With the wide variety of side hustles available, many of which can be done from home, it’s no surprise that at least 39% of Americans now report having a side hustle.
Although many side hustlers work on their projects outside of a standard job, it’s not uncommon to have multiple side hustles going at once. However, it’s essential to do this sustainably and to look after your physical and mental health to reduce the chance of burnout. Here’s how.
1. Know Your Limits
It’s essential to be honest with yourself. Consider how much time you have available to run your side hustles, especially if you’re also balancing a job. Knowing your limits and capacity can help you plan your week, preventing you from “biting off more than you can chew”.
If you freelance, know how many clients you can take on before you hit your limit, or need to hire another person to help with the workload.
2. Time Box Your Side Hustles
Time boxing can help you get organized and disciplined when juggling multiple endeavors simultaneously.
One way to do this is to set specific days or times to work on your side hustle. Set aside a couple of evenings a week, from 7 pm to 9 pm, when the kids have gone to sleep, or on the weekend when you have a whole day to focus. Or, it might be whenever you’re feeling the most creative.
Whatever time you set aside to do your side hustle, make sure you have a cutoff point at night. Not getting enough rest can be a key driver of burnout. Choose a cutoff time and stick to it—especially for those who work with clients and feel the need to reply to emails at any time of day or night!
3. Prioritize The Biggest Revenue Driver
There are many types of online businesses and income streams available to pick up as a side hustle. It’s easy to get pulled in different directions, thinking the grass is greener on the other side. But it’s important to focus on the most significant revenue drivers, if making more money is one of your goals.
Make sure to prioritize your full-time role, or whatever venture is your primary source of revenue. This is particularly important if you still rely on your full-time job’s salary to pay your bills and everyday living costs.
From there, pinpoint what brings in the next biggest ROI, and focus on that in your hours outside of work.
4. Sort Out Your Side Hustle Admin
Running a side hustle (or two) as well as working a job can mean a lot of juggling of paperwork and admin. However, tracking these is critical – especially your finances – for less confusion and headaches now and down the track. Implement systems and automations that can streamline this, so you can get back to spending your energy on your creative endeavors.
5. Remember To Have A Personal Life
Finally, remember to carve out time for your health, friends and family, and personal downtime. While it’s admirable to be working on multiple side hustles, it’s not worth it if you’re running yourself into the ground and losing all human connection. The good news is, taking the time to reconnect and recharge can help boost your productivity when you get back to your side hustles later.