{"id":29117,"date":"2016-10-13T08:00:33","date_gmt":"2016-10-13T12:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress-181994-533056.cloudwaysapps.com\/?p=29117"},"modified":"2019-12-08T10:44:21","modified_gmt":"2019-12-08T15:44:21","slug":"blogger-burnout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/blogging-tips\/blogger-burnout\/","title":{"rendered":"Reality Check: Let’s Talk About Blogger Burnout & How You Can Keep Yourself From Quitting!"},"content":{"rendered":"
EXCITING NEWS:<\/strong><\/div>\n
\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n
You can keep reading old articles here, but all new blog tips and online business articles can now be found on Lerna<\/a>, a brand new incentivized learning platform that rewards you for learning material by giving you money back!<\/strong><\/div>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n

I had a very cute little London Fashion Week SS17 trend recap lined up, complete with top looks and all, in order to continue my fashion month recap. Then, after spending 12+ hours a day on working on the blog, planning, brand relationship management, campaigns, social media, content creation, photo editing, emails, etc all in the last few days, I decided a piece on blogger burnout would be more appropriate. Especially after fashion month is finally over.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s common to mistake burnout with exhaustion. Burnout is NOT just your regular day to day exhaustion. Burnout is a really debilitating state that will suck the light out of you. I used to think that I was actually entering severe depression periods.<\/span><\/p>\n

And get the hell outta here (I did some research just now)! Guess what? There are now research papers coming out pointing to evidence that burnouts are clinically similar to depression. <\/span><\/p>\n

I want to speak about what my burnouts look like (yes, I’ve had multiple ones, and they’re slightly embarrassing), how to spot if you’re heading toward blogger burnout, and how to prevent them. Preventing a burnout is key to keeping consistent and steadily growing your blog!<\/span><\/p>\n

What My Blogger Burnout Looks Like<\/span><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s REALLY hard to pinpoint my quick descent into burnout sometimes. I basically start off with a two page task list. I typically have a running to-do of tasks that not only repeat but also unique one off tasks. After spending a solid 12+ hour day of just sitting in front of the laptop and working straight through the day, I go to sleep in a body full of pent up anxiety.<\/span><\/p>\n

I think that\u2019s my first tell-tale sign: the anxiety. I get pangs of it in my stomach every time I look at my task list. If I\u2019m particularly exhausted and skip on doing a recurring task, I\u2019ll wake up in the middle of the night thinking about how much I have to do. I have trouble falling asleep, and when I do sleep, I don\u2019t really wake up refreshed.<\/span><\/p>\n

When I\u2019m REALLY busy and going from one task to another plus running around town, I bury the anxiety away until it surfaces when I have a minute to breathe. Toward the end of fashion week I had a complete breakdown.<\/span><\/p>\n

What Happened?<\/h3>\n

I was running a campaign for NYC Style Collective, trying to keep up with communication with 20 girls and the PR company. On top of it, I was going to at least 3 events and runway shows a day, doing street style photography, writing articles for the blog, doing social media management, planning out promotional schedule for the blog posts and still e-mailing with regular brand campaigns and partnerships. <\/span><\/p>\n

You can see what my typical days looked like HERE.<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

By the end of the week, I was sore, tired, and the smallest of things could\u2019ve set me off. I\u2019m lucky I had gel nail polish on my nails, otherwise I would\u2019ve gnawed them off.<\/span><\/p>\n

Anyway, something or other happened (small thing that I could\u2019ve handled under more normal circumstances). I lost it. The world ended as I knew it. I couldn\u2019t deal with ANYTHING. I broke down, I told people I\u2019m quitting and asked who wants my second company. I started hyperventilating. I\u2019m almost 30, but I started bawling. Like, not just a tear shed, full on bawling. <\/span><\/p>\n

Suddenly, I couldn\u2019t handle writing. I couldn\u2019t handle interacting with another human. I hated the idea of social media and being tied to it. I wanted it all to just spontaneously combust. I started dreaming of getting out of the city ASAP and just leaving everything behind.<\/span><\/p>\n

And this isn\u2019t the first time something like this happened. I typically stand up and start pacing, chewing on my nails and looking for a corner where I can crumple and cry. I sometimes have a panic attack. My husband keeps a Xanax handy and immediately breaks off a piece to administer a dose and calm me down.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Constant Battle<\/h3>\n

So yeah, there it is. This is my reality. I have moments where I run through and tick off \u201cto do\u201d boxes like a magical fairy, before I realize that it\u2019s not sustainable to wake up in the morning, work nonstop until the evening, and expect to do it again with no discernible stopping point.<\/span><\/p>\n

