Writer’s Burnout, Recovery, and Tips to get back on track! #AuthorToolboxBlogHop

Welcome to another Author Toolbox Blog Hop post. The hop is hosted by Raimey Gallant, and is a monthly collection of writing resources. For a list of participants, click here:

I’m taking a break from my storytelling and TV series to talk about an important topic, and one I’ve struggled with the past few months: Writer’s Burnout.

I’ve always pushed myself hard, and I’ve never seen it as a problem until recently, when I was working on a writing sample for my university application. I burnt out not long after I submitted it, but I think my problems started way before that, in February, when my granddad died. I’ve never been good at recognising when I need a break, but looking back? I needed one then.

What is burnout?

Burnout is caused by ‘excessive and prolonged stress.’ It leaves you mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted.

I don’t know about you, but I have a never-ending task list. Normally I can manage it, but this year things got on top of me, and at the end of June I just stopped. Between the death of my granddad and my favourite pet, my partner losing his job and starting a new one with unsocial hours, and the pressure I put on myself to perfect my writing sample, my mind had enough.

Burnout sucks. Productivity goes out the window. Motivation? That too. You start to feel hopeless, cynical, and unable to function.

Recognise the signs:

Feeling helpless? Overworked? Undervalued? Exhausted? Does everything look bleak? You might be burnt out, or close to burning out.

We all have bad days, where we think our writing sucks, but feeling bad for a couple of days isn’t an issue. Even the most positive heroes have bad days, especially when we decide to torture them 😉 If you experience these feelings all the time though? Not good.

Because the symptoms of burnout gradually occur, and get worse over time, my burnout took me by surprise, but if you catch the symptoms early and reduce stress in time you can avoid it. With the benefit of hindsight, here’s a list of what to look for:

• Feeling tired constantly, no matter how much you sleep.

• Getting sick more often, or suffering from frequent headaches.

• Working less, procrastinating, or taking longer to write or edit.

• Avoiding responsibilities, often because you’re not motivated.

• Boredom, and a feeling that, no matter how much you write, it’s not enough.

• Getting easily frustrated and struggling to concentrate.

• Feeling detached and avoiding social gatherings.*

• Comfort eating or drinking.

• Feeling negative and doubting yourself, even when you succeed.

*This one’s tricky because I, like a lot of writers, am pretty introverted. It took me a while to realise my determination to avoid anything social had become a problem, and wasn’t just me being me!

The above list sounds kinda like our neighbourhood cats: Antisocial and sleepy!

In the past few months writing blog posts has taken me twice as long as usual, and I’ve been stuck on my WIP for a long time. I’ve only been active on Twitter on Sundays for my hashtag game, and since February I’ve had plenty of colds and even bronchitis. I also lost motivation to exercise and eat healthily, which in turn made me feel worse.

Even my successes failed to give me a feeling of accomplishment. It felt like life was passing me by as I checked items off a to do list. I didn’t have the time, or energy, for anything, and I struggled to relax and enjoy many of the things I love doing, like singing or writing.

It’s been a tough few months, but in the past month I’ve finally started to relax and recover.

Recovery tips:

Once you recognise the signs of burnout, try to reduce stress levels. Carrying on will only make the situation worse. The first step is figuring out why you burnt out in the first place. After that, focus on recovery. Here’s some tips:

• Talk to other people, especially those close to you.*

• Avoid negativity and negative people, where possible.

• Exercise and eat healthily.

• Make time to relax, and get enough sleep.

• Take a daily break from all technology, even if it’s just for half an hour, to help you relax.

• Write randomly, for fun, without any goal or project in mind.

• Reassess your personal goals and workload.

• Break your normal routine. Take a walk outside during lunch, or write in a different colour pen. Doing something new, or differently, can make you feel refreshed.

• Don’t be afraid to say no if you already have a full plate, especially when recovering.

• Learn to think positively. Start by thinking of one positive thing each day.

• Take a break. A one or two week break, even when deadlines are looming, is better than burning out and being unproductive for far longer.

• Be patient. Burnout takes a while to manifest, and it takes time to recover.

*May not be the ideal solution for introverts, but apparently being social is the fastest way to cure stress…

How to avoid future burnout:

Take breaks: Not necessarily somewhere awesome like a pirate cove with golden sands and blue seas, but step away from the writing!

Burning out is more than an inconvenience. For me, it was a struggle to do anything at all. I’ve learned it’s better to take a break at the first signs of burnout, rather than ignore the early warning signs and end up unproductive for months. But how can we avoid future burnout?

• Be aware of the signs of stress, and your own personal signs. Reduce stress before it leads to burnout. (When I’m stressed my Tinnitus is much worse!)

• Stick to the recovery tips above even after you feel better. A healthy lifestyle makes a healthy mind. Sleep well, be positive, don’t over-set goals, and don’t be afraid to say no.

• Have hobbies outside of writing. For many of us writing isn’t our day job, but we take it very seriously. That’s okay, but it’s good to have another hobby where we can express ourselves without the invisible pressure we put on ourselves.

• Take breaks. In my opinion writing every day is the fastest way to burn out. If you get stuck, take a break. It may be hard at first, but breaks are necessary, and okay!

Feeling under-appreciated? Like nothing you do makes a difference? If you start to feel like everything you do is pointless, take a step back, you may be burning out!

I’m through the worst of my burnout now, but I’ll try to write the rest of my summer story series by the end of the week so I can take the next two weeks off (Except my Twitter hashtag game, which I enjoy running!) I wish I’d realised I was burning out sooner to avoid an unproductive couple of months!

Thanks for reading!

Most writers I know expect a lot from themselves and push themselves hard. Knowing the signs of burnout, and when to take a break, is important, and I hope my insight and tips are helpful.

Have you ever suffered from burnout? Do you realise when you need a break, or, like me, do you continue on oblivious until things get so bad you notice too late? What other hobbies do you have aside from writing? Chat in the comments!