Burnout: How to Overcome and Avoid It
Burnout can happen to anyone, in any industry, no matter how passionate you are about what you do. In fact, sometimes the more passionate you are, the more you overwork yourself without realizing, and the more susceptible you are to burnout. Writing in particular can be very emotionally and mentally taxing because writers put so much of themselves into their work.
Here are some tips to overcome burnout for when you’re feeling drained and overwhelmed:
Most importantly, take the pressure off and show yourself grace! Remind yourself that it is okay to take a morning off, take a whole day off, or even just lessen your load for a day. Maybe instead of holding yourself to knocking ten things off your to-do list, you commit to completing five things and you congratulate yourself for those five successes. Be intentionally proud not just of the things that you accomplish but also of making the choice to prioritize your mental health.
Do something completely unrelated to whatever it is that is causing your burnout. Get yourself outside, move your body, paint something, clean your workspace, do a puzzle. Do something you love or have wanted to try but have been neglecting because of work or other obligations. Unwind and slow your mind with yoga, meditation, music, or even binge watching TV.
My favorite and therefore always present step: treat yourself! Honestly, spoil yourself for a day. Acknowledge to yourself that you deserve whatever makes you feel not just good but elevated, inside and out.
Disconnect. Stay off of social media for a day and maybe even let the people close to you know that you won’t be getting back to their texts or emails for a bit. Spend some time with just yourself, without anyone else vying for your attention. Tune into your own needs and desires.
Of course, it’s better to avoid burnout altogether than to have to spend the time overcoming it. Though it’s not always entirely avoidable and it can sneak up on you, here are a few ways to try and prevent burnout:
Try and maintain balance. For every commitment to your work you make, make a commitment to yourself as well.
Institute habitual moments of “me time”, self care, and decompression. Instill things like drinking enough water, reading a chapter from a “for fun” book, or stretching into your routine so that you don’t have to think about it-you just do it.
Set “office hours” for yourself and stick to them. If your workday ends at five, try to avoid answering emails or completing tasks that come to mind later in the evening. More often than not, it can wait.
Remember: you can always start fresh when necessary. So take a breath, assess what it is you need in the moment, and then reset.
