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.
Catherine Kong
It is definitely not unusual for a considerable number of artists to encounter burnout throughout their artistic careers, and I am no different. But! It certainly can be avoided 🙂 Sometimes navigating the treacherous waters of burnout in the artistic realm required a strategic blend of creativity and self-care. instead of drowning in the waters of deadlines, I try to effectively manage my time and avoid procrastinating as much as I can. Read more>>
Reyna Wilson
Burnout or overwhelm is the place we meet the end of ourselves, or at least it was in my case. My entrance into motherhood introduced me into the flourishing world of wellness where women were speaking out against the stringent beliefs of health and fitness. Eager to find community, I dove head first. I swapped Crossfit workouts for “crunchy” living and diet culture for sourdough starter. However, all my “research” came to a head one night. I was awake way too late, and caught in the doom scroll of Instagram scouring through holistic recipes and nontoxic swaps that would make me the healthiest homemaker I could be. Read more>>
Tatiana St. Germain
By identifying my values and asking deep questions such as: is what I am dedicating my time and energy to truly worth it? The inner evaluation of this forced me to align my values and actions. When we experienced burnout, it often stems from the imbalance created by saying yes and giving more to one area of our life than others and our lack of saying no to restore and reconnecting with ourselves. When I found myself experiencing burnout, which comes out as being easily irritable, annoyed, feeling fatigued, and exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally, I had to evaluate if what I was sacrificing, whether it was attempting to get a promotion or keeping up with others’ expectations, was worth it or not. Read more>>
Rayann Marie
My first year being full-time as a photographer was overwhelming to say the least. I hadn’t put systems in place to help with workflow, I was accepting almost every inquiry, and shooting 4-5 weddings a month. I had the perfect storm for burnout and inevitably I gave into it, took a break, and entered the realm of marketing. I had been so burnt out that I genuinely thought I hated photography for a minute and wanted to give it up as a career. Fast forward and I found myself continuously looking for opportunities to use my camera, naturally falling back into my role as a photographer. Read more>>
Michelle Wetsch
Avoiding burnout in my profession is incredibly hard… especially as a people pleaser. It’s so easy for me to say yes as far as taking on other orders, even when I’m already feeling overwhelmed with what’s on my plate. One thing I have really been working on is trying to just stay focused and organized throughout the week. I have to remind myself that it’s okay to say no if I realistically can’t take on more than what’s on my plate. Another thing I am firm on is having my weekends open for time with my family and friends. Read more>>
Akasha Coral
I believe my generation is very aware of the burnout concept but you don’t really understand it until it hits you. I entered the entertainment industry during my master’s education and I felt like I had to catch up on so much – given the competition. To make up for lost time, I attempted to do a lot of things at once like producing short films, music videos, writing, working in development, getting agency experience, getting studio experience and such. When I wasn’t hustling, I was watching the most recent shows, older movies and reading books to get further insight. Read more>>
Elyse Bernardi
HoHonestly, after 16+ years in the field, it’s been a bit challenging to steer clear of feeling burnt out. But you know what? I’ve discovered a few things that have really helped me out. One of the best strategies I’ve found is exploring different aspects of cosmetology. Whether it’s diving deeper into color or cutting, trying out new techniques or extensions, or even delving into the world of aesthetics or manicures, it’s been a game-changer for me. Trust me, finding that fresh perspective can make all the difference! Read more>>
Kalyn Bell
I think it is important as business owners that we set aside time for our personal lives. Such as rest days, social events with our friends and family (not business related), or self-care/reset days. If you find it hard to set aside time for yourself, try to schedule it in your calendar. Allowing yourself to feel burnt out will take the fun out of running your company. Read more>>
Floice Kemp
Burnout in my life is very real. I naturally take on way more than I can handle but refuse to quit or burden others with taking on tasks I know I can complete. How do I overcome / avoid burnout? I just ousted myself, but it starts with understanding that you are in this position. I returned to photography because of burn out. Lost in the fog a question came to mind; What sets your heart on fire? Reminiscing how I felt behind the camera, I decided to jump back into the photography mele. Reinvigorated, I took the first steps and started this adventure. Here’s my list of things to remember when recovering from burnout: Read more>>
Alyssa Morton
As a home baker, I love creating delicious treats for myself and others. However, sometimes baking can become stressful and exhausting, especially when I have to deal with deadlines, orders, or expectations. To overcome or avoid burnout, I try to do the following things: – I remind myself of why I started baking in the first place. I think about the joy and satisfaction that baking brings me, and how it allows me to express my creativity and passion. I also appreciate the positive feedback and support that I receive from my clients, friends, and family. Read more>>
