Here’s the thing. Burnout is inefficient. And there’s literally nothing I hate more than inefficiency. It’s my archnemesis. It slows me down, makes me angry and ragey, and mildly violent… (toward my keyboard)1
But worse, if you’re anything like me, you’re completely incapable of realizing you’re tired, let alone reaching the brink of total burnout. I’m blind to burnout. It’s like fighting a custom built invisible demon while blindfolded and strapped into a straight jacket. Suffice to say, I’ve probably gone through at least six months of piss poor writing performance, chronic exhaustion, a terrible mindset and insomnia. Because I know what’s useful when you’re tired, NOT SLEEPING.
Okay, I’ll wind my neck in because I like to be a sparkling ray of positivity here.
LIES.
We all know I’m a scathingly cynical, intensely sarcastic rage-beast from the depths of your nightmares. But that slight tangent aside, I do like to be helpful.
So here’s me being helpful:
Look, the only real way to get around burn out is to rest. And I mean really rest. The feet up, Game of Thrones binge watch type rest. But when was rest ever fun? If like me, you’d rather stick a fork in your eye than slow down, then here are some suggestions to help you re-focus and produce more.
THE ZEN OF ONE
I’ve talked at lengths about focus and productivity. There’s no one size fits all method for mastering productivity.
Except there actually is.
Forget the plague of ‘multitaskers’ and ‘plate spinners’ it’s all an illusion baby. They’re not really being productive, they’re giving themselves a one-way ticket to a fractured and overwhelmed mind and a severe case of cortisol-induced heart failure.
One task at a time people.
O.N.E.
One book.
One story.
One word.
It’s the only way to be truly productive. Science and Cal Newport (author of Deep Work) says so. I’ve written about how narrowing your focus and just working on one task is better for your brain, for your productivity, and for your output
Newport’s point is that we’re plagued by notifications and distractions and minutia. It floods our tiny brains and nukes our ability to focus. No focus, no output. The point is, you need to purge yourself from being switched on all the time. Grasp the silence like the holy grail it is. It’s okay not to reply to comments or check every Facebook notification. The only thing you’re missing is Aunt Bessy’s missing cat and the shit replica of Jamie Oliver’s latest recipe that your long forgotten school friend attempted.
Silence is golden. So is one task.
You can get Cal’s book here: AmazonUK AmazonCOM
RE-PRIORITISE
When you’re burned out, chances are, even a to-do list of three things is going to feel like an anvil to the head. It does for me. As soon as I’m tired (which is all the time), I slip into MUST DO ALL OF THE THINGS mode… Every tiny detail gets slapped on an obscene sized to do list and I stress and worry about all of them. Until I take a breath and remind myself that no one is going to die if an Instagram photo isn’t taken, or if I haven’t tweeted, or set up a new AMS ad.
What’s the big picture here?
No books, no sales. No sales, no full-time writing.
Words.
Words are always the priority. Everything else can wait.
DELEGATION DIVA
Ask yourself what are the things only you can do? Realistically its anything that involves your creativity i.e. your books, your podcast, speaking gigs etc. Everything else can be done by others. If you’re on the brink of burn out, then seriously, it’s time to ask for help. Get a cleaner, find a Virtual Assistant, splurge on scheduling software, get an accountant. Whatever, but it’s time to accept you’re not a superhero and you need help.
Collaboration is efficient. You’ll do more in less time.
It’s okay to ask for help.
PUT THE BIG GIRL PANTS AWAY
You know what else is okay?
Not to be okay.
I mean it. Writers are so hard on themselves. We’re expected to churn out words, market like a machine, hold down day jobs, mom like a master and still be a sane spouse. We’re just one person. We can’t do everything, we can’t run houses and full-time jobs and author businesses and still be resolutely positive. And if you can, take your candyfloss colored cheer pants over to the corner and face the wall.
It’s okay not to wear your big girl pants. Accept that you’re not okay, let the feelings exist, and then, when you’re ready, pick yourself up and soldier on.
Oh, and try meditation.
Who else has suffered from burnout? Let me know in the comments – what top tips do you have for recovery?
Footnotes:
- No keyboards have been harmed… although they may have been sworn at, smeared in coffee and had sugar crumbs smushed into their crevasses.
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Oh goodness yes!!! Me!
I think mine may be on the brink again… I can’t wait for the holidays… Then I might just take that break in the new year, from certain things, So I can concentrate on important stuff!! You know what!
Oooh well (apart from you being on the brink) that sounds promising on the word front 💜
😍😍😍
Burn out is a bitch and I know when it’s close as my dreams are filled with a loop of images to whatever I am working on at the time and then I start talking about it in my sleep!
