How I’m Avoiding Burnout

New York Post reported last year that half off of millennials have a side hustle. Of course, this blog fits as one of my side hustles along with photography, social media consulting and all the random shit I’ve taken on to make more money.

Making extra cash has always been my primary motivator in life, but lately, the hustle has been draining, especially paired with a taxing day job. I can’t recall a busier time in my life and it’s caused me an incredible amount of anxiety. I’ve been struggling with sleep and eating less than normal–and things that I normally enjoy doing haven’t interested me, like working out.

After some personal reflection and discussions with close friends and my mom, and I’ve decided to do the following to help fight this burn out:

Asking for Help

I’d rather torture myself for hours than ask for help most of the time at work. I end up feeling exhausted and angry when I could have just sucked it up, swallowed my pride and asked for help. I’ve been trying to do a better job of this–asking for team members at work to help with tasks and better delegating. I’ve also been doing a better job of asking for help with my blog and freelance work–I’m realizing my limits as I reach them and I feel a lot less stressed with the extra help with my side hustles.

What I’ve found that helps with workplace type assistance, I try to think through solutions or possibilities so I don’t bother anyone without some thought behind it–this has helped so much!

Learning to Say No

If I can earn a dollar, I’ll always say yes. I was that way when I was a child, willing to clean, babysit, you name it to make a buck and the same holds true today, except too many people need photography work, consulting or just my time. I wish I had time for everyone, but lately, I’ve been putting myself first and thinking through whether or not certain freelance work or projects was worth it. I’ve been asking myself, is it worth the drive, my time, me not having a free weekend? And sometimes, I’ll allow myself to say no so that I can have some time to myself.

Being Okay with Boredom

If it appears that I’ll have a free day, I can easily schedule meetings, photo jobs and outings that end up stressing me out more than it’s worth. A free day, even with its boredom, can give you that much needed break and disconnect you need to recharge.

Where does boredom take me? It usually leads to productivity at home like cleaning and organizing, taking cute photos of my dog which always makes me happy, taking longer walks with the pup, indulging in treats and relaxing and reading books at home that I forgot I bought and never read.

Finding New Ways to Burn Energy

I’ve been feeling burnt out with my workout routine too. And whether or not you have one established, mixing it up helps keep it more fun and less of a chore. I have two gym memberships to keep things varied, but I’m dedicating more time to outdoor exercises like long walks on the riverwalk trail or around my neighborhood, horseback riding and maybe even a hike or two if I can get over how awful it is in this area with ticks.

How do you avoid burnout? I’m interested in how other people address this in their lives. Love to hear your thoughts!

Top c/o Black Swan | shorts by One Teaspoon | delicious cupcakes c/o Smallcakes Okemos

Photography by Brooke Cummings