Conquering Burnout as a Creative Entrepreneur - The Ultimate Survival Guide
So you've been working hard on your new business venture, but lately, you've been feeling more and more exhausted. You're not sure what's wrong, but you just can't seem to muster up the same creative energy and enthusiasm that you once had. If this sounds familiar, you may be experiencing burnout.
It's no secret that being a creative entrepreneur can be challenging. You often have to juggle a million different things at once, and it's easy to feel overwhelmed. But when you add burnout into the mix, things can quickly become a mess. Burnout can cause all sorts of problems for creatives, including decreased productivity, and creativity which can make you feel bad about yourself and cast a shadow on everything you're working so hard to achieve.
It's not fun, but the good news is that there are things you can do to conquer this beast. As an artist running my own business, I've dealt with burnout on more than one occasion, and I've learned a thing or two about how to overcome it. In this post, I'm going to share my best tips for dealing with burnout so that you can stay productive and keep your business running smoothly without sacrificing your mental health.
What Is Burnout And How It Can Affect You
Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich
Before we get into how to deal with burnout, it's important to understand what it is. Burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion that is caused by prolonged or excessive stress. It can make you feel like you're running on empty, and it can be difficult to recover from if you don't take the time to address it.
Burnout can affect anyone, but it's especially common among creative entrepreneurs. This is because we often put a lot of pressure on ourselves to be constantly creative and productive. We also tend to wear many hats and juggle a lot of different responsibilities, which can be overwhelming.
If you're starting to feel burnt out, it's important to take action before it gets worse.
I don't want to sound dramatic, but I know what it is like to experience extreme burnout and I don't want you to have to go through one more minute of this modern-day torture than necessary.
Signs You May Be Experiencing Burnout
If you're dealing with burnout, you may be feeling any combination of the following symptoms:
Exhaustion (both mental and physical)
Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
Loss of motivation or interest in things that you once enjoyed
Feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, or worthlessness
Increased anxiety or depression
Irritability or impatience
Severe artist block and lack of creativity
Social withdrawal
If you're experiencing any of these "delightful" symptoms, it's a good indicator that you're dealing with burnout and you need to take some steps to recover. Keep reading for my best tips on how to do just that.
Causes of burnout for creative entrepreneurs
Burnout can hit you from all angles when you're running your own business. Here are some of the most common causes of burnout among creative entrepreneurs:
1. Doing too much yourself
When you're first starting out, it's easy to try to do everything yourself. You wear all the hats, and you try to juggle all the balls. But eventually, this will catch up with you, and you'll start to feel overwhelmed.
2. Working too hard
Working hard is a good thing, but there's a fine line between working hard and working too hard. When you're so focused on your work that you're neglecting your personal life, it's easy to start feeling burnt out.
3. Putting too much Pressure On Yourself
One of the biggest causes of burnout is putting too much pressure on yourself. We often expect ourselves to be constantly creative and productive, and we beat ourselves up when we don't meet those expectations.
4. Not taking care of yourself
When you're running your own business, it's easy to let self-care fall by the wayside. But you are the cornerstone of your business, so if you don't take good care of yourself, your business will suffer too.
5. Comparing yourself to others
Are you constantly comparing your success (or lack thereof) to others? If so, you're setting yourself up for burnout. Comparing yourself to others is a recipe for disaster, because you can never truly know what someone else is going through.
6. Trying to do it all
We live in a society that tells us we can have it all, but the truth is, we can't. When we try to do too much, we spread ourselves too thin, and we end up feeling overwhelmed.
I could go on, but I think you get the point. If any of these sound familiar, it's a good indicator that you're at risk for burnout.
How to Recover From Burnout As a Creative
Now that we've gone over some of the signs and causes of burnout, let's get to the juicy part: how to recover from it.
1. Take a Break
The very first thing you need to do when you're feeling burnt out is to take a break. It doesn't matter how big or small the break is, just take some time for yourself. Step away from your business and take some time to relax and recharge. Rest is the water that quenches the burnout fire. It is your first line of defence against burnout, and you can't skimp on it if you want to recover.
If you are internally screaming that you have a million things to do and no time for a break, I understand. But I promise you, taking a break will actually help you be more productive in the long run.
Resting restores our physical and mental energy, but it also gives us the chance to come back to our work with fresh eyes. We can approach our work with a new perspective and creative solutions when we've had a chance to step away from it for a bit.
Removing your attention from your work also engages your subconscious mind to problem solve for you (Hello delegating!) so, if it helps you step away from your desk, you can tell yourself you are still working while taking that stroll in nature or taking that well-deserved break.
2. Set Some Boundaries
Now that you put out some of the burnout's fire, it is time to make sure you start cutting out the fuel supply. One of the best ways to do this is to set some clear boundaries between your work life and your personal life. When you're running your own business, it's easy to let work take over your life. But it's important to have a healthy balance between work and play.
