The definition of burnout is "a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed." If you haven't encountered the phrase "burnout" before, I would consider yourself lucky, but if you do, embrace it and understand it.
My first time encountering the word was when I was playing college ice hockey. I was not excited to be on the ice anymore, train with the team, or even talk about the sport. I wanted nothing to do with a sport that I had played since I was five. It was one of the scariest feelings of my life. I felt like a lost little girl drowning in a vast ocean, and I was suffocating from the inside out. I did not know what was happening to me, and I could not find anyone who I could relate to.
To deal with the emotions of burnout, I quit the sport and transferred to a new school in the south of the United States. I was still scared, still reeling from the anxiety of what to do next, and now I was starting my life all over again. Many people saw these changes as courageous, but I saw them as running away and cowardly. Overall, those changes were the best decisions I have ever made in my life.
When I got to my new school, I met new people who had encountered similar situations as I had when it came to burnout. I was able to, finally, relate to people around me, and it lifted my insecurities about burnout and made me realize that it is a common and natural occurrence. Not only that but at my new school, which was an art school, the classes even mentioned burnout frequently and talked about how it will be something everyone encounters within their lifespan. The professors even went further into detail, giving us tips and tricks on how to defeat burnout and overcome the emotions to keep pushing forward.
Within the artistic world, burnout is the cause of why people stop being creative. My major was animation, so for example, drawing twenty-four frames to make one second of a 2D animated video gets a bit tedious. I remember I used to draw for hours and hours without moving from my chair to complete assignments. I would be lying if I said this was always enjoyable. There were multiple times I questioned all my life choices leading up to declaring such a major. That is when I realized the methods and tips that allowed me to keep persevering when I got in these moods.
Now, being a few years out of college and working a full-time job, plus blogging three times a week, I encounter burnout frequently. My brain sometimes turns to mush and feels like it's draining from my ears. Honestly, that's was inspired this blog post today. I am currently typing this article, exhausted, and I almost told myself, "it's okay, just post late." NO! I have a blog schedule to keep and readers who look forward to Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to read my newest articles. I don't want to succumb to that feeling. I want to push forward and persevere.
Blogging three times a week can be mentally exhausting within itself. Being a creator, you have to come up with new and original blog ideas, write or record (depending on whether you are a blogger or a vlogger), edit, and then post on your socials about the latest article. That altogether, for a 5-minute read, takes me about 2-3 hours. Now I do not blog for a living (although that would be awesome), so add those 2-3 hours on top of an 8-10 hour workday, and you will burn out from writing fast. So here are some ways I overcome the burnout feeling when I am blogging.
Take Breaks - Taking breaks is one of the most important things when working for long periods. Take five minutes to grab a snack or top-off your tea. Those five minutes of not focusing on work will save you in the long run. It allows you to restock your mental energy and is even proven to help employees complete their duties more efficiently rather than working with no breaks.
Do Something You Enjoy - Make time for yourself to enjoy your life. You only have one of those. If you work an uninteresting job or feel disinterested in what you are doing, make plans to do something you enjoy! It is yin and yang. If you have to do something unpleasant, then reward yourself with something pleasurable. That could be anything like seeing a movie, grabbing dinner with a friend, having a solo wine night, or even trying something new. Always make time to enjoy your life and disconnect from things you don't.
Take Days Off - I know, I know. You feel guilty taking a day off right? We all do, but in reality, we all need one occasionally. It is normal to feel like you need a day. My mom used to call them "mental health days" whenever I felt like I needed a break from school. I encourage this when your mind is not in it that day. Why spend energy half participating in something when you can take a day, regroup, and bounce back even harder the next.
Set Boundaries - I am in a high demand 24/7 situation when it comes to my job. Yes, sometimes I can't have a day off, but then others I can rely on someone else to take care of things and ignore my work emails. Those days I set a boundary. No checking my voicemails or texts regarding work, and no checking my email!
Have a Great Group of People Around You - Your circle of friends is what makes or breaks you. Positive people bring out the uplifting points within your life. They are there to encourage, to challenge, to make you an overall better person. They can help you defeat this feeling of burnout by inspiring you. By having that group, whether it is family or friends, can change your outlook on life itself, but also what you're doing. Make sure your circle is uplifting and encouraging.
Even though life can be exhausting, and I might not always feel like blogging or working for that matter, these tips and tricks keep me going. They are so beneficial for your mental health and your well being as a human! They can be game-changers if you integrate them correctly. At the end of the day, you're doing what you like to do. Even I have found that I love ice hockey again, even though I feel like I ran away from it. Just keep pushing forward, staying strong, and giving yourself the breaks you deserve.
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