Here are my top 5 tips that help me press the release and reset button with each new year to avoid burnout as a creative entrepreneur.

There’s something about goal setting that’s gets us all excited and motivated especially moving into each new year. However, as we count down those last seconds into the new year and reality sets back in, so does the pressure to live up to those resolutions. Not just for the ‘gram but more importantly, to hold ourselves accountable for our aspirations to win at life.

ARE THE RISKS WORTH THE REWARD

Whether you creativepreneur, solopreneur, or full time employee with entrepreneurial endeavors, I believe we’ve all daydreamed about what our ideal success would look like. There’s always this burning desire to reach the other side of your full potential and live out your life’s design. This internal drive can push us beyond our limits too quickly and we end up taking higher risk than we are ready for.

Entrepreneurs in general, typically encounter greater risks with larger potential rewards. Understanding which risks are appropriate and which should be avoided is essential for any person in business. Nonetheless, when you are a creative entrepreneur, you often intuitively take higher risks which can be taxing on your mental health. This is because creative entrepreneurs are driven by our mission and passions and are much harder on ourselves for our perceived failures or public scrutiny.

Being purpose-driven, we often put a lot of unnecessary pressure on ourselves to reach goals in unrealistic deadline. This becomes problematic because we often feel compelled to make a lot of personal sacrifices in order to get ahead; or at least feel like we are.

Too many sacrifices can leave you with the short end of the stick. Maybe you’re desperately trying to balance time between appointments, tasks and deadlines. You can’t quite find a time or place just to be in the moment long enough to hear your own thoughts or unpack your emotions. Then there’s the guilt that slips in when you are not fully present but feel compelled to squeeze in quality time with your significant other, family or friends. These types of trade-offs affect your overall mental well-being and lead to burnout.

burnout

What Is BURNOUT?

Burnout is a state of overwhelming stress and fatigue that can take a toll on your mental and physical health. It’s common in creative professionals, such as entrepreneurs, because they are constantly juggling multiple tasks and may not have enough time for themselves or the activities they enjoy.

5 Common Myths About Burnout

1: Burnout is only caused by working too hard. Burnout can also be caused by a lack of motivation, boredom, or feeling overwhelmed.

2: Burnout is a sign of failure. Burnout is a real issue and it should not be taken lightly. However, it is not indicative of a lack of capabilities or a lack of effort.

3: Taking time off is the only solution to burnout. Taking time off can help manage burnout symptoms, but it’s not a permanent fix for the problem. It’s important to focus on addressing the underlying causes of burnout and managing stress levels on an ongoing basis.

4: Ignoring burnout will make it go away. Ignoring or not addressing burnout can lead to a worsening of the problem. It’s important to understand and address the symptoms of burnout in order to manage it effectively.

5: It’s only a problem for high-achievers or perfectionists. Burnout can affect anyone who is overworked and undervalued, regardless of their job title or industry.

Burnout doesn’t hit you all at once. Our bodies and minds are always giving us signals that we often ignore. You may at first feel extremely motivated and productive, moving through tasks and projects with ease. This new found excitement can turn into overwhelm if your capacity to manage work and personal life becomes strained . Now projects and tasks start to become stress triggers and eventually bring about chronic stress and imbalance. These signals, when continuously ignored began to decrease productivity and your motivation to reach goals.

Symptoms of burnout may include: feeling overwhelmed, being unable to focus, experiencing mood swings, becoming irritable, and feeling unmotivated.

When you are feeling any of the above symptoms, these 5 tips may help you press the release and reset button and avoid burnout.

5 Insightful Tips To Avoid Burn Out As A Creative Entrepreneur

1. Balance is key

When we’re overloaded, our thoughts and actions become chaotic. We don’t have time for anything else, which can lead to unhealthy habits and destructive thinking. It’s important to find equilibrium in your life – both at work and at home – in order to achieve success.

What helped me? Prioritizing Work-Life Balance.

In general, what helped me was setting boundaries for myself. Because I work from home the majority of the time, I had to be intentional about drawing the line between work and personal life. This means I clocked out and clock in and made self care practice a priority.Sometimes, it just comes down to making a decision and sticking to it!

