How To Show Up Online Without Burning Out
Advice from a formally burnt out creative gal building a community online
Hello online friends,
Today we are going to touch on the big bad bothersome state that we sometimes find ourselves in as modern creatives…BURNOUT
Before we do that though I want to share not one but two videos I recently published that may be of use to you.
The first one is on my main channel and it shares 12 mistakes I’ve made in my time as a photographer and I’m so sure that at least one of them will resonate or be a cautionary tale for my fellow photogs. Sharing your mistakes online is a bit vulnerable but I am always aiming to share as candidly as I can about my experiences so far in photography and beyond.
I’ve also shared a quick chapter break down of my most recent read - Ali Abdaal’s “Feel Good Productivity” which really surprised me.
If you aren’t one for ice baths and 5 am wake up times, don’t stress, Ali steers clear of the unrealistic and instead provides plenty of frameworks and methods to overcome procrastination and finally be more productive doing what you love!
You don’t need to read the book at all you can just watch the video and feel SEEN if you struggle with procrastination and inaction. Enjoy and let me know your thoughts.
Okay that’s it from the land of YouTube let’s move onto today’s topic and tackle some burnout!
Online Burnout vs Life Burnout
Okay, so how do these two differ?
Well I think in life it’s normally work, stress, kids, money, relationships, health and all the other things that can and will go wrong at some point that seem to get together at the exact same time and result in a total shit show that rains on your life.
I’m not here to help you with that kind becasue I’m not Tony Robbins or your therapist…I am however your creative cheerleader and the lady in your corner helping you navigate the woes and wins of a creative life.
Online burnout tends to sneak up on you because it’s not a physical thing that exists - the online world isn’t tangible and it’s totally endless so it’s never “finished”.
It’s like the ultimate to do list just full of more platforms, more comments, more ways to engage and more people to compare yourself to. It sounds like a recipe for disaster really!
But it’s not if you know how to use it and you can avoid being sucked in to an internet black hole, forgetting you have a real tangible life waiting for you.
Online burnout feels like, or can start off being like…
Anxiety if you don’t post for a while
Feeling addicted to checking everything or obsessing over metrics/comments etc.
Apathy towards the platforms and sharing in general
Finding NO JOY in any aspect of the online world
A total lack of inspiration to create, engage or share with the online world
I am not a burnout doctor so this is just my general experiences over the years and how I’ve seen it creep in and then stick around.
These could also be related to other problems in your life or mindset issues around putting yourself out there too.
Have a think and see if you answer yes to some of these and then reflect on what that might be telling you?
It’s Okay To Just Do One Thing
I’ve said it before and i’ll say it again… and then i’ll likely say it a hundred more times:
You don’t need to be everywhere and do everything online - choose one, maybe two platforms and stick to those. Don’t spread yourself too thin across multiple platforms. Don’t be everywhere, be somewhere that you enjoy and give it your all.
I would say that this is the most common action that leads to burn out online. This thought and need to upload everywhere and suddenly have to create multiple pieces of content. We are not machines we are humans. We don’t want more AI vibes we want more authentically YOU vibes on just one (maybe two) platforms.
So make a list of your current online line up and ask yourself “what can go and what can stay?”
I promise you that this one tip will avoid so much anguish for you as a creative person showing up online!
Online Meal Prep
So when I have the energy and the time I like to cook for my freezer. When a work day runs long or I’m feeling tired I then know I don’t have to do the performance of dinner - instead I can open the freezer and wheel something out I already made when I wasn’t exhausted.
You can do this online too!
As creative people we will ebb and flow when it comes to feeling inspired or wanting to create so I highly recommend the meal prep approach to keep you on track and keep you from burning out.
An example here would be to have some Substack letters drafted ready to go, or at leasts some partially done writing that you can quickly add to and share.
You’ll often find that when one idea comes another does too - so strike while the iron is hot and write more that week and schedule some posts for future you to keep in the “content freezer”.
This could also look like scheduling IG posts for the week ahead or having all your blog posts mapped out.
It helps so much to lighten the load when you feel really off being online.
It’s also a great habit to get into as you will then have more time for other things like taking photos or feeding the creative part of your brain that needs those new ideas!
Schedule in your online times
My four old son has certain times he watches TV or a movie and we are pretty strict with that. As adults we exercise our free will a little too much when it comes to the devices and online hours clocked.
A very effective way to avoid total burn out online is to allocate certain times to each online facet.
Examples:
Replying to comments and checking IG in the morning from 7-7:30 with coffee. This allows you to engage and get back to people, maybe make a post or add to story. DONE. You may want to do an afternoon one too if you’ve been releasing content and want to get back to people or you monitor your DM’s closely. Don’t forget you can also do this on desktop too and it’s likely to keep you from scrolling because you can’t really scroll there!
Dedicating every Friday morning to getting up early and writing your subsatck - either the current weeks letter or a future one. This helps build a good writing habit and also gives you a routine so you don’t feel like you are ALWAYS ONLINE!
Add a time limit on platforms on your phone so you get a reminder and when it’s hit you are locked out of the app. I have been doing this and it’s very helpful because if I’m on IG for more than an hour a day I think “wow what could I have done with that time?”
Over use leads to burn out so try and audit the time spent online and make sure it’s more geared towards creating than consuming.
Take a break
Just like TV shows have seasons our content can too.
It might be helpful to look at the whole year or maybe the next few months and plan for a break. This can be entirely just cold turkey see you later or you can use the meal prep tip above to still have things going live or being published but you are sitting by a beach or just on your couch reading and relaxing.
However you do it it’s important to take a break and step away as a creative person. It’s not something we have on tap at the ready and your body, mind and soul needs to be nourished to come back with shiny new ideas and a positive mindset.
Okay guys that’s it from me on todays topic. I hope that you picked up some useful tips here to either combat or ward off burnout online. I’ve been there and it’s not pretty and it’s also not worth it so defiantly consider these points.
I’m also dropping this video down here that is more related to general burnout in work places but I found it interesting and enjoy Cal Newports other books so check it out if you have time and haven’t hit your online quota!!!
See you next week. We will discuss tips for commercial photographers or those of you wanting to do some paid work.
Love Lucy xx
Hi Lucy, let's start with this: I am blown away by your application of the flash snapshot aesthetic to your Kit-Cat clock, and how that evokes a vibe that perfectly matches the burnout quashing theme of your post. Merely the conceptual consideration of this one photo is inspirational. We happen to have a Kit-Cat clock over here so I'm going to team up with my kids to take some pics of it, and I promise we will give you a shout out.
Then, the video in which you share your mistakes, thank you for doing that. I just finished Mindset by Carol Dweck. Sharing mistakes, learning from them, comfort with the mistakes one makes and the mistakes of others, and the educational opportunities they inspire is a key foundational principle presented in the book. And this is something to be applied in many embodiments: working with colleagues, helping your kids to learn, reviewing one's own goals and progress, you name it. Dweck emphasizes acknowledging mistakes are part of the growth process, and so thank you for happening to reinforce that right after I finished the book.
Finally, I love the more specific online schedule idea. I already set app usage limits. But the idea to have a specific day not only for writing a post but replying to comments is really helpful. Cheers.
Thank you for sharing Lucy! I felt anxious about posting my art online for a while and then I stopped posting and I felt even more anxious about not posting. The second I posted something I was on my phone checking how people reacted to my art and it became very unhealthy. Reading your article I realized I had a little online burnout.
So here I am. I haven't shared anything for a year. But sometimes breaks are good! I will be implementing your tips into my life, because I still want to share my work.