Entrepreneur Burnout During a “Gap Year”: The Truth about Slowing Down in Business

I’m Having a Day (And Maybe You Are Too)

I just deleted a 1,000-word email I worked really hard on.

Not because it was bad.
But because it felt fake.

I wrote about my 8-week pottery class and what it’s teaching me about perfectionism and negative self-talk. It was thoughtful. Reflective. Tied up in a neat little bow.

And completely disconnected from how I actually feel right now.

The truth?

I’m sitting here with my heart racing after waking up at 5 a.m., my brain sprinting through a to-do list longer than a CVS receipt.

And don’t forget — this is my so-called “entrepreneurial gap year.”

I even wrote about it on Substack. Big, bold declarations about slowing down. Creating space. Doing business differently.

So it would feel pretty weird to send you an email about letting go of perfection… without admitting that I’m currently squeezing myself through a barrel of my own making.

And yes. I’m the one holding the barrel.

The Hidden Side of Entrepreneur Burnout

Last week I rode the Tower of Terror in Disney World about 20 times. My business didn’t skip a beat.

That part felt magical.

Then I came home.

And the anxiety snapped back in like it never left.

I have:

• A social content shoot in New York tomorrow
• Content planning, outfits, packing, hair, nails
• Two podcast episodes to record this week (zero prep done)
• This newsletter
• My Ultimate Bundle® member newsletter
• A Substack due
• Two weeks of emails to pre-write before Peru

And about 47 other things I can’t even think about without my chest tightening.

All to create content for platforms I’m not even sure I want to be on.

This is what entrepreneur burnout actually looks like sometimes.

Not total collapse.

Not crying on the floor.

Just… the quiet hum of pressure. The constant background noise of “you should be doing more.”

The Ambitious Version of Me vs. The Tired One

There’s a version of me that dreams in email sequences.

The one who texts friends, “I just had the best funnel idea for you.”

She’s creative. Energized. A little nerdy about marketing.

And then there’s the version of me who desperately needed this gap year in the first place.

The one who is still processing the loss of both of my parents. The complicated grief that doesn’t show up on Instagram.

The one who feels burnt out. Content-cynical. Tired in a way that sleep doesn’t fix.

Both versions exist.

And they’re fighting over the calendar.

Slowing Down Is Harder Than Speeding Up

If you’re used to sprinting, slowing down feels unnatural.

Almost unsafe.

You might tell yourself:

• “I’ll rest after this launch.”
• “I just need to get ahead first.”
• “Once things calm down…”

But things don’t calm down on their own.

You calm them down.

And sometimes that means admitting you’re not nailing your own “gap year.”

It means chopping what feels urgent but isn’t actually necessary.

It means putting your phone away.

It means doing one thing that actually moves the business forward — instead of 12 things that look productive.

The Myth That It’s Easier for Other Entrepreneurs

If you’ve ever looked at me and thought:

“She has so much energy.”
“She just gets it all done.”
“She has a team, that’s why it’s smooth.”
“She has [insert thing you think I have that you don’t].”

Let me gently remind you:

You own the business.
You produce the content.
You serve the customers.

You’re responsible for everything.

Including managing yourself.

That’s the part nobody can outsource.

Not your team.
Not your systems.
Not your templates.

And definitely not your nervous system.

Perfectionism in Online Business

Funnily enough, this week’s episode of the On Your Terms® podcast is about perfectionism.

About a day when I was so overwhelmed that I made a list of everything I was trying to do perfectly.

It was… a lot.

Perfectionism in online business doesn’t always look like color-coded spreadsheets.

Sometimes it looks like:

• Over-prepping content that no one asked for
• Being on platforms you secretly resent
• Trying to be helpful 24/7
• Thinking your value only exists if you’re offering advice

I’m learning something new:

I am valuable even when I’m not helpful.

That one is stretching me.

If You’re Having a Day Too

I’m not sharing this to teach you anything.

And I’m not looking for advice (please don’t send it — my brain is full).

I’m sharing it because I never want you to think it’s smooth and effortless over here.

Sometimes it is.

Sometimes it absolutely is not.

If you’re in a season where:

• You’re building an online business
• You’re trying to slow down
• You’re navigating grief, burnout, or pressure
• You’re wondering why it feels harder than it “should”

You’re not broken.

You might just be used to sprinting.

And learning how to walk.

Links You’ll Love

 Leave a quick review of my book, When I Start My Business, I’ll Be Happy, on Amazon (apparently you can even if you didn’t buy it there or if we sent it to you as a gift.)

 Marisa Corcoran’s free LIVE copywriting class gives you the 3-part framework to whip up irresistible copy with creativity and chutzpah. Grab your seat for Marisa’s Leave ‘Em Wanting More live class→ $0 (affiliate link)

​Listen to my interview on Tori Dunlap’s Financial Feminist podcast. Roadmap to Quitting Your Job and Building a Business in 2026 with Sam Vander Wielen→