Taking a holiday or even a short break from what you’re doing helps to reset. Being away from phones, computer and internet. Going for a walk, exploring a part of the town I’ve not been in before or to for a long time, strolling in a park (though at minus 20C, it’s a fast stroll and not much lingering) or taking a book I’ve been meaning to read (unrelated to what I’m writing) and sitting in a coffee shop with it or all good ways to take a break.
It’s MINUS 20????????????????? Holy crap. Can you even go out in that? Are you still in Asia? I do the thing of reading unrelated stuff too. Or sometimes just vegetating in front of the screen – mostly because I don’t really watch TV these days. But I wish I was better and did things like yoga and meditation
I agree with you on doing yoga or meditation, it would also help in staying more flexible which would be a plus considering I spend an inordinate amount of time in a chair in front of a computer.
As to the temp, yeah it’s bad at times though the coldest weather is usually from mid-Jan to mid-March when it has got as low as minus 40 without wind chill. But as long as you wrap up warm with plenty of layers and it’s not overly windy, then yes, you can go outside.
It is the life here in Inner Mongolia. The cities don’t see that much snow simply because it’s a dry climate most of the time.
You and me both Tim. I live my life in front of a screen. Not good at all.I didn’t know you were in inner mongolia!!!!!!!!! that’s so far away! I can’t even imagine what life is like there. Have you posted photos anywhere? I’d love to see the beautiful scenery. Are you in a city or somehwere remote?
Life in China (living) is quite different to many other places in the world and something that most people won’t experience even on a holiday here. There are things that take time to get used to and others that you quickly switch off about yet the people are friendly most of the time, more so than anywhere else I’ve ever been to.
Here’s a link to a large photo collection on Flickr:
https://www.flickr.com/gp/11812951@N03/xL9H3i
And anyone here can look at them if they want to. Except for the diving photos which were from Egypt before I decided to come to China, all the others are from since I moved here.
The link will be active until the end of January, after that I need to find a new home for them as the site has changed its rules (Grrr!).
I live in Baotou which is a small city by China’s standards, somewhere over 2 million but they are spreadout over quite a large area so it doesn’t feel closed in like other smaller cities with similar populations.
The trick, I have learned, is to slow down a bit BEFORE burnout, that way you don’t have to grind to a sickening halt…
It’s a good trick IF you can recognise the signs of tiredness. Which I cannot. 🙄 I annoy myself over it. Im getting better. Usually the first sign is that I get grumpy and fed up and my ability to cling to hope vanishes. But sometimes I don’t recognise that for what it is… tiredness 😂
Trouble is, we are usually too busy doing what we think we should, to pay any attention to our inner voice. It would help if it shouted, as I swear I’m getting a bit deaf!
bahahaha I’m frankly gobsmacked mine doesn’t shout! Much love to you both
Have a great Christmas, Sacha! XX
Thank you my lovely, same to both of you <3 <3
I have just commented, but it seems to have taken a walk… Good luck with taking it easy for a while…
Another thing I woke up this morning and asked about – how to find peace.
The head constantly argues, the heart knows, and the stomach listens to whichever is loudest. So dismiss the mind chatter and listen instead to the heart, which will tell you what to do, and when. 🙂
Those are very very wise words <3
When I was still writing, directing and producing each December I was forced to take time off and we would go stay with friends on the coast and all I could do was stay in bed for 3-5 days and sleep and sleep and sleep. It got so I couldn’t focus, couldn’t think, couldn’t do anything. Burnout is horrible and only rest cures it.
Yep. That’s exactly what happens to me – I can’t think. I continue to work and achieve nothing. It’s awful 🙁
This post is perfect for me today, Sacha. I have not taken any significant break in writing for the four years I’ve been doing it. I recently retired and now I have more time to write, but I’m not feeling the joy in it. And now I have the added pressure that when you are retired you must have fun and be ecstatically happy. I’ve been meditating and I believe that has made me even more aware of my internal state of unrest. Thanks for the validation that I’m not totally crazy!
Ahhh I love when serendipitous posts come up like that. You are not crazy. Burnout is a thing. It’s real. It’s awful. You have to protect yourself from it. At the end of the day, you write for the love. If you’ve pushed yourself so hard you don’t love it anymore, be kind, have a break 💜💜
Oh, I’m there! I hear you girl. 2 more weeks to get by and I’m going dark! <3
Good for you – is this for travels? Happy holidays by the way x
Oh, yes, getting out of the winter doldrums. And Happy Christmas to you my friend. 😉 x
I have had a very tough work year. I have run up to 11 transaction projects at a time. The stress wears you out. Interestingly, I use my blogging, baking and writing to destress. I find them all relaxing.
We all have that creative outlet that de-stresses. I guess because I’m trying to build my writing into a business it’s more stress than outlet at the moment. But I do still love writing fiction – that is definitely escapism for me too.