As a YouTube creator, you’re constantly on the move, brainstorming, cameras rolling, and refining content to keep viewers on their toes. While you pour your heart out creating content, burnout can unexpectedly creep in. Burnout is when you feel drained- physically, emotionally, and mentally. It is when you start dreading the work you once poured your heart into.
Burnout is different for everyone but the common symptoms are:
– Draining- physically, emotionally and mentally
– Lack of motivation
– Questioning your work’s worth
– Having trouble starting
– Diminishing performance
Every creator hits this wall sooner or later. Even big names like Vanessa Lau and PewDiePie haven’t been immune to burnout. But how you deal with it shapes where you go from there, either keeping your passion alive or dimming the spark completely. So, here’s a guide to avoiding that dreaded creator burnout:
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Create For You
As a YouTuber, it’s easy to get caught up in the web of people-pleasing and making content only for your audience. But don’t forget your passion and creativity, with which you started. Balancing what your viewers want with what you truly love making is crucial. If not, you risk losing yourself by pretending to be someone you’re not.
Focus on creating content that excites you. Ask yourself regularly: What do I want to make, and Why?
A healthy relationship with yourself and your work will automatically improve your relationship with your audience. So, make sure you’re enjoying your content before revealing it to the world.
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Schedule that Fits You
When you’re your own boss, it gets difficult to identify when you’re supposed to work, and when you’re not. This lack of clarity can lead you to either overwork yourself or not work at all, leading you on a path to burnout.
There are several time management techniques out there to help you stay productive without wearing yourself out. These include having a schedule, to-do lists, highlighting key goals, or using the Pomodoro method. So, create a schedule that works best for you. Limit yourself to realistic and health-friendly work hours while also carving out time for breaks, family, hobbies, and self-care.
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Create a Content Calendar
Content Calendars, when used right, can supercharge your content-creating journey, keeping you on top of your work and far from burning out. Overwhelming and overcommitting yourself to a bunch of projects will take a toll on you. This is where a Content Calendar comes in, giving you an idea of how much work you can do in an allotted amount of time.
While making it, make sure you don’t take on more than you can chew. Don’t cram your calendar, rather set smaller goals and keep your schedule flexible. This can also help you balance out creating content for different purposes- for you, your audience, promotional, or repurposing content.
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Work Smarter, Not Harder
You do not need to pressurise yourself to do every part of the job, tiring yourself every step of the way. Instead of working hard, work smart by using organisation tools or even delegating.
Organisation tools like Trello, Asana, and Airtable help you avoid stress. Delegating means giving part of the job to someone else, hiring them to do that part that’s too time-consuming or out of your expertise- like editing or social media promotion. This helps you save time, strike stress, and create more impactful content.
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Reward Yourself
Wrapped up a recording or nailed a tough edit? Celebrate those wins! Instead of working non-stop, take a day or two off. Carve out some time for non-work activities like enjoying a good meal, hobbies like painting or puzzles, or simply relaxing.
Remember, self-care is as important as your content. By rewarding yourself, celebrating wins, and taking breaks, you’re not just avoiding burnout, you’re making your content game stronger!
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Keep a Progress Journal
Track your progress with a Progress Journal! It can help you keep tabs on your goals, celebrate wins, and see how far you’ve come. By daily jotting down all your wins, big and small, you will notice all that you’ve accomplished. You can also note down all the hurdles you’ve faced and tackled along the way.
Now and again, peek back at your notes to see how much you’ve grown—it’s pretty motivating! This journal acts as your guide, cheering you on to move forward!
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Creator Affirmations
Affirmations are proven to be psychologically effective in countering negative thoughts and making you feel more upbeat. These powerful and uplifting statements help train our brains to think more positively.
They amp up motivation, tackle self-doubt, and train you to keep a positive attitude. It also helps dial down stress and get your creative juices flowing again. Including them in your daily routine, like saying them aloud in the morning, can tremendously impact your creative journey!
In the whirlwind of YouTube creativity, you need to keep your passion alive. If burnout hits, don’t hesitate to seek help for your mental health. Prioritize and focus on your well-being.
However, if you’re worried about your channel’s well-being taking a hit, reach out to Flintzy! You’re not all alone on this journey, let’s keep your creative fire burning together!
Want to grow your channel? Start here: www.flintzy.com