In a culture that glorifies hustling round the clock, sending work/life boundaries to the grave, and not resting until ALL your dreams have come true, I have a bit of an unpopular opinion to share with you: burnout isn’t cute, friend.

As someone who has been severely burnt out at different times in my life and in my business, I can tell you firsthand that it is NOT a sustainable way to live. There will always be something bigger and better to work towards, so if you don’t let yourself rest until you’ve checked every single dreamy idea off of your bucket list… well, friend, I don’t think rest will ever be in the cards for you. But rest is absolutely essential for any human being to thrive! So, you see where the issue comes in?

Over the last year, I’ve spoken with several industry friends, clients, and students of mine who all shared they were feeling burnt out. If you’re reading this today and feeling like you can relate, here’s the truth, friend:

Burnout is common. You aren’t alone. And you don’t have to live like this.

If you think you might be on the fast-track to burnout right now, I encourage you to keep reading to learn a few common signs of burnout in creatives, as well as a few things you can do to combat it.

COMMON SIGNS OF BURNOUT IN CREATIVE BUSINESS OWNERS

Friend, are you experiencing any of these things?

1. Feeling resentful when you have to complete a task or talk to a specific person
2. Dreading Monday or the start of your work day
3. Consistently avoiding a task or going out of your way to put it off

If you answered ‘yes’ to any (or all!) of those, then friend, it might be time to slow things down.

But how do you realistically do that when you have a whole business to keep running?

IF THAT SOUNDS LIKE YOU…

First things first, I’m proud of you, friend. It may be cliche to say, but recognizing your problem is always the first step to solving it! We’ve all struggled with burnout in the lives of our businesses, but it can still be hard to admit. There can be feelings of guilt, thoughts that you aren’t good enough because other creatives appear to be doing more (and doing it all with a smile), or fear that slowing down in any way will bring your whole business to a screeching halt.

I get it, friend. But remember: you are a person before you are a business.

If you’re looking for practical ways to recover from burnout (or prevent it from happening in the future), then let me refer you over to one of my recent episodes of the Brand Strategy Podcast, which covers a few practical ways to make avoiding burnout easier! On the episode, I dive deep into the ideas of:

• Starting every day with intention.
• Identifying your top priorities each day, and focusing your energy on those tasks before anything else.
• Focusing on solutions rather than problems.
• Remembering that “No.” is a complete sentence.

To sum up ALL the things I talk about in the podcast episode, my greatest advice would be to make changes to your schedule and realign your priorities so you can give yourself the space to recover.

You are worthy of rest, friend. In fact, rest will help you recharge and work more efficiently (and more happily!) than ever before. Also, if you can, I’d recommend talking to someone about how you’re feeling. Whether it be a friend, family member, or mental health professional, talking things out with someone I trust has always helped me recover from seasons of stress and burnout.

IF YOU’RE A GRAPHIC, BRAND, OR WEB DESIGNER FACING BURNOUT HEAD ON, THEN I HAVE SOMETHING JUST FOR YOU!

Friend, I know you’re busy. Like, to the point of wearing yourself right into the ground. So I’m not here to waste even a second of your time!

If you’re a graphic, brand, or web designer buried in client work and nearing the point of total burnout, then I’ve got a quick, hour-long masterclass just for you. This Netflix-style training is all about how to triple your income without taking on more branding clients. That’s right, I’m teaching you how to grow your income WITHOUT adding more to your already crazy-overflowing plate!

After tuning into this training, you’ll be able to:

• Charge more for your services so you can experience consistent income without working crazy hours or taking on hundreds of clients
• Kick imposter syndrome to the curb and position yourself as the expert your branding clients are searching for
• Get out in front of your ideal clients without hustling to be seen online

I hope this helps you friend, and I can’t wait to see you there!

SAVE YOUR SEAT FOR THIS FREE MASTERCLASS!