furycutitout.com

Let’s discuss content creator burnout. It doesn’t just show up on your doorstep one day, ready to live rent free in your mind. It moved in slowly, unpacking itself along with the things that you were once motivated to do. 

Everything can feel like a chore. Your energy tanks. Your motivation hides from you. Your energy tanks. You may feel like you are on auto-pilot, doing just enough to get through the day. 

I know all of this first hand. After hundreds of millions of views, award nominations and wins, mainstream media features, and steady income, I still found myself completely drained. Not just mentally, but physically and emotionally. I devoted my life to my work, my relationship of the past 2 decades, and raising my now adult daughter. All I knew was work and the two most important people in my life. Making work your life, and not enjoying much past it is no way to live. 

Burnout is real

The success that I was applauded for around the globe didn’t protect me from burnout. I didn’t feel a bit of guilt for how I dreaded “going through the motions” of doing just enough work to maintain things. Afterall, a ton of us have jobs that we’ve grown tired of. Bills don’t stop coming despite how we feel about our careers—especially with the economy in shambles and the current job market that’s lying beside it in the gutter. I too have bills like everyone else.

I missed feeling like myself, and enjoying my life in a world that applauds “hustle culture”. Even Rick Ross rapped about how “You gotta grind ‘til your eyes close,” over the moody and lustfully bleak beat to his hit featuring the Weeknd titled “In Vein”. I constantly showed up to please everyone to make a check, and I suffered tremendously for it.

I stated in my previous blog on why I decided to change my content format that I probably should’ve seen a therapist. If you have a toothache you visit a dentist. If you have vision issues you visit an optometrist. If you are struggling mentally, then know that there’s nothing wrong with seeing a licensed professional about what’s plaguing you. 

The overachieving Capricorn in me signed up for the certificate programs from Yale University Online that their Department of Psychology and School of Public Health offered, instead. Yes, I wanted to understand more about how to understand my personal issues with burnout, and what I could do to combat it. However, seeing a ton of content creators of various niches who quit what they are passionate about is one of the main reasons that I started this blog. 

Sometimes the motivation to quit what you were so gung-ho about is stronger than the push to keep going is. So let’s discuss what burnout is, and some ways that content creators and anyone who’s grinding it out in their hustles can combat it. 

What is burnout?

Burnout isn’t just about being “sick and tired of being sick and tired.” It’s a state of mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion caused by prolonged stress factors. It shows up as:

• Fatigue that sleep doesn’t remedy.
• Irritability, mood swings, and detachment.
• Loss of motivation, joy, or contentment. 
• Feeling like nothing you do matters.
• Not feeling like yourself.
• Sliding into “bare minimum” mode.
• Living life on auto-pilot.

How burnout affects your mind and body

Burnout doesn’t just affect your mood. It can take a toll on a lot. Here’s how:

• Mentally: brain fog, negative self-talk, anxiety, and even depression-like symptoms.
• Physically: headaches, sleep issues, muscle tension, low immunity, and constant fatigue.

Burnout isn’t just “in your head.” Your body keeps score.

Ways to combat burnout

As a streamer and content creator myself, I know how real and challenging burnout can be. Drawing on what I’ve learned, both from my experience and educational background, here’s some actionable ways to combat burnout.

Boundaries and Scheduling

• Establish “work” and “off work” hours. The lines between work and personal lives can blur very easily, with the desire to always be “on”. Always posting. Always sharing. Always engaging. Always doing something. Setting a schedule for when you’re posting, streaming, or working on content helps to fight burnout. Treat it like a job. You aren’t on the clock 24/7. 
• Schedule Breaks and Days Off: Burnout is often a result of a lack of rest. Schedule a day or two off each week as our esteemed reader and awesome dad streamer Mac does each week. Make sure to give his twitch channel a follow, and check out my article on why Rest Isn’t a Reward for the work that you’ve been putting in after you do so. 
• Communicate With Your Community: Make a quick post to let your community know that you’re taking a quick break from content creating or streaming. If you can, let them know when you plan on updating or going live. It can be helpful in eradicating the “I need to do something” feeling, and allow you to rest and enjoy your life outside of the hustle. Knowing that your community is updated about everything can be a temporary weight off of your shoulders. 

