Writer Burnout

I started taking 5 to 10 minute meditating sessions every few hours. It may sound kinda dumb, but it works as long as you take it seriously.

Sit down cross legged on some kind of large soft surface, like a thick soft carpet or your bed. Close your eyes, and concentrate on breathing. Get yourself into the state of mind where you inhale positive thoughts and exhale negative ones. It is really hard to explain, and can only be learned through experience.

Oh, and try not to concentrate on how long it takes you to do this. Time may start to go by really slow at first. Just stop when you feel better.

Another thing you can do is experiment with relaxation teas and smoking blends. I order an herb called Pedicularis Densiflora which can be smoked or brewed into a tea. It claims to have been used by Native Americans hundreds of years ago. I don't know if that is really true, but I do know that it helps me relax.

Google "Bouncing Bear Botanicals". I have never had a problem receiving an order from them, though it usually takes like 2 weeks.

Of course all this is about equivalent to smoking a cigarette or having a beer, but there are some people (like me) out there that have had problems with addiction in the past.

 

For me, the only way out is to just off the computer and do something else that I enjoy doing like going for a jog. It will be totally unproductive if a person tries to further push further and instead ended up spending more time than usual just to come up with an article. Knowing when is the stop limit is important.

 

I'd have to agree with just walking away from your work after a certain time. Being a freelancer is about YOU making the choice about your work, not your work choosing for you.

When you take on clients, always give yourself an extra day or two above your normal turnaround to deliver. This will allow you to avoid the burnout phase, at least I hope it would. If you give yourself more open-ended, or just extended, deadlines to do your work, then you won't be as focused on not finishing in time.

Not only that, but you don't want to produce lackluster quality either. Your clients will surely take notice, and while they may understand, they might make the choice to move on to another writer.

 

i think the problem is not burnout, but the level of pay..surely if you get paid peanuts for a project its not going to motivate you, but if you double your hourly rate to the clients you work for, you will definitely be more motivated as the quicker you write an article the more you can get paid per hour..so quick articles = higher levels of pay per hour..Then, instead of trying to make ends meet with 20 or 30 articles per week you make ends meet with less but with a higher payments per article. This gives your client shall we say a more profound view of your abilities as a writer and therefore will continue to pay you on this new scale as long as you good quality articles which are on time..Just my opinion..

 

Eddy234, I agree with you on the workload and the level of pay. There are times though that we love both the work and the pay *too much* that we overbook ourselves, hence inviting burnouts.

 

For me, avoiding burnout is all about making sure that I'm always writing something interesting along with some of the more mundane SEO stuff. I like writing a lot, and I have to make sure it stays interesting.

Also, frequent breaks are great for keeping you fresh, as long as you stay to strict 10-15 minute limits.

 

The lack of sick pay as a self employed writer can add extra stress, knowing that if you don't work, your income stops.

I think the key is good rest, healthy food and trying not to get stressed!

 

During my first 8 months as a freelance writer, I have been forcing myself to work 10 hours daily 7 days a week. Now, this unhealthy practice has finally caught with me. I had a serious case of burnout. I have learned my lesson and I am now managing my workload a lot better now.

 

Good for you! It can be really easy to do that. I did that over the holidays and got burned out, which I am now fully recovered from. People think that you can not work that much online and do things but you can. Hope this year is better for you.

 

There can be a burnout factor and sometimes bad things just get in the way. I spent several years writing essays and dissertations and researching and loved it but then got involved in volunteer work with a longer and more intense involvement that I ever imagined...so thought that I would focus on article writing. And cocksure as I was about the whole thing, took on some projects and sat down to start and the whole volunteer experience just blew up -- and I ended up in meetings that lastest for hours, long discussions with government people, lawyers, and all kinds of things like that and -- yep, torn between the immediate pressure and meeting deadlines, managed to screw up the deadlines and now feel completely demoralized by that as I face re-entering the marketplace and just want to reach out and meet a deadline or two but I get either zero response or told that I'm too pricey.

Part of me wants to sell some content writing just to wipe out the bad taste from that last experience where I chose to do the municipal things (which by the way netted me hate mail, abuse, and snubs on the street) over meeting my writerly duties (which netted me oblivion). The other part of me wants to move onto the new skills I learned in my three years as mayor.

(http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=265306&sc=98 shows how ridiculous the whole process was...)

I've been working on the Pelman Course on my site (http://chaoscure.com) and applying the techniques and realize that I do have the confidence in my work. And I have had some success with large ghostwriting projects. I just find it odd that I cannot land a small job.

