Cheerful Life // Banishing Burnout

My husband will tell you that I have only two operating modes. They are all and nothing.

For the past month, I have been in “all” mode, planning and constructing and imagining and making everything for a super amazing styled wedding inspiration photo shoot (there is a sneak peek above and some behind the scenes action below…and I cannot wait to share more of it all soon!)…and loved every second of it. Making pretty things is so. much. freaking. fun. I got to get to know and hang out with some pretty amazing new creative people too…collaborating is one of the best parts of working in the creative community!

I couldn’t do my job without having an “all” mode. It allows me to focus completely on wedding days and jump head first into gigantic projects. Being consumed by ideas and possibilities or wrapped up in the moment helps me produce my best work…and feel like I accomplished something at the end of the day.

It’s exhilarating.

But then it ends once the project is over, the moments of frenzied activity, passed. And I’m left with nothing. No energy, no ideas, no motivation.  I know I lack balance. This does not feel so good. Maybe you’ve been here too…when you wonder whether you’ll ever have the drive to do anything resembling work ever again.

I’m starting to figure out the pattern. When this feeling comes on, it usually means I have burned myself out. It is time to take a step back for a day or two and give my Self the care and attention I have denied it for weeks, sometimes months, on end. If I don’t listen and keep trying to plow through, it takes so much longer to bounce back. Kind of like having a cold gets better so much faster if you just take two days to sleep it off (I’ve learned this the hard way too).

So here’s what I do when I need to rejuvenate my creativity and work my way back to wanting to create:

* Ignore social media. All of it.
* Read a book. Anything but a business book. (This time I read this one, and loved it.)
* Go for walks.
* Plant succulents.
* Listen to podcasts. (I find these always encourage me.)
* Take a yoga class.
* Plan a trip – to take later.
* Go on a field trip. I love museums.
* Make dates with friends.
* Go shopping. Especially grocery shopping.
* Bake cookies. (Like a batch of these.)

There’s always some voice inside that tells me what I want to do. I just have to listen to it. And once my Self feels acknowledged and nourished, jumping right back into planning and dreaming and doing non-stop feels exciting again, and perfectly right.

Are you an all-or-nothing person, or do you work daily to maintain balance? What do you do when you’re feeling mentally worn? Any tips to share? Leave them in the comments!