Streamline Content Creation

• Batching Content: This is a huge time-saver that has been one of my biggest content creator hacks. Instead of creating content daily, set aside a dedicated day or two to film videos, create social media posts, and design graphics for a week or a month even. This not only helps to alleviate the pressure and stress to consistently create, but it frees up time to focus on other tasks. Or to get some rest for once. You decide. 
• Repurpose Existing Content: Not every piece of content needs to be new. Repurpose live streams or youtube content into reels for social media. Reshare existing posts. Share old stuff to your story. Chances are that a good deal of your followers didn’t even see the original post, anyways. Reshare that stuff. 
• Schedule it: Most social media platforms allow you to schedule your posts in advance. Take time to schedule a week or a month’s worth of content. It’s like Batch Creating, only you are scheduling posts all at once.” “Getting it over with” allows you to free up time to do less tedious and repetitive tasks that can contribute to burnout. This can be helpful for those who don’t have time to post to social media often, or for those who simply don’t enjoy it. Especially since streaming or posting content to youtube isn’t enough to generate the following you’d expect it would bring in. 

I suggest Metricool. It’s not just a scheduling tool that allows you to post to each of your platforms at once. It offers a content calendar, analytics for each platform, and more. Check it out! 10/10 recommend. The base version is free.

Prioritizing Physical and Mental Well-being

• Listening to your body: Physical exhaustion is a key sign of burnout. Getting adequate sleep, hydration, and proper nutrition isn’t just important for our physical health. It helps to regulate your mood, and to combat stress, and anxiety. I’ve learned the importance of these while obtaining my education that focuses on making positive behavioral changes to live a better life. Most of us know what we are supposed to do for our health such as getting enough sleep, drinking enough water, and prioritizing physical activity. Exercise and sleep help to reduce stress levels, and increase the hormones in our bodies that naturally help to combat symptoms associated with burnout.
• Physical Activity: It’s hard to focus on work when you are in pain from sitting at the desk for hours on end. Even twitch has the ability for viewers to redeem channel points that signal for the streamer to stretch and hydrate. Take a brief walk or stretch in between tasks every hour or so. Don’t just power through the pain. If your viewers get in their feelings while you take a brief break, then that’s not the type of support that you need. Stretch. I finished this paragraph, and I got up to stretch. 
• Practice Self-Care: Do something that isn’t work related. Read a book, go on a hike, enjoy a movie or show, or write in a journal. Indulging in hobbies is a creative way to create a mental diversion that can help with burnout. Do something else for a bit. Those viewers, followers, and subs won’t die.

Adjust Your Mindset and Expectations

• Celebrate Wins: It’s easy to get lost in the numbers, especially when people like to flex and look like they are doing it big. Celebrate your accomplishments no matter how big or small. Whether it’s a new follower, getting a nice comment on content, or simply having a W stream. Celebrate those wins because they aren’t just good for your mental health, but can lead to manifesting more. I discussed it in my blog on how it can set you up to attract more accomplishments, and hit more goals from a clinical and metaphysical standpoint. Check it out at Finding More Success by Celebrating Your Wins. 

Burnout is sneaky, but it doesn’t have to run the show. Setting boundaries, streamlining your content, and actually taking care of your body and mind are all ways to keep your spark alive without letting the grind consume you. At the end of the day, your community, your work, and your creativity are better when you are better.

If this post hit home, stick around, I’ll be sharing more honest takes, tips, and behind-the-scenes looks at the creator grind. Subscribe to the site so you don’t miss future updates, follow me on social media for daily nuggets of realness, and catch me live on Twitch and tiktok where we keep it fun, unfiltered, and all the way real. I will see you in the next piece!

Recommended Reading:
How Rage Quitting Affects Your Mental Health and Gaming Skills
Breaking Age Stereotypes in Gaming Culture
Finding More Success by Celebrating Your Wins
You Aren’t a “Small” Content Creator.