emotional exhaustion: nearly one in four CEOs reported frequent burnout, and 72% of founders said the grind affected their mental health. Burnout impairs concentration, focus, and can cause depersonalization, making owners feel like work machines. Regular self-checks, short breaks, exercise, extra sleep, and adopting a curious mindset instead of catastrophic thinking can help interrupt anxiety and protect both personal well-being and business stability.

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