2. Creativity comes from flow.

When we’re in a state of flow, our minds are free to focus on the task at hand. This is when our creativity rises to the surface, and we’re able to come up with great ideas and solutions. When work becomes too taxing, it can block our access to flow. Getting back into your creative flow sometimes calls for you to look for new inspiration from untapped and unrestricted experiences. These experiences should not require any expectation or measuring points, it should just be about being open to exploration.

What helped me? Finding my inspiration!

My burnout was a result of creative-overload, the opposite of creative block. It affected my inability to fully focus or follow through on creative projects. I realized holding on to ideas that I was not passionate about executing was actually paralyzing and held my creative flow for the ones I was passionate about hostage. Thankfully, I found my inspiration being a service to others. Not only was I lending a helping hand to friends and family, I found fulfillment in sharing those same ideas that were in turn beneficial to other creatives.

If you are looking for a way to supercharge your creativity flow in the new year, then definitely read up on my recent blog post where I show you an easy step by step guide on how to create a Manifestation Vision Board! It’s been a game changer in my book!

3. Healthy habits lead to healthy minds.

Habits are what lead us towards success or failure. If you want to be a successful creative entrepreneur, it’s important that you develop healthy habits both at work and at home. These habits might include getting more organized, improving your environmental design, improving your wellness lifestyle and personal development. When you adapt healthy habits you inherently vibrate higher. You become more self-aware, you feel balanced, more positive, and more confident.

What helped me? Vibrating higher.

I believe how you use your time and energy and space determine whether you vibrate low or high. When you use your time to be productive, you feel fulfilled. When you exude positive energy it becomes contagious; when you surround yourself with positive stimuli, you become unstoppable. Prioritizing healthy habits like going to the gym,  journaling, eating to live rather than overindulgence, reading for self-discovery and self-awareness was just some of the changes I made to induce healthier habits. Any commitment to positive change leads to a better quality of life.

4. It’s never too late to start over.

Even the most successful creative entrepreneurs always find room for improvement. Which can be a good thing or bad thing depending on your mindset. Maybe you’ve been too hard on yourself for failed business or personal endeavors or projects. Or you are dissatisfied with outcomes that could or should of had better results. You might feel you are at a crossroad where you are too far along to stop but can’t seem to find the motivational drive to keep going. The constant need for improvement could lead to bouts of perfectionism or it could mean another opportunity to give yourself the gift of grace and just start over from where you are.

What helped me? Going back to the drawing board!

When things don't work out the way you think they should or you find yourself running into constant obstacles and roadblocks, it may be time to just stop forcing what just isn't working and focus on what is working. There's nothing wrong, in fact, it's more beneficial to go back to the drawing board and assess and reevaluate your experiences regularly. This sometimes means you may have to part ways with stagnant thinking and habits and start fresh with a growth mindset.

5. It’s time to take a break.

Sometimes, the best way to recover from a stressful or demanding situation is to take a break. This might mean taking some time off from work, taking a social media break, taking a vacation, or simply just spending quality time catching up family and friends. When you take a break, you can release any lingering thoughts and emotions and reset. I promise you will come back re-energized and focused with a renewed vigor!

What helped me? A getaway…

Normalize taking a real vacation! I didn't fully understand the purpose or benefits of getting away with absolutely no expectation or regard for anything else but rest and relaxation. Spending quality time with family and friends and staying OFF social media also helped me appreciate the importance of just being in the moment.

These tips I’ve learned from my personal experiences over the last couple of years have really helped me get through some tough times.

Creating balance, finding your flow, developing healthy habits, starting over and taking necessary breaks all contributed to high vibrating energy and a more fulfilling life. We all need encouragement from time to time but I thought it was especially important to share these tips with my fellow creative entrepreneurs because we are often on this journey alone with just our blind faith and talent.

So, If you are need of a little more inspo for your mind, body and soul, check out my recent vlog for a look back on how I used these tips to release and reset for the new year!