BURNOUT: The struggle is real.
I’ve had what has been called “writer’s block” many times over my career. What I only recently realized is: what we call writer’s block is, quite often, burnout. Which is probably why some people experience it, and others don’t (and can’t understand what it is.)
For the moment, let’s just assume you’re suffering from it, and really want to get out of it.
What does burnout look like, anyway?
Burnout looks different for different people, but here are some “usual suspects,” in no particular order:
– You’re writing a bit, here and there, but it either seems like crap, or you feel the desperate urge to “change” things.
– You can’t catch hold of an idea, although you have lots of “snippets.”
– You can’t come up with any other ideas for stories, despite really wanting to write.
– You have ideas, maybe a multitude of them… but when you show up to the computer/Freewrite/journal, you find yourself recoiling.
– You avoid your computer like you owe it money.
– You’re avoiding reading, even though you want to. Stories just aren’t capturing your attention the way they used to.
– You are too exhausted to do things like brush your teeth, much less show up to your computer or brainstorm ideas.
– You are doing things and getting no enjoyment from them, like watching TV or scrolling through social media.
– You really wish people would leave you alone.
Note: some of these, especially those last three, might be symptoms of something larger than burnout, which leads me to point out that burnout is tied to mental health. Which, incidentally, is not to be messed with. I’m not any sort of medical professional or therapist, but I’ve had bipolar 2 and ADHD diagnosed for years, and some truly dark days. I know there are studies that show that writers seem to have disproportionate numbers of people with mental health or neurodivergent issues.
Please: take this seriously. If you even suspect you’re dealing with something that will threaten your wellbeing, get help.
How do you “fix” this?
You’ve probably been in burnout for a while, the intensity going up degree by imperceptible degree, and now you’re pretty crispy but it just all feels “natural” until one day when it really, really doesn’t. That’s when you hit a wall, or rock bottom, or whatever you want to call it.
Where exactly you are on the burnout spectrum may be hard to pinpoint, and trying to determine the amount can be more than your taxed mind can handle. So what you’re going to do is:
1. Stop the spiral.
2. Triage.
3. Rebuild.
Stopping the spiral.
Depending on how you’re feeling, and where you are on the hypothetical spectrum of burnout, you will need self-care immediately just to calm down. You’re probably experiencing anxiety, possibly depression, and physical side effects of long-term pressure.
(Again, I’m not a medical professional and I strongly encourage you connecting with one.)
To address some of the short-term stress, you can follow some of the advice from sisters Emily and Amelia Nagoski, authors of Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle.
In their initial chapters, they point out that there is a difference between stress and stressors.
Stress is the physical and emotional responses we experience. Stressors, on the other hand, are what trigger those responses… usually fight, flight, or freeze.
The thing is, there is a cycle for stress. For example, you get triggered by, say, a lion chasing you. You run. (Flight.) You escape into your house and it can’t get through. You experience a flood of relief, madly hugging your family (and keeping them in the house, obviously, and probably calling animal control or whatever.) Your brain then knows: okay, danger’s over, we’re good.
But for most of us, stress is a daily thing. There is no “celebration of relief” because there is no end.
So you need to close the cycle.
Lucky for you, you don’t need to identify exactly what the stress is, and how to specifically address it. Here are some options for what they call “completing the cycle” to basically ground out that energy.
Stress vs. stressors.
Stress is the physical and emotional responses we experience. Stressors, on the other hand, are what trigger those responses… usually fight, flight, or freeze.
The thing is, there is a cycle for stress. For example, you get triggered by, say, a lion chasing you. You run. (Flight.) You escape into your house and it can’t get through. You experience a flood of relief, madly hugging your family (and keeping them in the house, obviously, and probably calling animal control or whatever.) Your brain then knows: okay, danger’s over, we’re good.
But for most of us, stress is a daily thing. There is no “celebration of relief” because there is no end.
So you need to close the cycle.
How to close the cycle.
Lucky for you, you don’t need to identify exactly what the stress is, and how to specifically address it. Here are some options for what they call “completing the cycle” to basically ground out that energy.
– Physical activity. Any kind, but make it noticeable. If you have chronic illness or are disabled, even muscle tensing and relaxing can help.
– Breathing. Conscious, mindful breathing has long been noted for trauma recovery and meditation.
– Laughter. It’s a release, and a pleasant one.
– Affection/social interaction. Getting a hug from a loved one helps. Petting a dog or cat helps, too.
– Basics of self-care: Drink water. Get a bit of sunshine. Eat foods that will make your body feel better, rather than just your emotions (and trust me, as an emotional eater I know this one intimately.)
Next blog post: how to address stressors and how to start healing.
I’m going to be addressing a lot of this in my time management(-ish?) course in December, but next time we’ll dive a little deeper because this is a really important subject, one that seems to hit writers even harder because we’re usually trying to shoehorn in writing as a side hustle, and because there are an ever increasing number of pressures added to those who are trying to write for a living.
For now, concentrate on stopping the spin and getting your body some much needed relief. Once you’re in a (relatively) stable space, we can work on improvement.
Hang in there!
There is a lot to be stressed about, including the hurricanes in Florida for my clients in the U.S. (not to mention a lot of other polarizing and stressful situations.) Put your own self-care first, and do hang in there. Also, reach out at any time with questions or if you need help.
Thank you to the subscriber who requested this topic. I think it’s very, very timely (and I hope you find this helpful!)