Are you stressed, busy, or overwhelmed? Feeling tired and sapped of your drive and creativity? You may be experiencing burnout. And if you are, you’re not alone.
Burnout is common among freelance writers. Some of the causes include working two or more jobs while trying to establish your freelance career, not making progress like you think you should, or taking on too many tasks.
Fortunately, burnout is a temporary condition that is easily remedied! To drive it away quickly, and get your energy and motivation back, here are six guaranteed ways to recover from writing burnout.
1. Take care of yourself
When you’re tired and stressed, it’s important to focus on your health. Exercise is proven to help control stress, so move your body every day to get your blood flowing. This can mean hitting the gym, going for a walk, or doing chair yoga.
Also be sure to get enough sleep, and don’t give in to the temptation to eat junky food. Keeping yourself feeling good physically will improve your overall mental disposition and help you weather temporary stress.
2. Give yourself a break
Mental breaks help you fight off burnout. Take a vacation if you can … but if that’s not possible, an afternoon off or even just a break for an hour or two can help.
Recharge by doing something you enjoy, like listening to music, watching a comedy show, going to a movie, or curling up with a book. Treat yourself to a nice meal out or a massage.
And remind yourself you deserve this!
3. Do small things for quick wins
Often the feeling of burnout comes from the perception that you’re not making any progress on your goals. By doing small tasks that you can finish quickly, you’ll gain a sense of accomplishment and boost your self-esteem.
For an added boost, keep a list of these accomplishments and look at it when you need a pick-me-up.
4. Focus on what you can control
Don’t dwell on things that are out of your control. Instead, embrace what you have power over. Changing your focus can remove the sense of helplessness that contributes to burnout.
Also, simply spending more energy on the things you have control over can move your freelance career forward quickly.
5. Express gratitude for what you have accomplished
Studies show that gratitude is a powerful coping mechanism for stress and burnout. It boosts your self-esteem and feeling of self-worth. When you’re feeling down, it never hurts to remind yourself of everything you appreciate in your life.
6. Learn to ask for help
As freelancers, most of us are used to doing everything ourselves. When you need assistance, reach out to your family, friends, and other freelancers you’ve met online through forums or Facebook, or at events like AWAI’s FastTrack to Copywriting Success Bootcamp and Job Fair or Web Copywriting Intensive.
Other freelancers are usually more than happy to help, and it will help ease the load for you. But they won’t know you need help unless you ask.
Don’t let burnout derail your efforts to live the writer’s life! If you feel burnout coming on, try one of these burnout busters to help yourself recover. Before you know it, you’ll feel better, more refreshed, and more creative, and you’ll be back on track in your career as a Barefoot Writer.
