Have you been feeling overwhelmed as a solopreneur? This article will show you how to set realistic business hours around your life and responsibilities to reduce burnout and reclaim balance.

background image with a little boy on the right, seen from the back, blowing bubbles in a garden that is surrounded by trees in the late afternoon sun. In the middle, the words "how much time can you realistically dedicate to your business.

how much Are You Actually Available to Work on Your Business?

If you're constantly overwhelmed or falling behind, here's a question that might change everything:

How much time can you realistically dedicate to your business?

Not the ideal. Not what you wish you had.

What do you actually have, right now, based on your life, your responsibilities, your energy?

For me, this was the number one shift that reduced my overwhelm.

The Mistake That Burnt Me Out

I used to be terrible for thinking I had more time than I actually do.

After my third baby was born in 2023, I returned to working 40 hours per week. Ok, that’s normal I hear you say. Yes, on paper, it is, except initially I only had 5 hours of childcare per week.

You can do the maths. It’s no wonder I burned out fast.

Now, I increased my childcare to 15 hours a week and adapted my working hours to my business hours. Let me tell you, the difference is massive! I’m less stressed, more focused, and most importantly, no longer carrying that crushing mum guilt.

How I Rebuilt My Week Around Real Life

The number one thing I did to reduce my overwhelm? I got realistic about how much work I could actually do.

Let me show you how…

First, I worked out how many childcare hours I had: My older two children were at school for 6 hours Monday to Friday, and baby was at the childminder Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday - 09:30-14:30.
Time for life: I decided to have Monday’s and Friday’s off work to spend with baby and catch up with housework. So, realistically I had 5 hours x 3 days to work completely on my own.
Commuting, lunch and dog walking: It takes about 15 minutes to drive from the childminders’ house to home. So that’s 30 minutes per day that I was losing instantly. Then, I had to factor in my lunch break. I gave myself 30 minutes to feed myself, the dogs and let them out. So now I’m down to 4 hours per day.

Available time to work : 4 hours per day x 3 days = 12 hours per week.

Instead of aiming for 40 hours (and constantly falling short), I accepted that 12 hours/week was my true baseline. And suddenly… things felt doable. I’m much happier (even though I’m earning less money) because I’m not overwhelmed.

And that is key!

My work won’t always be like this. Baby will eventually go to school and I’ll have longer to work on my business. But right now, this works for me.

How to Apply This to Your Business

Here’s how you can reset your expectations and reduce overwhelm.

You’ve got to work out what works for you, right now, and be realistic. You can always review it when/ if things change for you.

1. Start with a Blank Calendar

Open your planner or digital calendar. Look at the week or month ahead. Mark school hours, appointments, non-negotiables (rest, family time, health)

2. Calculate Your Actual Hours

Factor in commutes or transitions, breaks (yes, real ones), mental buffer time… You’ll probably find you have less time than you thought, and that’s okay.

3. Set Boundaries That Protect You

Ask yourself: What days or hours are off limits for work? When do you need rest? Are weekends sacred?

One of my own boundaries is: no work on weekends. It’s protected time for family and rest, and it’s an essential part of what makes my workdays more focused.

And if your schedule changes week to week?

Instead of looking at one perfect “routine,” try zooming out to the month. Note holidays, life admin days, and shifting energy levels.

You might even want to build a system where you plan each week on Sunday night or Monday morning with intention.

You Don’t Need More Time. You Need Clarity.

What I want you to know is that you’re not failing because you don’t have as much time as you thought you had, or as you think you should have in order to run a successful online business. Your real struggle isn’t really with how much time you have or don’t have. It’s with how much you’re expecting of yourself.

Start from where you are. That’s how you’ll be able to design your business to fit your life, not the other way around.

Free Resource: Reduce the Overwhelm

It’s so easy to fall into the trap of thinking we should be doing more.

But your business doesn’t need you to hustle. When you get clear on what’s truly available to you right now, you can stop chasing unrealistic expectations and start building a business that actually fits your life.

This is one of the kindest things you can do for yourself, and one of the smartest things you can do for your business.

If you’d like some support with this, I’ve created a free guide to help you take the pressure off and reclaim some breathing room:

How to Reduce Overwhelm and Find Calm in Your Creative Business

It’s filled with small, sustainable steps that make a real difference.

And then let me know: how many hours do you really have to work on your business? And what would change if you gave yourself permission to work within those hours?

Speak soon,

How much time can you realistically work on your business?