Delaluna Answers
Burnout is something that is common in my line of work. I’m happy to say that my work is centered around my passion. Too much of a good thing can still leave you fried, though. Eating well, getting enough rest, and exercising is a must. Apart from those basics, I try to explore new activities or places to keep me refreshed. Read more>>
Terri M. LeBlanc
It’s been a long journey for me. My parents instilled a strong work ethic in me and rarely let me quit anything that I started. So once I graduated, once I found a job, I stuck with it until I was overworked. My first career out of college was at an Admission Counselor at my alma mater. I traveled extensively in the fall, managed the website and email, a pre-Facebook online community for admitted students and even took on managing all the recruiting data. The day I drove 25 minutes from my home to work and didn’t remember the drive was the day I realized I needed to leave. Read more>>
Reggie & Kena Odrick
Burnout can occur fast or over time when working in your business. Something that was once a passion, can quickly feel like a chore and become overwhelming. Our small candle business began as something that kept our minds occupied during the pandemic. We received tons of orders and support in the beginning, but once the newness runs off, maintaining your customer base, gaining new customers, and learning how to keep your business thriving can be a challenge. Read more>>
Carly Asare
I think for me which I also recommend for others is to just take a break in order to avoid the burnout phase of entrepreneurship. At the end of 2023 I hit a major burnout wall and how I noticed was I started to have a creative block. This block started well before Black Friday 2023, but I knew that I couldn’t take a break then, my business relies on me solely! For me though mid-September 2023 I already knew that I was taking a break in December 2023. During the year of 2023 though my business skyrocketed!!!! I processed and shipped thousands of orders alone, I made thousands of bottles of products alone, sent all my marketing emails myself all of the normal entrepreneurship things! Read more>>
Diana Taylor
This topic is truly fascinating. It was during the pandemic that I came to the realization that I was facing burnout. While I’ve always been a dedicated worker and understand the importance of putting in effort for success, I’ve shifted my perspective. I now recognize that certain seasons may be busy as we establish systems and achieve goals, but I no longer subscribe to a lifelong hustle mentality. I’ve chosen to embrace a more balanced approach, allowing myself to enjoy daily life. Read more>>
Katlyn Garcia
Experiencing burnout in this industry is quite common. Stylists get into a cycle of doing the same things every day and eventually start to think this industry isn’t for them, myself included. Around a year into my career, I felt the burnout hitting hard, and quite honestly I didn’t even know how to fix it or what to do. I was lost and felt like I had wasted my time, money, and education on something that I didn’t even enjoy and I even applied to go back to college during that time. It wasn’t until my boss signed us up for an education class outside of work and it was there I felt my spark come back. I got inspired again, and it just ignited something in me. Read more>>
Catryce Thompson
Overcoming burnout for me was a tumultuous journey, marked by an ingrained workaholic mindset that transcended from my nine-to-five job into my full-time entrepreneurship. The struggle intensified as personal life challenges coincided with my venture into running a young adult lifestyle brand. Amid battling mental health issues, my business faced the repercussions, resulting in limited success. Read more>>
Rodney (RJ) Hooks
As a content creator who is known for his consistent quality and his detailed edits, people are often worried about my well-being. But that’s the thing – I’m constantly putting out quality content yet I’m still here and loving it! I’ve been learning and practicing how to prevent burnout for the past decade and it’s been a journey of self-discovery. boundaries, and adaptation. Read more>>
Zan Dretti
Overcoming burnout can be difficult. Generally, you don’t even realize that you’re burned out until you’re burned out. Whenever I’m feeling burned out or overworked, I step away to refresh and reset. This gives me an opportunity to reflect, strategize, and come back even better than before. I’ve put out multiple projects in one year while simultaneously recording a podcast, engineering sessions for other artists, beatmaking, etc. It can be overwhelming. Sometimes doing nothing is the best thing for creativity. Read more>>
Meghan Stevenson
My business has grown exponentially over the past few years and there were numerous times when I felt burnt out. I specifically remember a time when I asked a friend to hold me accountable to a 36-hour break from work. Often, I would not keep that break because I felt like I couldn’t. Read more>>
Lottie Hulme
Burnout can creep up on us so easily, and I’ve narrowly avoided it a few times. My best tip to avoiding burnout is to set aside time for work, then set aside time for yourself. At around 7pm every day I tell myself that’s the end of work, and now it’s time for family, for friends, for sport, or a hobby, you name it. But I have that cut off, and for me that’s so important, especially as a mum to my little girl Aurora, and a dog mum! I’ll work super hard all day, ticking things off my to-do list and doing my job, but as soon as my cut off time hits, it’s time to close the laptop. I also like to stay super organised too. Read more>>
