As a creator, the most detrimental thing that you can go through is creator burnout. It is one of the most deceptive feelings a creator can face. On one hand, you know that in order to be successful you must show up. We live in a world that demands more and more digital content. As a creator, if you are not staying up-to-date with the latest content trends or being consistent with the algorithm, it can definitely hurt your brand. On the other hand, you keep up and consistently show up, but that can leave you feeling creatively drained and exhausted. Today I’m sharing what creator burnout looks like and what you can do to bounce back from it.

Signs of Creator Burnout

Creator burnout can look different from person to person. I create content on various platforms. In my personal experience, when I feel burnout from creating content I tend to procrastinate, take extended breaks, and detach from social media. I also feel like my thoughts are cluttered and I don’t know where to even begin when it comes to creating content. One thing about creating content — I love doing it! When creator burnout takes place, creating content often feels like a chore or a burden. Other signs of burnout may include:

• Unfocused
• Lack of energy
• Anxiety
• Mental, physical, or emotional exhaustion

Why Creators Burnout

There is no one answer to fit everyone’s burnout situation. I can only go off my feelings and how other creators have expressed themselves to me when they felt burnout. Nonetheless, creator burnout is real! Here are some of the top reasons why creators burnout:

Feeling the pressure to be consistent and post content, everywhere, all the time.

It is no secret that being consistent is one of the best ways to grow as a creator. The demand to keep up with trends and keep your audience happy can apply unwanted pressure. I know for myself, on top of creating content, I have a full-time job and I am a single mother. The demands of daily life definitely put a hindrance on me being consistent and I would immediately feel guilty if I wasn’t able to keep up with my post schedule.

The thought of you having to be on every social platform, all the time, with your best face on so you can grow your brand as a creator can be exhausting. On top of that, the algorithms of these social platforms require you to be present and active daily in order to be seen. As a creator that is the whole point, to be SEEN! If you do not push out content regularly then your place in the algorithm may change.

Feeling the pressure of creating unique content that your audience enjoys.

Being on-trend and catering the content to your audience can be hard work. Coming up with different variations of content in a timely manner, so that you can keep up with the trends can also add unwanted pressure.

Feeling undervalued when your content doesn’t do well.

There is nothing more frustrating than when you have put time and energy into a piece of content that you think is going to do well, and it flops! This can often lead to you thinking, ” I wasted so much time doing that piece of content.” The thought of constantly creating content based on what has done well in the past can hinder your creative skills and have you creating the same content over and over.

Feeling emotionally unavailable.

Finally, there is the stress of being present and showing up as yourself online when you don’t feel like yourself. I can personally relate to this one! There was a time in my life where I just wasn’t my best self. I was overwhelmed and wanted to present my content as authentic as I could, but the way I was feeling and what I was posting didn’t match. During this time, I could have taken the opportunity to tell my audience, which I eventually did, but at the time of my struggle, if I had shown up as my authentic (unhappy self) it wouldn’t have matched my personality and brand that I have worked hard to create. I definitely didn’t want to complain every day for a month, that just didn’t match my brand.

How to Overcome Burnout

So now that you know what creator burnout is and why it may occur, let’s get into how to bounce back from it!

#1 Rest

Contrary to what others may say, rest is important and breaks are necessary. Burnout is a state of exhaustion and in order to not get exhausted, you have to rest! You need regular rest to prevent burnout. When I speak of rest in this instance, I’m not talking about vacationing or sleeping (but those things are important to do as well) I’m simply referring to taking intentional breaks in between tasks. Rest will look different from creator to creator, but some examples include:

• Taking lunch breaks
• Pausing for 10-20 minutes after completing an intense project
• Taking the weekends off
• Regular self-care sessions
• Setting daily social media limits

#2 Shortened To-Do List

Let’s talk about the Top 3! I got this strategy from one of my favorite brand strategists, Erin On Demand. The “Top 3” is jotting down the top three tasks that you want to prioritize for the day. Along with the Top 3, I put a few more tasks down that aren’t a priority for the day but if I get to them it would be great! Breaking it up like this puts less pressure on me.

#3 Lean On Your Support System

Make sure to lean on your support system, whether that person is a therapist, family, or other creators. Through my journey of being a social media creator, I have met some amazing social media friends that have turned into real friends. Having a support system of people that are doing the same type of work as me allows us to vent to each other, motivate each other, and keep each other going! 

#4 Regular Self-Reflection

Your feelings are valid and it is important to acknowledge and process your feelings regularly. Take time out to self-reflect and look back at your content. Acknowledge what content you enjoyed creating versus the content that you did not enjoy creating. Shift your focus and goals before burnout takes place.

#5 Offload Tasks

As scary as it may be, sometimes you need to outsource your tasks. If you are in the position to hire a person to handle tasks that may free up some of your time, then do so. If you’re not in a position to hire, then using productivity apps such as Planoly to auto-post your content could help free up some extra time. Personally, I feel less overwhelmed when I auto-post my content than when I am manually posting my content. 

For any creator, burnout is not fun! The trick is to take preventative measures to help eliminate or reduce the feeling of creator burnout. Let me know if you have had creator burnout in the past. How did you overcome it?