recovering from burnout
Hey friends,
Hope you’re all doing okay! This summer for me has been all about exploring, experimenting and learning new things. My surgery recovery forced me to stop everything and focus on recovering, so i’m now realizing that one of the main reasons i was feeling so crappy was because i was burnt out.
Life can get so hard... I was trying to do so many things at the same time until I couldn’t anymore. I was feeling exhausted from the moment I woke up and i was putting so much pressure on myself that I had to do everything perfectly. I was so unmotivated and honestly considering to stop drawing all together, stop pursuing my art career and stop everything.
I’m almost grateful for my knee injury forcing me to stop because being able to see that i’m burnt out helped me shift my focus and reprioritize things. Knowing how i feel when i’m burnt out has given some insight on how to better care for myself during this time. So, I thought i could share some tips/things i’ve been doing during this time :·)
Let’s get into it!
tip #1 — literally stop for a sec !!
give yourself permission to step away from your creative work. Rest, relax and try doing some other activities that are different to what you normally do (which leads me to tip #2)…
tip #2 — change your focus
Something that wasn’t helping me during my burn out was focusing on the fact that i was burnt out, so i decided (or it was decided for me tbh) to focus on something else— my surgery recovery.
I'm working out a lot to make my knee stronger, trying my best to sleep 8hrs and feeding myself nutritious food that helps give me energy.
Changing my focus to taking care of myself has helped me see my burn out from afar. Recognizing it’s there but not obsessing over it has helped me start the path to healing.
tip #3 — talk about it <3
Share with your friends or close loved ones how you’re feeling, don’t try to hide it and pretend you’re not feeling like this because that won’t make it go away. Having support is so important especially when you’re going through a rough moment.
tip #4 — experiment !
Be brave and try making stuff that’s different from your normal creative practice. Do you normally draw animals? You could try to draw plants. Or, maybe if you typically use a specific medium in your creative practice, like gouache paint, you could try using oil pastels.
tip #5 — try taking a workshop or class
Learning a new skill can help give you a different perspective on the work you’re currently doing. Maybe it’s time to finally sign up for that ceramics class you’ve been wanting to try?
tip #6 — ignore social media
Or maybe not fully ignore (whenever I restrict anything for myself it makes me want to do it more hahah) but definitely try to limit your social media time. I personally put time limits on all my social apps and that’s really helped me not be online so much.
tip #7 — explore other hobbies/ activities
Try new things that are not related to your creative practice. Take a walk, bake or cooking something new, learn a new craft, all just for fun !!
tip #8 — surround yourself with things and people you love
Rearrange your work area! Hang up prints you love around your house! Go to a museum and see that exhibition everyone is talking about! Listen to music that uplifts you or a podcast you love! Pass by that beautiful bookshop/library! Go to nature! Hang out with your people who make you laugh so hard you almost pee yourself hahah— basically, turn towards the things that bring you joy and surround yourself by them.
Burnout sucks, I’m not gonna lie, and recovering from burnout is a slow process. So, try not to be too hard on yourself during this time. Take it easy, explore different ways to try to recover and i’m sure you’ll find what works for you. I hope my tips give at least you with somewhere to start. These tips might have worked for me, but everyone’s different, so it’s important to find what works for you too.
Thank you for being here. It’s my first blog post and I’m a little nervous, but excited to try something new! I hope you have the best start to your August— this summer is flying by huh?? I’m trying my best not to melt in this heat haha, I hope your summer is treating you well.
With love and until next time,
