• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military

2

'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032

3

Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon

1

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military

2

'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032

3

Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon
CommentaryLeadership

Doing This Too Often Could Be Why You Feel So Burnt Out

By
Ryan Harwood
Ryan Harwood
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Ryan Harwood
Ryan Harwood
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 4, 2016, 9:00 PM ET
104566992
Photograph by Tom Grill via Getty Images

The Leadership Insider network is an online community where the most thoughtful and influential people in business contribute answers to timely questions about careers and leadership. Today’s answer to the question: How do you avoid burnout? is written by Ryan Harwood, CEO of PureWow.

When you’ve built something from the ground up, chances are that at one point or another you’ve done nearly every job in your company. You’re used to firing on all cylinders, all of the time. And that habit is hard to give up, but when you reach a certain point of success or growth it becomes necessary to assess whether you’re expending your energy in the right places.

If you love the people you work with, you’ll love the work you do that much more. Therefore, choosing a team that I truly enjoyed working with was paramount. Think of it this way: if you were assigned a project in college with your four best friends, you wouldn’t think, “Ugh, this sucks.” You’d think, “Okay. This could actually be really fun.” No one wants to feel like they’re going to battle every time they walk into a meeting or answer an email.

See also: What to Do When You’re Completely Overwhelmed at Work

While working with people you enjoy obviously makes things easier, it’s only half of the equation. One of the most obvious ways to conserve your energy is to hire for your weaknesses. There are going to be certain areas in which you’ll have to admit you’re lacking. A good leader recognizes this and delegates certain tasks to people they can trust to do them better. For instance, I started a digital women’s lifestyle publication. My first two hires were editorial positions because I recognized that I wasn’t one who could write a good fashion story. Attempting otherwise would not only burn me out, but also end in failure. Find new ways to do the things that you’re not as good at and get them off your plate as soon as possible. And then spend a lot of time on the things you’re really good at so you can push the company forward.

In that same vein, get comfortable saying no to things. I had a real problem with this when I first launched my company; I said yes to every meeting and every opportunity. Every. Single. Thing. And I still take on too much. But if that’s who you are, then you need to be careful not to spread yourself too thin. Figure out what you can say no to. For me, too many out-of-office meetings is exhausting. Running around from place to place, cab to cab, being on time, being late, etc. — it’s stressful. Unfortunately, that’s just the way it is. It’s part of the hustle. But being aware of that, I’m more careful about planning my schedule. Sometimes it feels good to say no.

Finally, self-care. You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it here because it truly does matter, especially when you run a company. Everyone operates differently, but I see a change in my energy level when I’m not treating my body with respect. When I’m eating well, it’s blatantly obvious because my energy level is so much higher than when I’m eating junk. Sleep? Same thing. Without at least 7 hours, I’m completely useless. Take care of your body. And don’t neglect time off. Honestly, I’m never really fully disconnected, but even being 60% connected compared to the 110% I’m used to operating on makes all of the difference. And of course, my very own personal mantra: drink tons of water. Take care of your body so that you can operate to your fullest potential. That’s the point.

About the Author
By Ryan Harwood
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Commentary

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Commentary

tim
CommentaryAirline industry
Merlin CTO: autonomy can rebuild the foundation of aviation — and national security
By Tim BurnsJune 9, 2026
17 hours ago
dewar
CommentaryLeadership
I founded McKinsey’s CEO practice: Here’s why operational excellence is a liability right now
By Carolyn DewarJune 9, 2026
18 hours ago
250
Commentary250 Years of Innovation
America turns 250. Its greatest innovation was never a product — it was a system that let anyone build one
By Keith KrachJune 7, 2026
3 days ago
retirement
CommentaryRetirement
Retiring at 62 costs the average American $250,000. Here’s the math (and the neuroscience) that explain why
By Jon SabesJune 7, 2026
3 days ago
da
CommentaryIPOs
The short seller’s argument nobody on the coming mega IPO roadshow wants you to make
By Bhaskar ChakravortiJune 7, 2026
3 days ago
bs
CommentaryCalifornia
I’ve sold property on California’s Central Coast for decades. The buyers chasing ranch and winery estates are after more than a lifestyle
By Lindsey HarnJune 6, 2026
4 days ago

Most Popular

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
Asia
Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
By Kate O'Keeffe and BloombergJune 8, 2026
1 day ago
'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032
Economy
'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032
By Nick LichtenbergJune 9, 2026
12 hours ago
Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon
Environment
Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon
By Sasha RogelbergJune 8, 2026
1 day ago
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
Success
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
By Preston ForeJune 8, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 8, 2026
2 days ago
Gen Zers are arriving at college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates
Success
Gen Zers are arriving at college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates
By Preston ForeJune 7, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.