Some useful tips to beat creative burnout to a pulp
We’ve all been there: constant juggling of priorities, emails & texts flying at you with a staggering speed, calculating if you have enough time to finish all 143 tasks…
Burnout is no stranger to any creative professional out there. And the pandemic also added sufficient fuel to that bonfire, leaving many people fried from shuffling their work, parenting, caregiving, and generating new ideas daily.
And we think it’s time to take a more preventive approach to burnout.
Surely, we all know what it’s like to feel burned out. However, our goal is not to get there at all, so here come the 3 signs that you’re nearly there but not quite yet burned out (read: just the time to schedule that vacation):
- By 11 AM, you start counting hours to bedtime already, even if you slept well through the night
- You rely on sugar to get you through the day
- Less and less energy to exercise after working hours
If you have noticed any of the above, here are some tips on how to stay in the game:
1. Stay out of all your devices for a whole day once a week
Don’t get tempted! We know IG, Twitter and Reddit are calling you with their alluring voices, but we believe in you!
2. Meditate
There are a lot of great apps to guide you through meditation or even fall into napping. According to Headspace, daily meditation reduces stress and anxiety, elevates mood and focus, and even impacts compassion and weight loss!
3. Take naps
The perfect solution while we are all mostly working from home (some even in the pajamas – ready to nap).
Sleep Foundation says the best nap length is about 10-20 minutes. It pumps up and refreshes neurological performance.
4. Schedule rest
Yes, write it down in your notes, your Trello card, and your laptop sticky pad! Move a little, if you’re home, do some housework If you’re in the office, go chat with the new guy, just don’t get from the big screen into a small one 📱.
5. Old, but gold: exercise
Any sort of activity, even once a week, reduces your chances of burnout! Sign up for that gym class next weekend!
6. Prioritize
Now, let’s see what can be done if you can’t find time in your busy schedule to squeeze in these activities.
During one week, try to record as many professional and personal activities as possible. You can do this in a spreadsheet, use a habit tracking app, or simply on paper. For each block of time, write down what you’re doing and how you feel (for example, on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 equals drained or overwhelmed and 10 is joyful), and how valuable the activity is.
This simple exercise will help you limit your exposure to tasks, people, and situations that aren’t essential and have a negative impact on your mood and find time for those that lift you up.
7. Focus on creativity
If you are a creative professional, you achieve your best results only if you focus on your creativity.
Try to unload yourself of all administrative work, client, and team management as much as you can. For example, try using Krock. It’ll help you balance your workflow, reduce the risk of miscommunication and missing deadlines, simplify the approval procedure for you and your clients, and focus on your creative process and strategic goals.
8. And finally, take a vacation!
Vacation is always a good idea! Even if it’s just a long weekend, a change of scenery will restart and refresh you much more than anything you’ll do while staying home!
We hope that these simple but strong-case tips will help to stay productive and away from the borderline of burnout. And let’s all remember that in today’s fast-paced, rapidly changing world, it is essential to replenish your physical and emotional energy and make room for self-care.
FAQs
1. 3 signs you are nearly burned out:
- By 11 AM, you start counting hours to bedtime already, even if you slept well through the night.
- You rely on sugar to get you through the day.
- Less and less energy to exercise after working hours.
2. How to avoid burnout? 8 best tips:
- Stay out of all your devices for a whole day once a week
- Meditate daily
- Nap in between tasks
- Exercise at least 2 times per week
- Schedule rest – like really put it in your calendar
- Prioritize – if you are tired, do the essential tasks only
- Focus on creativity – delegate as much administrative work as possible
- Schedule that vacation!
