Often the key to having massive impact is the ability to keep going when others would have burned out. Below, you’ll find some brilliant entrepreneurs and creatives sharing how they’ve overcome or avoided burnout.
Jenni Chapman
I used to be in this terrible cycle, where about every 3 months I would get completely burnt out and have to stop everything in my life until I had rested enough to be functional again. I placed my value as a person in how I could serve others, and took on so much that I could only maintain it for a couple of months at a time before I crashed and burned. I was like this for years. Read more>>
Liv Bowser
7 years ago, I landed my dream job at a high-growth start up. I hustled hard, put in the hours, and received regular promotions. But behind my success and excitement about the company was debilitating stress and isolation that led to burnout. Burnout looks different for everyone – for me, I experienced loss of appetite, anxiety tremors, inability to sleep, and even visual impairment. I felt lonely and lost in managing my stress at work. Read more>>
Cody Cook
Burnout in the workplace and especially being self employed as an artist is an inevitable part of the process. There are many times that I have experienced this, and it puts a damper on my creativity/drive. Some of the ways I have found to avoid the burnout is to always give my hands and mind a fresh outlet. Read more>>
Shana Jobes
As a service- based small business owner and mom it’s really easy to get burnt out. When I first started out I would overwork myself by taking clients back-to-back with no break or days off. I would take calls and answer emails and messages at all times of the day and night. I hardly made time for myself, friends or family. Work consumed me, but I quickly learned that it’s important to have a balance and set boundaries. Read more>>
Shauna Moon
I tend to be in “go” mode, and as a result, I get told that I need to slow down all the time. To avoid burnout, I have three calendars, one for general, one for tasks, and one for content. But mainly, I schedule rest days. When I introduced the idea of scheduled rest days to others, they thought I was weird. My therapist, however, loved it. I’m always planning, creating, or doing one of my many jobs that including days for scheduled rest in between the chaos was needed. Read more>>
Megan Herron
Weekly Calendar Planning: Step into my world, where weekly planning isn’t just a task; it’s a curated soirée of possibilities. Imagine a calendar adorned with gold accents and diamond-studded milestones, where each hour is a celebration of success. It’s not merely planning; it’s orchestrating a symphony of elegance that whispers, “Let luxury guide the way.” Read more>>
Danielle Epstein
What helped me is realizing that there are different kinds of burnout. There’s physical burnout, where your body is utterly fatigued. There’s mental burnout, where your concentration or problem solving skills get effected. Then there’s emotional burnout. Whenever I’ve experienced burnout, it’s been the emotional kind. Read more>>
Akseli Äijälä
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance has been crucial in preventing burnout. I prioritize self-care, delegate tasks effectively, and ensure I take regular breaks to recharge. Additionally, having a supportive team and implementing efficient workflow systems has helped manage workload and reduce stress. It’s essential to recognize when to step back, delegate, and focus on personal well-being to sustain long-term success in the entrepreneurial journey. Read more>>
Elysia J
B O U N D A R I E S . . . lol First I had to reallllly get to know myself and my body. Finally after DECADES of feeling like I was struggling because I was too different from how I thought most other people were, I discovered human design. Once I deep dived into that subject, I learned all about my amazing, awesome, genius projector nature… Knowing this, it was like life gave me a permission slip to FULLY embrace who I am. I am someone who can penetrate and feel your soul. Read more>>
Brayden Massie
Avoiding burnout is something I’m almost hyper-aware of. I say it in this way because the feeling of creative/musical burnout is something I actually somewhat “fear” because I look at artistic/musical creation as the purpose in my life. I also get burnt out on things quite easily, so making sure I never feel that way in the creative space can be tricky, but I think I’ve developed a decent system for myself so that I can always find inspiration and act upon it when I want too. Read more>>
Letia Moore
I overcome burnout by taking planned breaks throughout the year. Being a graphic designer can become overwhelming quickly due to people thinking that all you do is sit at a computer all day lol More recently I have also started to be more strict about communicating during business hours only and not making myself easily accessible to others. Read more>>
Patrice Roulhac
There’s no way of escaping the hustle culture that has become a societal norm. If you don’t own 3 businesses while working on your PhD, then you’re probably a loser. That’s at least what social media is saying. I’ve always thought I had to constantly be in the state of productivity to be acceptable. Read more>>
Wayne Ayers
To overcome burnout, I prioritize diversifying my activities and fostering a continuous learning mindset. By exploring new interests and acquiring fresh knowledge, I not only break the monotony but also engage my mind in stimulating ways. This approach allows me to shift focus and regain a sense of balance, preventing burnout from taking hold. Read more>>
Brooke Sebold
I fell in love with movies at 12 years old as a coping mechanism to escape my painful reality. At the time, I had just beaten impossible odds (< 2%) by surviving a freak skiing accident that left me in a medically induced coma in ICU with severe internal injuries to my liver, and a femur broken in 3 places. Read more>>
April Hanley
Burnout in some form is of course, inevitable. If I feel a bout of it coming on, I’ll start planning an escape. Whether it’s an international trip or a long distance ride on my motorcycle, I know for me I have to move outside my 4 walls. I’m a creature of habit so having something different to look forward to will shift my paradigm enough that my creativity will be sparked again and I’ll refresh with a new perspective. Read more>>
Toquetta Christian
Although it’s taken me some time, i’ve learned to listen to my body. Spiritually Emotionally. Physically. Mentally. I try my best to do a daily audit, prioritizing what’s in deficit out of these sectors. That now looks like slower mornings, which means I need to wake up earlier, lol. Starting my day with God, gratitude, prayer and praise. I work out 3-4 dyas a week, which is a major stress relief, with a bonus of health factors. Change of environment because different scenery can inspire and break up the monotony. Travel and good food is great for the soul! Read more>>
Hannah Hansen
When I left my agency job in 2022, I was burnt out — that was one of the biggest reasons I decided to work for myself. I wanted to be able to control my workload, my clients, and my schedule. But, of course, being self-employed doesn’t magically fix burnout. Even after taking a six-month sabbatical, once I started working again, I found myself slipping back into old habits that I could feel were leading me down the same path of anxiety, depression, and, of course, burnout. Read more>>
Sabrina Baker
This is such a great question. I have recently overcome the feeling of burnout by taking a day off at least once a month, and telling myself that after 7 pm all remaining work that is not urgent can wait until the next day. With my Preschool program running for 8 hours a day for 5 days I have lots of tasks to complete in such a short time. I have learned that keeping a calendar of events both written out and placed on my phone helps me stay on task and also to help me to look forward to fun events to come. Read more>>
Falyn DeForest
I think avoiding burn out is near impossible. This day and age everyone is go, go, go, all the time and we feel like we always have to say yes to everything (especially as creatives who love what they do). But something I do to help combat an overwhelmingly HUGE crash and burn(out) is scheduling time for doing things I love aside from my career. Everyone needs to have days where they can give themselves permission to relax. Recharge and spend time with people you love. Read more>>
