Founder Burnout: Leslie Greenwood Shares Strategies for Managing Overwhelm

In a recent LinkedIn post, Leslie Greenwood, founder of an early-stage business, shares a candid and vulnerable account of her experiences managing the intense demands of entrepreneurship while navigating ADHD, menopause brain, and anxiety. Greenwood details the overwhelming feeling of needing to focus on numerous tasks simultaneously, often finding herself able to concentrate on only one.

She highlights the common entrepreneurial trap of believing that future organization will solve present overwhelm. “It is literally impossible to do in a day what I ‘think’ I need to get done,” Greenwood states, emphasizing the need to reframe this internal dialogue.

Rethinking Productivity and Seeking Support

Greenwood outlines a four-step strategy she is implementing to combat burnout and improve her effectiveness as a founder. She stresses that even with ADHD medication, additional strategies are crucial for managing daily challenges.

Step 1: Asking for Help

The first step Greenwood advocates for is actively seeking assistance, acknowledging that it seems obvious but is often overlooked due to ingrained habits of trying to power through challenges alone. “Seems obvious but then I go back to the old ways of thinking that if I just worked harder it would be fine….not true,” she writes.

Step 2: Recognizing Limits and Stepping Away

Greenwood emphasizes the importance of knowing when to disengage. She identifies a personal cut-off time for demanding cognitive tasks, stating, “There’s a time to step away. No more productivity will come from my brain after 3 pm. I need to rest.” This recognition of mental fatigue is key to preventing further overwhelm.

Step 3: Strategic Outsourcing

Building on the idea of seeking help, Greenwood discusses outsourcing tasks that fall outside her core strengths or significantly drain her energy. This includes delegating work with numerous small details, projects without clear endpoints, and, humorously, tasks involving Google Sheets. “Outsourcing (which goes back to asking for help) things that are not my areas of genius and drain my energy,” she explains.

Step 4: Prioritizing Self-Care

Greenwood underscores the critical role of self-care, particularly for introverts who may present as extroverts. She details her need for quiet, alone time to recharge, which includes workouts, meditation, and monthly massages. Greenwood shares a recent positive experience with a sound bath, which provided a profound sense of stillness and relaxation.

“Yesterday, I participated in my first sound bath with Sarah Gardner. Wow, that was the first time my brain was still in a really long time. I felt relaxed, not just in the moment, but for the rest of the day.”

She notes the measurable impact of this practice, with her Aura Ring indicating a period of deep rest. Greenwood concludes by expressing her intention to incorporate such calming activities more frequently, recognizing their long-term benefits. “These moments of calm and stillness will pay me dividends over the course of the week,” she asserts.

Greenwood’s candidness aims to offer solidarity to others facing similar struggles, stating, “I’m being very vulnerable about this as there are others out there like me but may not have the ability to share or know they are not alone. I see you.” Her post provides valuable insights into practical strategies for managing entrepreneurial burnout through a combination of seeking support, setting boundaries, and prioritizing well-being.