Beating Burnout, Part 2: Tips to Help Creators Cope with Stress

We’re back with the second installment of our series covering the ins and outs of creator burnout. Whereas part one delved into common causes of burnout, here, we’ll go over steps creators can take to decompress and reclaim their passion for their work. 

Before diving into those tips, however, let’s start with a quick refresher on some of the most common causes of burnout.

Common causes of creator burnout
As you’ll recall from our first article, common causes of creator burnout include:

Whatever the cause, each creator’s experience with burnout is unique to them. For some, the accumulated stress and the always-on nature of the work will weigh more heavily on their mind than others, leaving them feeling both physically and emotionally drained.

Unsurprisingly, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to such a wide-ranging and nuanced issue. You can, however, begin your recovery by following the steps below. As you get started, please keep in mind that burnout is not something that can be managed with a quick fix, but a lifestyle change. Widening your perspective will help you to identify the core factors that have been causing your stress, making it easier to prevent yourself from burning out in the future.

How to avoid burnout

If you’re feeling burnt out and finding it difficult to create, don’t be afraid to take a step back and put your mental health first. Here are a few things you can try to make things easier for yourself in the long run.

Allow yourself to take time off

While it may feel like keeping your audience engaged means minimizing time between posts, keep in mind that there’s plenty of other content out there to keep them occupied. So if you’re feeling overwhelmed and need to take some time off, give yourself permission to do so. You may think your content will suffer, but data from platforms like YouTube suggests otherwise.

Know your limits

You may feel like you’ve mastered all the roles that go into creating, but you only have so much time and energy to create. If you’re finding yourself hitting a wall with certain technical tasks, consider outsourcing them so you can focus on being creative.

Schedule rest

If you’re feeling mentally and physically exhausted, you’ll need to rest and recharge. Block off time in your schedule to take a short break or take a day or two off, and ensure that you’re always getting a good night’s sleep and that you have time to do other things you’re passionate about. Creating content in batches can help you free up more time to relax.

Focus on your true fans

Your content can’t please everyone, and that’s okay. Some of your followers’ interests will change, but your superfans will stay by your side. Turning more fans into superfans will help you keep your fanbase engaged and keep producing content they’ll love.

Remember quality over quantity

When you overexert yourself, it often shows in your work. Your fans gravitated to you because they value what you have to offer. Rather than producing content for content’s sake, focus on delivering a level of quality that will keep your followers coming back.

Seek out solutions that can help

The creator economy has come a long way in recent years. If you feel like you’re stuck in a rut, know that there are solutions out there that make it easy to monetize content in more ways, allowing you to focus on doing what you love to do.

Don’t worry, you’ve got this

Creators facing burnout shouldn’t have to question whether their business can be both successful and sustainable. The fact is, you can build a successful and sustainable business without compromising your mental health. We hope the insights in this article will help you do just that. 

When in doubt, remember to put your mental health first and know that no matter how hard things get, you’re not alone. There are plenty of resources out there that can connect you to professionals who know what you’re going through and can help you get through it.