When I’m in burnout, it feels like it will never end.

Usually I have been busy being hyper-productive, and saying “yes” to far too much. And all the sudden I look up and I’m already burned out. Oops. It feels like I’ve dug myself into a pit.

I don't know who needs to hear this about burnout but: it’s fixable.

It usually takes you stopping to pay attention to your needs, and then having the guts to set boundaries around those needs. So that you have space to recover.

And yes, you need to actually recover - not just move on (I’m looking at my fellow overachievers here).

As photographers, burnout can be so normal. We work our ASSES off during busy season and want so badly to help our clients all have an amazing experience. Not to mention, the business aspect falls on our shoulders so it’s up to us to meet all of the financial goals for the business.

It can be a lot! So how do we recover from burnout?

Last Summer I was completely burnt out. My husband’s job was taking him on business trips multi-times a month, I was solo parenting a lot, working my ass off and felt like a shell of myself. I turned to my husband at the end of July and told him: I’m never doing this again.

I started actually paying attention to what I needed so that I could make informed boundaries in my life. And slowly, slowly started recovering from burnout. I’m still in the recovering process right now, so I’m sharing what’s currently working & hope it helps you too.

#1: REST

I know you’re probably already “lol-ing” at this one. But I’m serious. REST.
I’m the worst at this, and love to power through, but when I actually stop and rest - I have so much more energy later.

You don’t need that fourth cup of coffee. You need a nap.

If you can: schedule a night away at a hotel in your city. Sleep in, watch TV, go swimming…rest.
Your business will benefit more from you coming back refreshed than you trying to power through.

#2: Get to know your needs

Last Summer when I was experiencing bad burnout, I realized I didn’t even know what I needed. I’m a new mom, in a pandemic, and I just had no clue what I needed anymore. Everything I had from my life pre-baby/pre-pandemic didn’t necessarily apply anymore.
I was fumbling around trying to practice “self-care” with no real idea of what that meant for me. I started paying attention to what I needed and I started noticing patterns. I wrote them down & began to take them seriously. That meant boundaries and tough conversations and being misunderstood and also finally starting to feel more internally balanced.

#3: “Complete the Stress Cycle”

In their book “Burnout”, the Nagoski sisters talk about practical ways to move through stress. It’s a physical response in your body, and if you don’t complete the stress cycle it will linger in your body (often making you feel like shit). I highly recommend their book (or listening to them talk on THIS podcast) - but in a nutshell they talk about how things like exercise, or a good laugh, or journaling can help your body complete the stress cycle.

Take a daily walk, get a peloton app subscription, watch a really funny movie, watch a really sad movie and get a good cry, talk to a friend, journal, sleep…get that stress moved OUT of your body.