It’s that time of year again that you’ve been desperately waiting for: Q4! Just kidding. As we all know, Q4 can induce a lot of stress, anxiety, and burnout from running an Amazon business. Getting prepped for taxes, finalizing your holiday sales, and making sure you have your buy costs entered for your Inventory Valuation Report can take a toll on your mental health and well-being.

We’ve put together a list of ways to avoid burnout during Q4 so you can save your sanity for the next few months.

Take things piece by piece. As the saying goes, “Don’t bite off more than you can chew.” This applies to burnout when running a business too. Instead of worrying about the big picture and approaching everything, everywhere, all at once, take a much slower approach when managing certain aspects of your business. 

For example, instead of worrying about ALL the reports you need to access in Q4, make a list of each report you need, and collect each report as individually as you can. Making a list with due dates for retrieving these reports can be helpful too. By breaking this task into smaller pieces instead of taking an approach of “REPORTS..AHHH!” you can make the situation feel less stressful. Do not put more on your plate than you can handle at once; it’s never worth it. Knowing your limits is important to avoid burnout. 

Self-care is key. While running a business can be hectic, make sure you take time to do some self-care. Self-care is about doing things for yourself, it’s not JUST “alone time.” It should also be time to unwind and get your mind off of everyday stressors and things that may be bothering you. A time to make yourself the center of attention. Self-care can be doing a coloring book, collecting recipes you want to try, listening to music, grabbing coffee and reading a book in a cafe, or anything else that relaxes your mind and removes you from the stress of life

Here are some examples of self-care from our CC team!

“I schedule time every day to do something to recharge, like going for a walk or doing some coloring. If I put it on my schedule as an ‘appointment’, it’s much more likely to get done.” – Kelley

“For self-care, I like to let myself get lost in a game, do some calligraphy, or nap if I’m not feeling well.” – Zed

Yoshi says for self-care “I use my cats as living plushies/pillows, I treat myself to something tasty to eat that I don’t normally get so usually some sorta delivery, I listen to music that fits my mood so I feel that I am understood.”

“I either exercise or turn off my phone. Sometimes I like to do both at the same time to just fully disconnect and get the good endorphins flowing!” -Angie

“As a person with ADHD, my self-care might sound a little strange. I’m not someone that can sit completely still and just “relax.” Instead, I like to do things that have my body focusing on something simple or repetitive which allows my mind the space to slowly wind down. Coloring is great for this and one of my go-to’s. I also like trail skating for long distances or doing some kind of movement (i.e. Yoga, strength training, or dancing).” -Meg

Self-care is really about taking care of yourself first. If you’re on an airplane, you’re supposed to use the oxygen mask on yourself before thinking about others around you. 

Ask for help when you can. Never be afraid to seek help when you need it. Whether it’s hiring holiday help to assist with your business operations or reaching out to eCommerce selling groups and networks, you should always ask questions and get the help you need. While we’re not tax experts at InventoryLab, we do have some helpful articles to get you through what you need at the end of the year for tax season. 

If you decide to hire holiday help, you can now add unlimited employee accounts to your InventoryLab subscription! This includes Virtual Assistants, your prep center, sourcers, or any other type of employee you may have. 

Reward yourself and your team. You deserve to treat yourself for all your hard work during Q4, please remember to reward yourself. 

This is different from self-care, in that your rewards can be shared with your team or anyone else who has helped you along the way. Even setting small rewards for yourself as you work on Q4 goals is a great way to tackle the hardest time of the year. 

If you have a team, offering a holiday bonus is the best way to boost their morale, however, buying your team a meal or giving them gift cards are other awesome ways to reward them for their hard work.

There are so many ways to navigate stress, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Please take these suggestions into consideration while going through Q4. Good luck and happy selling!