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.
Julie Orr
I allow myself breaks, however long I feel necessary. I’ve realized from experience that if I work myself past a certain point, I become less productive. So when this happens, I switch to an easier task that requires less concentration or go to bed, for example, and tackle it the next day. In the bigger picture, I take vacations or day trips to refuel and gain creative perspective when I feel really burned out. Read More>>
Megan Winsor
As someone who has been pursuing music since I was 14 years old, performing in any venue that would have me, burnout has been a significant challenge in my career. I find immense joy in the music creation process, from writing and producing to performing live. So, when exhaustion sets in, it can be quite disheartening. One of the great things about being an independent artist is the ability to wear multiple hats. When I feel burnt out in one aspect of my artistry, I tend to distract myself with another hat. Read More>>
Min Kyung Cho
Currently, I am working hard as a 2D animator and storyboard artist in the US. I think the reason I have the energy to work like this is because I not only experienced but also overcame burnout. I experienced burnout (over exhaustion without breaks) after finishing my Animation Master’s degree thesis and film. I felt like I had reached the end of my 15-year journey of (learning) art experience. Read More>>
Beth Copic
Burnout is a very real thing… I think a lot of us face burnout at some time or another, especially those of us who are solo-prenuers, or even people that work on teams but work independently or remotely from home. The isolation factor definitely plays a role in the feeling of burnout because our scenery doesn’t change a whole lot. Read More>>
Monique Dao
Burnout is a common challenge in the wedding photography industry due to its demanding nature and long hours. To overcome or avoid burnout as a wedding photographer, I’ve tried a few things:
1) Creating a work/life balance. I set a realistic number of working hours each day so I don’t overwork myself. Being an entrepreneur means it’s really easy to work hours on end into the night without even realizing it. To avoid this, when I’m done for the day, I go do the things I like, sometimes as simple as getting coffee and walking my pup. Read More>>
Yasir Waqaar
Working came easy for me. Growing up, I would work with my grandfather’s construction business. All summer, I rode with him to the job sites. At a young age, I learned to wield a shovel. In the process I developed endurance and stamina for being out in the sun all day.
Naturally I grew to equate hard-work and long hours as the way. Over time, I found myself self employed and working from daylight to dark most days. Read More>>
Brianna Chester
Overcoming burnout in the dynamic juggling act of entrepreneurship and parenthood requires discipline and routines. Sundays and Mondays are my non-negotiable days dedicated to resetting and self-care, spent alongside my family. Each day, I begin with prayer, meditation, and journaling, safeguarding this personal time before engaging with the outside world. These moments, shared with my daughter, are essential in preserving my well-being and preventing burnout. Read More>>
Ericka Estrella Chick
It is a daily practice, there are times when (burnout) can seem unavoidable and simply is an important part of the process. When such times come it helps to look at nature. all that is alive goes through seasons, such seasons have a place to exist and an important roll in growth. Read More>>
Tito Strange
Music isn’t exactly like being an athlete. I used to push myself to the brink of exhaustion: drumming all days for hours. There’s still a day or a weekend these days when I work on guitar or production nonstop, especially if I get inspired. But I give myself grace in between major projects to live my life and have something new to write about. As far as my day to day: having quiet moments every day helps me balance all my responsibilities. Read More>>
Caroline Young
After working as an eating disorder nutrition counselor for years, I realized that if I want to continue to do this work (that I love very much), I have to diversify and outsource to avoid burning out. So, I started to work towards adding in other forms of work that fill me up in different ways and are less emotionally expensive, such as writing, working with the media and brands, and teaching yoga. Simultaneously, I started to build my counseling practice and created a team of dietitians. Now, I feel less alone and more engaged, and I can pour from a full cup, instead of only being able to give little drops from a drained one. Read More>>
Madison Mears
I am the type of person who constantly needs to be moving. On the go, checking off lists, setting Siri reminders that have no flow to them whatsoever. My phone even reminds me when it’s time to set a ten minute timer. I love timers. And while the pace and productivity can be fulfilling at times, my wonderful* brain just wants to keep challenging me to stretch its limits. However, that stretch has nothing against Elastigirl. Read More>>
Tran Nguyen
To take preventative measures against burnout, I scale down the number of projects that are taken on. When I spread myself thin and over-book, I start churning out mediocre work. I can tell when my paintings are lacking originality so I’ve learned to be selective in the projects I agree to so that I’m devoting all of my artistry to the client while also knowing I’m putting out work that I’m proud of. Read More>>
Diane Curley
I have overcome burnout by “undoing.” It sounds simple (and ultimately it is!) When my life became uncontrollable chaos I certainly did not feel peaceful, successful, or even good enough. It was a dark and difficult time. I needed it to end and I needed to find a way back from the brink and create peace in my life once and for all. Read More>>
Nishan Gugsa
I overcame burnout by stepping away from everything to focus on myself. I had over extended myself personally and professionally which led to health problems. Once I realized that I was trying to pour from an empty cup, I made it known to those around me that I did not have the capacity to deal with or do a lot of things. This was the beginning of my refueling journey to fill myself up. Read More>>
Shawnise Smith
Overcoming and avoiding burnout while doing charity work requires a strong team unit and always remembering the organization’s WHY. It is also necessary to take time to reset and review the organization’s accomplishments and social impact along with finding ways to increase the organizations reach. Read More>>