I fool myself into thinking I\u2019m OK when I\u2019m energized and ready to work. So when I\u2019m inspired, I don\u2019t bother with walking away from the screen. Basically, working for myself\/blogging full time has been the toughest job I\u2019ve ever had (and I\u2019ve had many jobs). It has produced the biggest amount of breakdowns (especially after fashion week).<\/span><\/p>\n

So where do these breakdowns leave me? Well, I turn into a vegetable for the next several days. I wake up groggy and with no motivation to do anything. I binge watch Netflix and eat crap. Sometimes I drink wine and pretend it\u2019s all OK and I\u2019m just on vacation (I\u2019m not, I\u2019m just trying to catch up on a break I should\u2019ve been giving myself all along).<\/span><\/p>\n

I have no motivation creatively, so my content creation takes a break. Sometimes I\u2019ll crank out a few uninspired pieces, but ultimately my content schedule suffers from a  <\/span>hiccup. I\u2019ll reply to a few emails (ones that I can manage) and leave the others for a better day. I basically go missing from social media. And then, all the while, I wake up in the middle of the night from all the anxiety because of all the work that\u2019s piling up.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s not sustainable. I\u2019m learning how to give myself breaks and keep a burnout at bay, so this article is as much for me as it is for you.<\/span><\/p>\n

Identify The Burnout<\/span><\/h2>\n

Step 1: Stay Aware and do Mental Checks<\/span><\/h3>\n

I did a mental check as I was writing this article. Turns out, I was at my computer working since 9AM today. It\u2019s now 6:20PM. The only breaks I took were for the potty.  <\/span>I also got up to get leftover pizza from the fridge (slice one was breakfast, slice two was lunch). <\/span><\/p>\n

Clearly, today\u2019s schedule is not something that\u2019s setting me up for success for the rest of the week. My day yesterday looked something similar to today except I worked until 11PM. The day before was a little more forgiving and I took a 1 hour video game break. <\/span><\/p>\n

If I didn\u2019t do that mental check, I wouldn\u2019t be conscious of the fact that I need to be strict about taking a break the rest of my evening and scheduling in several breaks tomorrow.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step Two: Take note of any compulsion when trying to \u201creach for the stars\u201d<\/span><\/h3>\n

I think #girlboss is one of the worst things to happen to us in the recent years. This notion that we should be doing everything and anything and never stop is ridiculous. At the end of the day, we can\u2019t just jump into a profession and start comparing ourselves to the rest of the flock. <\/span><\/p>\n

This is what often happens to fashion bloggers. There\u2019s always someone bigger, better and with more fame and experience under their belt. Those people usually have teams.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the meantime, we set grandiose goals and start expecting more of ourselves. This \u201cexcessive ambition\u201d leads us to compulsions and doing tasks even when we can\u2019t afford the time or spare the capacity.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step Three: When\u2019s the last time you\u2019ve eaten or had fun?<\/span><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s common to start neglecting needs in the first stages of burnout. You\u2019ll start forgetting to eat as you obsessively focus on tasks. Fun time will seem frivolous and you\u2019ll never have time for it as the work consumes you.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Avoid
Take time for little rituals that focus on relaxation.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Step Four: Pay attention to your mood<\/span><\/h3>\n

You\u2019ll start snapping. Just saying\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step Five: Things are now starting to look bleak and the task list is never-ending.<\/span><\/h3>\n

Ok this is like\u2026the end. You need to come to grips with things and WALK THE F AWAY FROM THE SCREEN. I know you\u2019re in denial right now. That\u2019s one of the symptoms. You\u2019re in denial. Stop. I know you want a drink right now. You\u2019re starting to feel like nothing more than a mechanical being and you don\u2019t even know why you\u2019re doing this anymore!<\/span><\/p>\n

Step Six: Your Toast is Burnt<\/span><\/h3>\n

You\u2019re overworked and overdone. You\u2019re probably depressed by now and nothing brings you joy. Life doesn\u2019t seem fun and happy anymore and you really don\u2019t care about blogging. \ud83d\ude41<\/span><\/p>\n

Prevent The Burnout<\/span><\/h2>\n

Step 1: Set work time boundaries<\/span><\/h3>\n

This one\u2019s easier said than done, but it\u2019s very necessary. Write down how much time each task on your to-do list takes, and then schedule it in your calendar while leaving breaks. If you find it takes more time, simply move it over to day two. Have a consistent time when your work day is over, like in any \u201cnormal\u201d job. Also, plan a vacation! Just plan more vacations. They don’t have to be extravagant, but do a getaway once in a while<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Avoid
More vacations = less stress.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Step 2: Incorporate stress reduction techniques into your day<\/span><\/h3>\n

Whether it\u2019s yoga, a fitness class or meditation, its important to have some stress-reducing activity in your day. There are plenty of apps to help with that. You need to take \u201cyou\u201d time very seriously.<\/span><\/p>\n

