I’m no stranger to burnout. It’s like anxiety in how it constantly hangs around, unwanted, giving unnecessary feedback. Sure I much rather have it not exist at all, but burnout is a part of any profession in one way or another. So here’s how I’ve learned to embrace it over the years.
First off, I’ve accepted that burnout is inevitable. It’s going to happen no matter how hard I’m motivated or passionate about what I’m doing. Sure it may become less frequent, but it can’t be avoided forever. I think once I accepted this fact, burnout stopped being so crippling. I no longer feel like a complete failure if I’m feeling burnt out, but rather that it’s just part of the cycle and I’ll be back to being motivated in no time.
I’ve also started scheduling more mental health days to try and add more distance between burnouts. I’ll take a half day off of work to do something just for fun. It helps reset the batteries, keeps me motivated, and usually has a way of inspiring me in the process.
When burnout eventually does strike, I look at it as an opportunity to try and look at things from a different perspective. I’ll try and work on another project or putz on things around the house. I find it’s when you’re not paying attention that creativity strikes. And if a great new idea doesn’t strike during burnout to jump start things again, that’s ok too. I try to remind myself why I started to remain positive and let the burnout pass.
Burnout is going to happen, especially if you’re working in a creative field that constantly demands new things from you. It’s better to embrace it rather than fight it, because burnout will win in the end. So go along for the ride, take a day off every once in a while, and don’t stress out too much (I’m talking to you Kayla in the future).
