This article comes from Entrepreneur.

4 Science-Backed Ways to Prevent Burnout

Even though startup founders have a heavy workload, finding a balance so you can avoid burnout is essential for your long-term health and success. Thankfully, a few science-backed strategies will help you avoid burnout and get better results.

1. Take a break before you feel burnout symptoms.

Though many famous entrepreneurs tout the value of working anywhere from 60 to 100 hours each week to make their business a success, research has found that this level of overwork will typically have a negative outcome in the long run. This level of chronic overwork makes you far more likely to get burned out — and it may not even help your productivity.

As an article from the Harvard Business Review reports, “In a study of consultants by Erin Reid, a professor at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business, managers could not tell the difference between employees who actually worked 80 hours a week and those who just pretended to…Reid was not able to find any evidence that those employees actually accomplished less or any sign that the overworking employees accomplished more.”

2. Find meaning in your work.

Startup founders should never chase a potential business idea just because it seems like a good money-making opportunity. To continue to be motivated over the long run, you must pursue meaningful ideas that you are truly passionate about.

This became abundantly clear during a recent email conversation with Chris Ferry, founder of Boca Recovery Centers. He explained, “I found my passion by founding an addiction treatment center because I’ve lived through addiction. I know how harmful it can be. That gives me the drive to keep doing what I do every day because the job has meaning to me. No matter what industry you’re in, finding meaning is what will help you keep going, no matter what.”

3. Spur creativity by continually learning.

Learning doesn’t stop after you graduate from school. As Adam Sinicki details for The Bioneer, the principle of neuroplasticity means that learning new things in adulthood forces your brain to make new connections. This allows it to come up with more creative solutions, drawing upon learning experiences in one area to address other challenges.

While you can certainly learn new skills that are relevant to your work to improve your neuroplasticity, this doesn’t have to be the case. Improved creative thinking can result from learning to play a musical instrument, cooking a new recipe or even memorizing a poem.

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