October 19

Burnout

As I write this, the world is beginning to emerge from a global pandemic. While technology allowed many to work remotely in a way that was never before possible, that gift was accompanied by certain struggles, such as creative burnout. In the face of uncertainty and especially when the entire world has been turned upside down, many pros did everything they could to hold things together. However, the emotional toll of creat- ing under pressure every day inevitably led to a sense of overload.

Here are six quick tips for dealing with these moments of burnout:

1.Pause and organize:Sometimes the burnout is due to the weight of all that’s left undone. When you don’t have a clear sense of what’s left to do, the emotional pressure can be palpable.

2.Clear the decks:Prune any unnecessary commitments from your life. 3.Reprioritize:Line up your existing commitments in order of priority, starting with the most urgent and important open loops that need

to be closed.

4.Time block:Allocate time on your calendar to tackle those priorities. 5.Care physically:In busy times, make certain to get plenty of rest and

exercise.

6.Root in your productive passion:Reconnect with your core “why.”

For creative pros, burnout is at some point inevitable. You need to have a plan for dealing with it when it happens.

QUESTION

is there any place in your life or work where you are feeling a little burned out?