 

Regular rest away from your computer and work area is essential to good health and maintaining your enthusiasm for writing.

Also, don't spend too much time alone (it's a solitary vocation!). See your family and friends often.

Don't stress about writer's block, everyone gets fed up with their work from time to time whatever they do, and it always passes!

 

Write as a hobby with a passion.

 

Keep always in mind "helath is welth"& do your work.

 

I agree with this 100%. Writing is my job, and as with another other job, I give myself a lunch break, and coffee breaks. The rest of the time its bum on seat and work. I try to structure my day, and week so that Im not doing the same thing day in day out. In the morning I tend to the business side of writing - admin, accounts, writing proposals to editors, chasing up payments if need be, invoicing and if time allows writing rough outlines for articles. After lunch I do the actual writing. Im lucky in that I write for Internet, print and also write historical fiction novels. So Monday is what I call 'money Monday' where I do most of my proposals, Internet stuff etc ie things that bring in the £ quickly. Tuesday, Wed, Thurs, are writing days (or afternoons) where I actually write the articles etc, Friday is always 'Fiction Friday' when I work on short stories or novel depending on what stage I am with anything.

As with anything, I try to be flexible. At the moment I have a deadline for a first draft of a novel, so everything is on hold until that is done.

I agree that if you do the same stuff all day, every day, you will soon burn out, just as you would with any other job.

Regular breaks, and finishing for the day at a set time have kept me reasonable sane over the years.

Christine

 

essential that you break from your routine. you would get fresh ideas when you return and you would notice the great content your are able to poduce

 

There is only one thing that works for me every time I get "writer's block".. and that is to walk away from the computer, go out and walk a little then come back and hit it hard. If I don't do that I could literally spend hours being frustrated while realizing that I am wasting time...

 

I ran into this problem before my solution was to raise my rates ... all the sudden I making the same amount of money for half the work. Conversely I can also make the twice the amount of money for the same amount of work ... either way I was happy again.

Josh

 

I'll definitely agree with this one. As for me, I use to go for morning walk up a hill which is about 330 steps up and down ( consider 1 lap). 5 laps daily (except on Sunday) early in the morning around 6.00am and finished about 35-40 mins, then fetch my children to school.

Imagine the morning breeze blowing unto your face at the top and feeling the freshness of it......so relaxing.

Don't just work, work, work......Love your health, brother.

 

I'm a freelance direct-response copywriter and I'm no stranger to the burnout you're talking about.

Here's what I'd suggest:

1. Work less. The most I can stand is probably 4 hours of actual writing, max.The legendary copywriter Gene Schwartz was one of the most prolific and successful copywriters of our time. Yet, he only "worked" 3 hours a day. Here's what he did (and is the technique I use nowadays). He grabbed a timer and set it for 33 minutes and 33 seconds. Once the timer started, he did not leave his desk and was not allowed to do anything else but write. After the time was up, he'd stop no matter where he was in his copy, and would get up and do something mindless. Throughout the day, he'd make sure he completed 6 sessions of 33 minutes and 33 seconds.

I've tried this and I have to say it works and keeps you focused. Plus, it eliminates procrastination because you know you're only going to work for the next 33 minutes, and then you'll have a little break.

2. Create a structure for all your articles. If you're suffering from writer's block, it would be helpful to have an article outline or structure that you follow every time. For example, a) introduce topic, or problem. b) explain problem a little bit more c) offer solution d) give 4 pieces of practical, actional advice to solve problem e) close.

You can make this as detailed as you like. But by having a structure, your articles will be more than halfway done and will require less mental energy on your part. You can even have maybe 2 or 3 different structures you can follow to keep things interesting and varied.

3. Vary the kind of writing you do. If all you're doing is writing articles, that can be draining. Mix it up. For the first hour write articles. Then switch to press releases or blog posts. Then back to articles. This way you break up the monotony of the doing the same thing hours on end and you give yourself a little mental break.

Also, as others have pointed out, do something to get out and get your body moving. Sometimes my best ideas come when I'm at the gym, walking my dogs or even in the shower.

Anyhow, hope this helps.

 

I agree with Jhmattern, you can burnout on things your are most passionate about. At the same time remember back in the days when you had to actually go to the 9-5, and make a living at some soul-sucking job day in and day out. Answering to supervisors and managers and not being your own boss can feel terrible compared to doing what you want when you want to in order to make a living. Glass half full perspective...