The Insecure Writer's Support Group is a safe place for insecure writers of all kinds.
Health Update: I will be having surgery on July 11th (next Thursday) on my right ovary to have the cyst and endometriosis removed. They won't know the extent of things until they go in, but there's a possibility they may have to remove more. I'd appreciate prayers and good thoughts. Also, I have blog posts scheduled throughout the month, but it may take me a while to return visits after the 11th, if I am able to (healing is 4-6 weeks). But I will pop in to see your comments and to reply back to them.
What is writer’s burnout?
Burnout is very different from writer’s block. It’s worse. Writer’s burnout is something you feel deep down…bone-deep. It’s just like when athletes burnout from working themselves too hard and too much for too long. They can lose their love of the sport, physically and mentally. You can get writer's burnout from doing anything related to being an author.
To read my story and the tips I previously shared check out:
None of the tips above will
help you, truly help you, unless you eliminate stress from your life.
The number one cause of
burnout is doing too much too quickly.
You can prevent burnout
by eliminating stress or accepting help now. And you can do the same to heal
yourself if you are currently burned out.
MY STORY:
In 2017, when I was
immersed in depression and burned out, I evaluated my responsibilities and made
the decision to step back from a couple of duties that took up too much of my
time and effort, heightened my stress levels, and were no longer making me happy.
I knew the decision was right the moment I made up my mind because I felt
lighter without those stressors weighing me down. And I have never regretted my
decisions.
Questions to ask
yourself:
-
What
causes me the most stress?
-
Do
all of my “jobs” still bring me joy?
-
Are
there people in my life who make me feel unappreciated?
-
Does
one of my responsibilities bring me unwanted drama?
-
Where
am I overworked?
-
What
takes up most of my time and effort with little or no reward?
Now ask yourself:
-
Where
can I ask for help?
-
Where
can I take a step back?
BACTINE #25: Juggle Less
If you have too many
balls in the air and are struggling to juggle them all, give yourself
permission to drop one or two of those balls. When you do, your tempo will be
renewed and you will be able to juggle with ease.
BACTINE #26: Divide and Conquer
If you have too much on
your plate, divide a couple of those larger portions in half and offer one half
to someone else you trust. Or delegate a couple of small portions to another.
Do you have a partner? Can you hire a virtual assistant? What about a
supportive friend or family member?
If something doesn’t
make you happy anymore, imagine your happiness once you shed that
responsibility. If you dread something, it’s not meant to be.
Really evaluate your
answers to the questions above, meditate on them if you need to, trust yourself,
and do what you need to do for you, your health, and your writing.
I think this is my last Bactine post for Writer’s Burnout.
QUESTIONS: How stressed out are you on a scale of 1 to 10? Have any of my posts helped you? I hope so. :)
