Three signs you’re experiencing freelancer burnout (and how to fix it before it’s too late)

Emma Sloan — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 15:11:15 +0000

Whether you’ve been a freelancer for seven years or 17 years, one universal truth rings true: even the most productive will face burnout at least once in their careers.

With over 89% of workers in America alone reporting high levels of burnout (especially post-pandemic!), the best treatment is prevention–namely, knowing the warning signs before it’s too late.

Here are three signs you’re experiencing freelancer burnout (and how to nip it in the bud before it hinders your career.)

Firstly, What is Burnout?

Burnout is characterized by the following symptoms:

Disengagement or disconnection from projects you used to be passionate about
Chronic fatigue
A lack of focus
Feelings of helplessness or hopelessness
Depression

Although burnout is the direct result of long-term stress, it’s not the same as being stressed– which is often associated with feeling anxious, hyperactive, and as though you are over-engaging with your work. If stress is the candle burning too brightly, burnout is the smoke that lingers in the air after that flame’s been snuffed out… which, at worst, can lead to severe under-performing in your job.

So how do you spot the signs of burnout before it’s too late? We’re glad you asked.

Sign #1: Consistent Mental or Physical Fatigue

Do you catch yourself feeling drained, no matter how much sleep you got the night before?

If so, you may be entering the phase of early onset burnout.

Because work-related burnout often creeps in due to feeling like you have little control over the quality of your work, a consistent lack of recognition, demanding job expectations, and/or working in a high-pressure environment, these feelings of fatigue may creep in over time… until you find yourself plagued by a lack of motivation or focus.

The Fix: Have you heard the saying that, when everything is a priority, that means nothing is?

This is especially applicable when facing the early signs of burnout. Since burnout is a bright red flag signaling that something in your current routine is detrimental to your quality of life, asking yourself the following questions may help you narrow down what you need to prioritize in order to feel refreshed:

What boundaries are you setting in your work life? How often are you allowing yourself to turn down work?
How many hours a day are you working? Do you feel that you’re overworking yourself?
Are you giving yourself any “you” time? If so, what does that look like?
How much sleep and exercise are you getting per week? Have you been neglecting either one?

Sign #2: An Inability to Stay On-Task

Your usual focus has been replaced by chronic procrastination. What gives?

Burnout, of course!

With 40% of procrastination being chalked up to a feeling of overwhelm, it’s in every freelancer’s best interest to learn how to manage their procrastination if–and when–it flares up.

The Fix: Forgiveness, experts say, is the first step towards regaining your focus in the workplace.

After that? Well, there are three tried-and-true methods to course correct pesky procrastination:

The 1-2-3 Method: If you find yourself procrastinating, count to three and start doing what you have to do. By doing this, professionals say that your brain is conditioned to eliminate procrastination every time you do this countdown
The 1 Minute Method: If you are procrastinating on a task, force yourself to work on it for one minute. Typically, this acts as the start that one needs and makes finishing the work way easier. Experts recommend setting a timer on your phone or computer when attempting this method

The Bracelet Technique: This anti-procrastination method trains your behavior to match your goals by snapping an elastic bracelet around your wrist when you catch yourself procrastinating. Once you finish your work, it’s advised that you reward yourself in order to retrain your mind to associate procrastination with pain and completing work with pleasure.

Sign #3: Not Finding Value in Your Work

Last but certainly not least, no longer finding value in the work you’re doing is a big sign that your burnout has progressed to dangerous levels.

Whether it be feelings of empathy, discontent, or even condescension towards either the type or projects you’re taking on or the industries you’re working with can lower your creative output and risk your relationship with clients.

The Fix: If possible, take time off. As freelancers, we aren’t automatically granted a set number of vacation or sick days per year–which means that we have to carve out that time ourselves.

Rather than risking your reputation as a freelancer by consistently churning out sub-par or late work, preemptively setting up time off can give you the time you need to start the burnout recovery process.

Have You Experienced Freelancer Burnout?

Now that you know the signs and symptoms, have you experienced freelancer burnout? Let us know in the comments below!