“If I’m not tired and busy, I’m probably not doing enough.”
Sound familiar? So many of us as photographers are grinding ourselves down with work and stress because that’s just what it takes to run a successful business, right? And if we’re struggling with it, it’s because we’re just not dedicated enough?
No friends. That’s not right. Burnout is NOT a normal state of being.
And in this episode, I’m explaining why. I’m also sharing some of the sneaky ways that burnout can show, how we can come back from burnout, and what burnout actually says about us as photographers.
What’s in this episode:
- [00:35] Why burnout isn’t a badge of success
- [01:44] All the different ways that burnout can show up
- [04:46] Some steps we can come back from burnout
- [06:30] What burnout says about you and your life AND what it doesn’t
Tune in to this episode to learn what burnout does and doesn’t say about us as photographers and business owners!
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Did this episode give you the encouragement you need to reframe the way you think about burnout? Check out this episode from [insert name and internal blog link] that shares how another photographer started their career!
Transcript
[00:00:00] Hey, friend. Welcome to the Art and Soul Show. I’m your host, Lisa DiGeso, a mom, a photographer and entrepreneur. Tune in here for Pep Talks, conversations and advice on photography, creativity, mindset, business, life, and that messy in between. This is the place where you can go when you need a boost of encouragement, a kick in the pants and inspiration to pick up your camera.
[00:00:24] This is the Art and Soul show. Hello, my friend. It’s just me today, and today I wanna talk about something that hits really close to home burnout. I swear this is really one of my favorite topics because I bump against it so much. You know, for the longest time I really believe that burnout was just part of the hustle.
[00:00:47] Like if I wasn’t running on empty, I just wasn’t doing enough. And if I wasn’t overwhelmed, was I even trying? I had somehow convinced myself that being exhausted all the time was [00:01:00] normal, that it was a sign of dedication and a sign of success. And if I wasn’t exhausted, I wasn’t worthy of earning the money I was earning.
[00:01:10] But here’s the truth. Burnout isn’t a badge of honor. It’s not something we should wear, like proof of our commitment. It is a sign that something is truly out of alignment, and I know this because I hit this wall myself repeatedly, and when I burn out, it’s not dramatic. It’s quiet, slow, and sometimes I don’t even realize it’s happening and how bad it gets until I stop recognizing myself and I’m not crying in the shower or having some movie style breakdown.
[00:01:44] I just feel disconnected. From my work, from my creativity, and really from myself, and when it comes to creating content for Milky Way or interviews or classes or social media, I would sit [00:02:00] down and I would plan a shoot and I’d just feel completely blank or what I was teaching, the spark was just gone and I kept trying to push through and I’d make a new to-do list, or I’d buy a new planner or I get a new notebook.
[00:02:16] I’d change up my schedule, but nothing worked. And the reason was is because I was tired, I was depleted. So burnout can really look like procrastination, and it can look like perfectionism. It can look like just constantly scrolling on my phone because I couldn’t face what was in front of me. It looked like not knowing how to rest.
[00:02:38] And let’s talk about that for a second, because we talk a lot about hustle, but we don’t talk enough about rest, and that’s something that I really have my flag in the sand about real rest, not just a weekend off or a bubble bath. I’m talking about nervous system, calming soul, nourishing rest. But to be honest, when I have a blank [00:03:00] space in my schedule, I don’t know what to do with myself.
[00:03:03] I’ve almost forgotten how to take time off, like actual real time off. I’ve forgotten that to have hobbies that aren’t somehow tied to my work or content or a checklist, and if I’m being super honest, a lot of my downtime right now ends up looking like doom scrolling TikTok instead of doing something that would actually fill my cup in my soul or empower baking four loaves of sourdough, so I can just feel that sense of accomplishment I crave.
[00:03:33] Sometimes I do things not because I want to, but because I don’t even know what rest looks like anymore. So maybe you can relate. I’m a work in progress too, and I do not have all the answers. I’m still unlearning the idea that my value comes from being productive all the time, and slowly and gently just learning how to just exist and be.
[00:03:56] Now, here’s the tricky part. Burnout doesn’t always [00:04:00] come from doing too much either. Sometimes it can come from doing nothing at all just by thinking about everything. There’s this version of burnout that doesn’t get talked about as much. It’s the kind that looks like avoidance, like you’re not physically drained, but mentally you are checked out.
[00:04:20] You are done. You’re just overwhelmed by that mountain of things you haven’t even started. And the weight of that is just as heavy. Now. I used to really beat myself up for this, and I think you’re not even doing that much. Why are you so freaking tired? But the truth is, the emotional weight of just constantly thinking about what you should be doing can be just as exhausting as actually doing it.
[00:04:46] So what do we do? How do we come back from that burnout and how do we even stop before we hit the wall? So here is what I have been learning is number one is just getting honest with yourself. It’s no more [00:05:00] pretending that you’re fine and smiling through it. Sit with it, name it. Burnout really loves to thrive in silence.
[00:05:07] So you’re just wanting to stop pretending it’s not there. Number two is giving yourself permission to rest and not productive rest either not baking sourdough, actually guilt-free, soul level rest, and just letting go of that idea that we have to earn it. Number three is just starting small. When you’re stuck in overwhelm or perfectionism, just focus on one small win, one tiny little task, one tiny step forward.
[00:05:40] That’s how our momentum can start. Number four is creating something just for you. Take a pressure off. Make something that’s never going to be seen on social media. Write something or paint something or shoot something messy. Go break the rules with your camera. [00:06:00] Do something imperfect and fun. Number five, learn something new.
[00:06:07] This pretty much is why all of our retreats exist, is because I’m constantly craving something new to learn. Number six, talk to someone and don’t carry this alone. Reach out to your friend. Reach out to your village. Share what you’re going through because it helps more people than you think when you’re talking about it.
[00:06:30] Because my friend, burnout is not weakness. It’s a signal. Your body and your mind and your creativity. They’re just all asking for a pause and you, you are allowed to take one. You’re allowed to slow down. You’re allowed to say no. You’re allowed to recover. You’re allowed to just say no to sessions. You’re allowed to do nothing related to photography because maybe you’re exhausted by it.
[00:06:57] Photography doesn’t have to be your hobby too [00:07:00] and your job, if no one has told you lately, my friend. You’re not behind and you’re not broken, and you’re not less than because you need rest. You’re worthy even when you’re not producing anything and that spark, you’ve maybe been missing. It’s still there.
[00:07:19] It just needs a little space to breathe. So take that breath and give yourself grace. And remember my friend, that burnout is not a badge of honor. I am busy is not a name tag we wanna be wearing all the time. Resting is not failing. It’s a power move, my friend. And you’ve got this. I am sending you so much of my light to my love today and every single day.
[00:07:47] We’ll see you next time.