Set some office hours for yourself and stick to them. When you're not working, don't allow yourself to think about work. This is easier said than done, I know, but it's important to give your mind (and body) a break from work.
You should also set boundaries with the people in your life. Let your family and friends know that you're not available to talk during certain hours. This will help prevent interruptions when you're trying to work, and it will also help the people in your life respect your time and boundaries.
3. Simplify Your Life
One of the best ways to reduce stress and avoid burnout is to simplify your life. Get rid of anything that's adding unnecessary stress or complexity to your life. If there's something in your business that's not working, streamline it or get rid of it altogether.
When I was struggling with burnout, I realized that I had taken on too many responsibilities in my business. I was trying to do everything myself, and it was overwhelming. So, I decided to streamline my business by outsourcing some of the tasks that were taking up too much of my time.
This helped me to focus on the things that were truly important, and it took a lot of the pressure off. It also helped me to delegate some of the tasks that I wasn't good at or didn't enjoy doing.
Since I work at home I also streamlined my home life, I took as many chores as possible off my plate, outsourced all the tasks I could, and subscribed to a healthy meal service, so I didn't have to cook lunch n the middle of my work day. This freed up my time so that I could focus on my business and my health.
4. Get organized
Part of simplifying your life is getting organized. When you're more organized, you can spend less time looking for things or on productive procrastination tasks and more time doing the things you love.
This is the one step that was a game-changer for me. I used to be a total hot mess, and my desk (and desktop) was always cluttered with half-finished projects. But when I built a system for running my business, everything changed, not only did the burnout fade away, but I also gained some much-needed clarity, which transformed into less work and more profit.
Using a system to organize every aspect of your work might seem restrictive or daunting, but it's actually quite freeing. Once you have a system in place, you can simply follow the steps and trust that it will work. A structured system gives you the freedom to focus on one thing at a time, and to stay on top of everything without feeling overwhelmed and lost.
5. Set Some Goals
When you're running your own business, it's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day tasks and lose sight of your long-term goals. This can lead to burnout because you feel like you're not making any progress.
One way to prevent this is to set some goals for yourself and your business, and then break them down into smaller, manageable steps. When you have a goal to work towards, it's easier to stay motivated and to keep moving forward, even when the going gets tough.
It's also important to celebrate your accomplishments along the way. When you reach a milestone, take a step back and give yourself a pat on the back (or a slice of cake!). This will help you to stay motivated and inspired, and it will remind you of why you're doing this in the first place.
Having a set goal will also help you not stray from the path and add more and more to your plate. You are a creative so you are probably always coming out with amazing ideas you could pursue, but the secret to being happy and successful in a creative business is to find focus and complete the task or project you are currently working on before moving on to something new.
6. Make Time for Yourself and Protect it at all Costs
One of the most important things you can do to prevent burnout is to make time for yourself. This might seem impossible if you're always working, but it's important to schedule some time each day (or week) that is just for you.
This is time that you can use to do something you enjoy or to simply relax and recharge your batteries. It's important to find an activity that helps you to unwind and disconnect from work so that you can come back refreshed and ready to tackle whatever comes your way.
For me, this is usually reading or going for a walk outside. I also like to do some yoga when I need to really relax and clear my head.
Whatever you choose to do, make sure that you protect this time at all costs. This means saying no to work commitments and setting boundaries with the people in your life. Let them know that this is your time and that you're not available to work or to do anything else during this time.
Learning to say no is one of the most important things you can do for your business and your sanity. It's impossible to please everyone all the time, and you'll only end up spreading yourself too thin if you try. So be selective about the projects you take on, and don't be afraid to turn down work that doesn't interest you or that you don't
7. Find a support system
No one can do it all alone, so it's important to find a support system that you can rely on. This might be a group of like-minded friends or colleagues, or it could be a Facebook group dedicated to your industry.
Having people to talk to who understand what you're going through can be a lifesaver when you're feeling depleted. They can offer advice, support, and encouragement when you need it most.
If you don't have a support system in place yet, there are plenty of online communities that you can join. Do a quick search for groups or forums related to your industry, and see what pops up. You might be surprised at how many people are out there going through the same thing as you.
In Conclusion
Running your own business can be a challenging and rewarding experience, but you can make it so much easier on yourself by taking steps to prevent burnout. By setting goals, celebrating accomplishments, and making time for yourself, you can stay motivated and inspired, and flourish in your life and business.
If you're feeling burned out, don't hesitate to reach out for help. You don't have to go through this alone. I want to help you create a business and life that you love, so I created a Free Printable Goal Setting Worksheet which you can download below. This will help troubleshoot your current struggles and help you to get clear on your goals, and build a sustainable business.
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