Are you on a path to burnout?

We hear a lot about burnout these days.  Our jobs, family obligations, personal stress, and life, in general, creates a hectic and sometimes toxic environment.  Sometimes the stress of it all is overwhelming. 

Many vacation rental owners are managing their rentals in addition to working a full-time job.  As you know, it takes a lot of effort and time, even when things are going smoothly.  Frustrations creep in.  Trust me; you’re not alone.

Are you letting the stress steal your passion for being a hospitable host to your guests?  

It’s easy to take your frustrations out on a guest,  especially when it’s a demanding guest.  I urge you to step back and refocus.  Piling those frustrations into an already tense guest experience will only make things worse.

In fact, when you’re in a stage of burnout, the effects could be dire for a successful short-term rental business.  High-quality guest hospitality is difficult to provide when you just aren’t feeling up to the task. 

Guests can sense your lack of enthusiasm.  That could lead to the guest seeking a booking elsewhere, bad reviews, or even confrontation.

In this article, I will give you some tips for preventing guest hosting burnout and also inspire you to refocus on reigniting your hospitality passion.

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Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms of Guest Hosting Burnout

Before we get into what you can do to prevent guest hosting burnout, we should know the signs for recognizing when potential burnout is becoming an issue.

It’s normal to have some of the symptoms of burnout occasionally when we’re having a bad day.  But if these symptoms are plaguing you more days than not, it’s time to make some changes.

As you assess the emotional and physical signs of burnout listed below, take notice of any signs you recognize in your own feelings or behavior.

Emotional Signs

• Loss of motivation to provide high-quality hospitality
• Negative feelings towards guests or the rental business
• Lack of interest in communicating with guests
• Boredom or disinterest in making property/amenity updates and improvements
• Feeling stuck, trapped, or dissatisfied 
• Feeling frustrated, anxious, or angry

Physical Signs

• Unusual disorganization with paperwork, booking requests, guest responses, and rental tasks
• Forgetfulness related to guest needs, bookings, and other business tasks
• Incomplete projects
• Lack of presence and interaction on social media vacation rental sites and groups
• Dread and anxiety when dealing with rental tasks or guests 

Preventing Guest Hosting Burnout

Now that you know the signs to watch for, it will be easier to create habits and systems that will help you prevent guest hosting burnout.

Know Your “Why”

One of the best ways to prevent burnout is to know your “why” and reference it often. 

Your “why” is your purpose. 

When you know and understand your purpose for starting a short-term rental business, then you’ll become more passionate about it.

When you know your why, the things you do have more meaning.  Meaningful tasks are much easier to tackle than those that feel useless. 

Assess your daily tasks and how they relate to your “why.”   When your why is fresh in your mind, you’ll become more optimistic about performing the tasks.

Give Back

Giving back is another approach for preventing guest hosting burnout.  Being compassionate to others builds a sense of purpose for ourselves.  The act of giving boosts our humility and generates feelings of fulfillment. 

There are plenty of ways to give back, and it doesn’t have to be something you do with every guest.  Spontaneous generosity is usually the most genuine.

• Offer a free night giveaway to a local fundraiser
• Offer a complimentary early check-in or late check-out
• Provide a gift card to a local restaurant
• Leave some rose petals on the bed for an anniversary couple
• Donate to a local charity
• Volunteer your time at the local chamber of commerce or department of tourism

Helping others takes our minds off of our own needs and frustrations.  

Develop New Business Relationships

Make a point to reach out to local businesses and colleagues.  New relationships can be an opportunity for expanding your business knowledge. 

Discuss ways to partner with local businesses and share referrals.  Mutual sharing and interacting with social media content provides increased exposure to potential guests.

Join new Facebook groups where short-term rental owners hang out.  Getting involved in the conversations provides validation for your frustrations and lets you know you aren’t alone.  When you see others struggling, provide assistance when you have some sound advice.  Give as much as you expect to get from the groups you join.

Consider becoming a member of your local Chamber of Commerce or Department of Tourism.  Being an active member of these organizations helps to add credibility to your business, and it can provide some valuable relationship opportunities.

Reigniting Your Hospitality Passion

Passion is an essential factor in achieving your goals.  Without passion, there is no drive to do the things necessary to succeed.

Passion breeds success. 

Recalling Your Purpose

Reflect back on when you were first starting to think about having a short-term rental.   Journal your answers to these questions and review them periodically.

• What ideas excited you then? 
• What changes and updates were you excited to make to your space to prepare for renting?
• How did it feel to create a clean, comfortable, inviting space for your guests?
• What were your feelings and emotions when you had your first guest?
• What did your first 5 star review say?
• Who has been your favorite guest, and why?

Set New Goals

Get excited again about your business by setting new goals. 

Having something to look forward to will make your challenge more exciting.  

This article will help you get a system in place for not only setting your goals, but actually achieving them!

Skip the article and go straight for the Triple Target Goal Grabber download!

Reflect on Accomplishments

Look through your notes from when you first started planning your short-term rental.  Reflect on the accomplishments.

Think about new ideas for making your guests’ stay more hospitable.  Start planning to implement those ideas in the upcoming months.

Here are a few areas of your business where you can analyze your accomplishments.  

• Income trends
• Booking trends
• Marketing accomplishments and successful strategies
• Social media analytics
• Website success

Each time you reflect on your accomplishments, you are helping prevent guest hosting burnout.  

Delegate Tasks & Take Time Off

Recognize that you can’t do it all, all of the time.

If you self-manage, do your own cleaning, meet with every guest, and manage all your maintenance, it is no wonder you’re reading this article.  You need help.

Don’t be afraid to ask some of your family, friends, or neighbors to help out occasionally.  Have a list of trusted people you can ask for help when you need it.

As I mentioned above, building new relationships with fellow owners and local businesses is important.  Consider developing a shared system of local owners who can trade tasks based on availability and skillset.  

We all need a vacation.  Recognize when you’re getting to the place of overwhelm and check out for a few days.  Call on your back-up system to fill in for a few days.  You can return the favor.

If  shared tasks with local owners aren’t an option, create a network of other locals who can step in when needed.  Have a list of cleaners, plumbers, electricians, lawn maintenance, and others who can perform the tasks you usually do.

Whether it is a much overdue vacation or an illness that has you sidelined, you’ll have greater peace of mind knowing you have a back-up plan in place.

Learn a New Skill

One of the most successful ways of reigniting passion is learning a new skill.  

When we challenge ourselves, it sparks a passion for succeeding.  Learning new skills builds confidence and boosts the desire to put those skills into use.  

Start by choosing a topic that is of interest to you.  Bonus points if the top is one that will help you reach a goal in your business.

My Social Media Marketing Bootcamp for Vacation Rental Owners is a great place to start!  This course is made specifically for vacation rental owners, like you.