Combatting Creator Burnout - Image of an asian girl wearing red posing on beach

Between balancing a full-time job in social media and creating content for this space, I frequently find myself on the fringe of burnout. Not only is spending so much time in a digital space taxing on the body (shoulder and neck problems, anybody?), but the ceaseless stream of media is stressful for the nervous system as well.

Social media is toxic, and it’s not just because it triggers comparison.

The constant influx of media triggers a neverending release of dopamine, which keeps our sympathetic nervous system (the one in charge of fight or flight) activated. Because we’re constantly in a state of excitement, the body never has any time to settle into a relaxed state.

It’s important to note that we do most of our healing when the parasympathetic nervous system (the one in charge of rest and digestion) is activated, so when social media keeps us in a fight-or-flight mode, you truly have no time to recover.

Lately, I’ve been feeling the need to be more productive, and naturally, this translates as creating more frequently. Instead of spending time with friends or family, I find myself seated in front of my computer for hours on end either trying to “play catch-up” with the work I’ve “missed” or trying to “get ahead” with work that I “have” to get done.

I put all of these words in quotation marks because other than objective project deadlines, who’s to determine what work is actually missed and what work we actually have to do?

Objectively, I got all of my work done but subjectively, there always seems to be more to do. Ideas to implement; systems to put into place; leads to build. But who is all of this serving?

I’ve found that the more I feel like I need to create and the more frequently I do create, the poorer the quality of work. The more time that I spend thinking and stressing about the process, the less time I actually spend in the flow of creation.

Whenever I notice these patterns of behavior reappearing, I make it an active point to set everything down and put systems of *true* rest into place (that means not scrolling through the gram or binging youtube).

Combatting Creator Burnout Beach - Image of girl wearing blue leotard by Hara the Label sitting on the beach

Here are some things that I’ve found helpful:

Journaling:

This is a new practice for me. I used to only write about the activities that occurred throughout the day and would stress about how well written those thoughts were or what it would look like if I went back in five years and reread them.

Nowadays, I’ve let that image go. I simply jot down whatever it is that’s on my mind: any worries, to-do lists, reflections, and commitments for the next day.

It’s helped me reframe the chaos that comes with consuming all that information and to reprioritize the things that I value most.

A Physical Practice:

I’m still working on getting more consistent with this one but more often than not, if I find myself jittery and lacking focus throughout the day, I’ll make a mental note to practice yoga or something physical in the evening.

Getting centered in a space that isn’t entirely digital reminds us to truly just be. It reminds us to take deep breaths and that we’re physical beings that take up space. It’s a reminder that life can sometimes be really slow if we take the time to notice every second.

Digital Detox:

Plan a consistent engagement and content creation schedule and stick with it. During all other times, stay away from social media unless you’re called to share something authentically.

Alternatively, it can be refreshing to break from that schedule. Give yourself a week, a month, or however long you need to disconnect fully and live life spontaneously.

I’ve found that taking a step back and keeping my space open has allowed for spontaneous creation and the capturing of little moments in my day that I would’ve missed otherwise. When we take the time to notice and document things as they are, those photos become so much more meaningful because our feelings from that time are also imprinted on that image.

Fully Unplug & Engage in Active Rest

Rehashing some of the ideas above, when I feel burnt out, I give myself permission to fully drop my responsibilities (even if it’s just for 2 hours) to engage in active rest.

You know that habit of thinking about projects even when you’re not supposed to be working on them? Well, break it. Learn to curb that temptation so that you can fully leave whatever it is that’s stressing you out for later (and definitely do it later--don’t break your promise to yourself) so that you can focus on your needs in the moment.

The concept of active rest in sports medicine means that rather than doing no activity at all on your rest days, you should be doing light to moderate exercise to help your body recover. This concept applies to mental and emotional health as well. Rather than completely vegging out, choose to do a lighter activity (like going for a walk, reading a book, connecting with loved ones) instead. These activities keep us focused in the present moment and allow our brains to do the sorting that it does naturally on the backend.

Combatting Creator Burnout Beach Image Asian Girl Wearing Blue Hara the Label Leotard Lying Down

Okay, now for some practical tips for my content creators:

Batch your content when you’re feeling inspired. Recognize when it’s useful to push through and recognize when it’s time to rest. Take advantage of your inspiration when it hits and do the majority of your work then.
Repurpose your content. If you’re creating on multiple platforms, there’s absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t be sharing it again on a different platform. Extending the reach of a single piece of content will give you peace of mind and also help more people.
Keep a consistent pool of content that you can pull from. If you come across an idea when you’re engaging, bookmark it for later. Reference it when you’re stuck.
Approach things from a different perspective. If you’re sick of your content, switch it up. Use a different feature and learn a different skill. It takes a lot of effort at first, but variety will make content creation fun again.

How you balance the burnout that comes with content creation is unique to you but the key is in acknowledging your needs first. Remember that you come before whatever content creation machine you’re bound to and that in order to fully thrive, you have to take care of yourself. Are you a content creator in this space? What are some of the ways in which you address burnout?