As an author, there are a million demands on your time. You must brainstorm, write, edit, market, balance business expenses, etc. It’s never-ending. There is always something else you could be doing. That’s why it’s very important to be self-aware and not overwork yourself. In this post, I want to talk about burnout and how to take care of yourself so you can keep creating stories while still enjoying it.
What Is Burnout
Burnout is physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by stress or overworking. Nothing keeps you from writing, but you lack the desire to do anything and can’t seem to make yourself push through and just do it. Despite what you might think, this isn’t a problem of motivation. People suffering from burnout aren’t lazy or procrastinators. They’ve literally pushed themselves so hard that their bodies and minds won’t allow them to work.
I’d like to point out that this isn’t the same as writer’s block. I did posts on writer’s block Type 1 and Type 2, and anyone familiar with them may think this sounds a lot like Type 2 (where the author simply lacks the will to write), but it’s different. Writer’s block Type 2 is short-lived and usually a mindset problem. Burnout lasts for months or years and is a physical struggle due to strain on the body.
Causes
The cause of burnout is simple: stress. Stress is strain on the mind and body due to demanding circumstances. Because authors have so many sides to their work, they live in a constant state of stress as they juggle all their duties. They carry too many responsibilities at once and often work long hours. On top of that, they don’t feel like they can take time off to mentally recharge. I do it myself. I work all week, and then I think of the weekend as time to catch up on what I didn’t get done during the week. It’s hard to take time off when you know the extensive list waiting to be completed.
Ultimately, authors push too hard because of perceived or real expectations. They have deadlines from publishers, excited readers demanding more stories, and self-appointed goals for their career. Because the success of their careers rides mostly on them, authors don’t feel like they can slow down without hurting their business. With all that pressure, writers take on too much responsibility and can hit burnout quickly.
Symptoms
So, how do you know if you are suffering from burnout? Your body will tell you. You’ll feel exhausted, overwhelmed, and stressed for months on end. You’ll lack motivation to do anything and be unable to focus your mind. It may feel like you’re constantly in a bad mood or forgetful. You can even have a hard time sleeping. On top of all that, any work that you do manage to squeeze out will be sub-par. Writing that once felt thrilling will now seem hollow and lack luster. You may be working, but you can’t find any joy in it anymore.
Solutions
If you are stuck in burnout, how do you pull yourself out of it? The key is rest, both physically and mentally. Sleep. Consume creative media to refill your imagination (like watching TV, going to the theater, or reading other books). Socialize or do something you love to get endorphins flowing. I also find it helpful to do non-thinking activities such as cleaning, hiking, coloring, etc. Your mind needs just as much if not more rest than your body, and making yourself do something that doesn’t need brainpower will help.
Once you get some rest, identify stressors in your life and limit or eliminate them. Examine your list of responsibilities and figure out what is really important to you. Then just focus on those things. Find ways to cut down your schedule, get rid of obligations that don’t directly help you achieve your goals, and say no to new responsibilities. By setting boundaries, you will have an easier time keeping yourself healthy and successful at what you do.
Should You Take A Break From Writing?
When researching burnout for authors, I found mixed advice on whether you should take a break from writing or not. Some said yes, others no. I think it depends on the person. If you think a break will help you restart, then do it. If you think that stopping will create more stress for you, then just limit how much you do. Lower your expectations for how much you produce a week, and just hit that goal.
But, if you are only continuing writing because you fear stopping will mean you won’t go back to it, I recommend you stop. You clearly find no value in writing at this point and need to take care of yourself first. Plus, if you never go back, maybe an author career isn’t for you. You may prefer to keep it a hobby, and there is nothing wrong with that. Do what makes you happy and keeps you healthy.
How To Avoid Burnout
As doctors say, don’t just wait for sickness to come before you address it. Do preventative care. The same is true of burnout. You don’t have to wait until it hits you to get things figured out. You can avoid it.
My Story
When I decided to pursue an author career, I did a lot of research on the field before I committed. One of the things I found was how high stress the job was and how many authors suffer from burnout. I’m naturally an overachiever, and I knew that I’d be at high risk for burnout. So, I planned accordingly. I purposefully set a rule that I’d only add one thing at a time to my schedule so I could keep an eye on my health.
For the first year, I no allowed external pressures. I read and learned the craft and wrote. That’s it. I didn’t network with other writers or try to get anything published. I just focused on getting a good handle on my writing. Eventually, I joined a local writers guild and started networking while I continued to learn and write. Then I published my website and started posting weekly writing advice. Six months later, I created Facebook and Instagram accounts and started doing regular posts. I took a writing course after that and found a writers critique group to join, and we started meeting weekly to sharpen our skills against each other.
After that, it’s like my author life exploded. I started getting offers to run workshops or teach, I had people asking for developmental edits of their stories, I was recruited to help run a regional writers conference, and I even got asked to appear on a podcast. I was technically still doing one thing at a time, but I allowed smaller time periods for me to adjust to the new workload. One month I taught, the next I worked on the conference, and so on.
Eight months of that, and I started to feel myself spinning out. I didn’t hit burnout, but it took me longer to do simple tasks. I also started giving myself a pep talk at the start of each week just to keep my energy up. Because I started this career knowing about burnout, I immediately recognized the signs and started evaluating my responsibilities and what I needed to cut. It’s very hard to do as everything I did I loved, but I knew I couldn’t keep up with it all.
My Advice
I’m sharing my personal journey to tell you that you can avoid burnout. Whether you are just starting out or need to evaluate your existing career, make a plan to take care of your health. Set boundaries, be positive about yourself and your work, stay in a routine (and don’t cram it full), take care of your body (exercise, eat right, sleep), and, most importantly, be understanding of missing expectations. You can’t do it all. You need to find out how much you can handle, and then keep it under that line. Don’t over commit to push your career. If you are a good writer, readers will wait for your next book and publishers will be understanding of your process.
Final Thoughts
I wish authors never had to deal with burnout, but it’s a real issue that most writers run into during their careers. Even if you’re conscientious of it like me, you may still over commit and burn out. The longer you’re an author, the more that gets thrown on your plate. Make sure you prepare for that day and try to stay healthy. The world needs your stories, and they can’t read them if you can’t write them.
Thanks for reading!
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