Related: Meditation apps to reduce stress<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Step 3: Identify what overworks you<\/span><\/h3>\n

Now offload it or change how you deal with the task. If needed, reorganize and reprioritize that task\u2019s importance in your life.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step 4: Keep track of your daily achievements<\/span><\/h3>\n

Keeping a journal or a log of things you achieved that day will help you keep focused and inspired. You\u2019ll notice that you\u2019re actually making progress and you\u2019re not just a hamster spinning the wheel. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

EXCITING NEWS: You can keep reading old articles here, but all new blog tips and online business articles can now be found on Lerna, a brand new incentivized learning platform that rewards you for learning material by giving you money back! I had a very cute little London Fashion Week SS17 trend recap lined up,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":29120,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[464,133,128],"tags":[468,279,558],"thb-sponsors":[],"yoast_head":"\nLet's Talk About Blogger Burnout and How To Prevent It<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Blogger burnout is very real. Like in any other high paced and high pressure job, it's bound to happen, especially if you're blogging full time.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Let's Talk About Blogger Burnout and How To Prevent It\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Blogger burnout is very real. Like in any other high paced and high pressure job, it's bound to happen, especially if you're blogging full time.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/blogging-tips\/blogger-burnout\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Style Tomes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/facebook.com\/styletomes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/styletomes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-10-13T12:00:33+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-12-08T15:44:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Identify-and-prevent-fashion-blogger-burnout.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"735\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1102\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@https:\/\/www.twitter.com\/styletomes\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@styletomes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Style Tomes\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/facebook.com\/styletomes\",\"https:\/\/instagram.com\/styletomes\",\"https:\/\/youtube.com\/styletomes\",\"https:\/\/pinterest.com\/styletomes\",\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/styletomes\"],\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/#logo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Style-Tomes-Logo.png\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":227,\"caption\":\"Style Tomes\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/#logo\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/\",\"name\":\"Style Tomes\",\"description\":\"Live Your Most Beautiful & Fashionable Life\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":\"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/?s={search_term_string}\",\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/blogging-tips\/blogger-burnout\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Identify-and-prevent-fashion-blogger-burnout.jpg\",\"width\":735,\"height\":1102,\"caption\":\"Reality Check: Let's Talk About Blogger Burnout & How You Can Keep Yourself From Quitting! 2\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/blogging-tips\/blogger-burnout\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/blogging-tips\/blogger-burnout\/\",\"name\":\"Let's Talk About Blogger Burnout and How To Prevent It\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/blogging-tips\/blogger-burnout\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2016-10-13T12:00:33+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-12-08T15:44:21+00:00\",\"description\":\"Blogger burnout is very real. Like in any other high paced and high pressure job, it's bound to happen, especially if you're blogging full time.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/blogging-tips\/blogger-burnout\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/blogging-tips\/blogger-burnout\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/blogging-tips\/blogger-burnout\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"item\":{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/\",\"name\":\"Home\"}},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"item\":{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/blogging-tips\/blogger-burnout\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/blogging-tips\/blogger-burnout\/\",\"name\":\"Reality Check: Let’s Talk About Blogger Burnout & How You Can Keep Yourself From Quitting!\"}}]},{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/blogging-tips\/blogger-burnout\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/blogging-tips\/blogger-burnout\/#webpage\"},\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/#\/schema\/person\/2d08df123f9ce087f34e49a743deee4c\"},\"headline\":\"Reality Check: Let’s Talk About Blogger Burnout & How You Can Keep Yourself From Quitting!\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-10-13T12:00:33+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-12-08T15:44:21+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/blogging-tips\/blogger-burnout\/#webpage\"},\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/blogging-tips\/blogger-burnout\/#primaryimage\"},\"keywords\":\"blogging tips,Health,mental health\",\"articleSection\":\"Blogging Resources,Career,Lifestyle\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/blogging-tips\/blogger-burnout\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/#\/schema\/person\/2d08df123f9ce087f34e49a743deee4c\",\"name\":\"Nataliya Ogle\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/#personlogo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d505fb7a2526fe86714bb87e56789b6d?s=96&d=blank&r=pg\",\"caption\":\"Nataliya Ogle\"},\"description\":\"Nataliya Ogle likes making sure others live to their full potential. She publishes articles on her primary website styletomes.com and works as a freelance writer for other women's interest sites. Her physical body is in New York but her presence can almost always be found online. The internet is her first love.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/styletomes\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/nataliyaogle\",\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/styletomes\",\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/https:\/\/www.twitter.com\/styletomes\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/styletomes\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29117"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29117"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29117\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29120"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29117"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29117"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29117"},{"taxonomy":"thb-sponsors","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.styletomes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/thb-sponsors?post=29117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}