LA Music Review | Art, stories and advice
by Carley Varley
Burnout is a horrible thing; it often happens to those who don’t know how to switch off and take too much on. They forget to look after themselves and often say yes to things that significantly decreases their time when they need to say no and focus on their own wellbeing. Today I’m going to cover tips to helping you avoid burnout and chatting through when exactly to take breaks.
Recognising when you need a break is vital to making sure you avoid burnout.
If you start to find yourself feeling too tired to work or that your passion is dwindling in the things you usually enjoy, it is time to take a break. A break doesn’t need to be a holiday or a few days away, it can be a day of doing things that you enjoy or that you find relaxing.
Whenever I feel myself falling into old habits and burning out, I always make a point to free up a day or weekend and go and see friends or spend some time with my family. That way I’m out and about, being social and not focused on work or stuck inside going stir crazy.
Another red flag of when you need to take a break before burnout is stress and feeling overwhelmed. If you start to feel this way most days, it is time to have a rest and put your projects down for a little bit.
Meeting deadlines is important but avoiding burnout is more important.
If you end up working too hard, you begin to lose motivation quickly, its normal to feel a little stressed with certain tasks or a little overwhelmed if you have a lot to do in a day, but if it starts to mount like a pressure, make sure you take a break.
Another way to avoid burnout is to delegate jobs, use the people you have around you to help you. If you are self-employed like me and you are the sole creator, reach out to another creator and ask for advice or ask for someone to cover your shift/work for a bit whilst you have a break.
I remember a few months ago I was feeling rundown, and very close to burnout, so I asked my friend to cover a gig I had in the diary. It meant that I had an evening off where I could just rest and sleep, it was awesome, and I really appreciated it.
It can also be helpful to have a weekly ritual in terms of resting, have something that you do that helps you take a break. It can be a simple thing like going to a quiet spot to sit and read a book, grabbing a coffee with someone and chatting about unrelated things to your work. Whatever it may be, make sure you have some form of rest before you burn yourself out.
