Do You Recognize the Early Warning Signs of Freelancer Burnout?
Posted February 2, 2010 in Lifestyle, Productivity
You just love your job as a freelancer, but lately it seems like you really have to force yourself to get the work done. Perhaps you’re getting sick all the time–you always catch whatever illness seems to be going around. Maybe you don’t have any problems getting started on your projects, but seem to find yourself spending a lot of time on Facebook, or Twitter, or playing online games.
If you can relate to these problems, then you could be suffering from freelancer burnout.
If you’re suffering from freelancer burnout, it could be serious. Burnout, when not dealt with, can threaten your business, your relationships, and even your health.
In this post, we’ll discuss the reality of freelancer burnout and describe a few steps you can take to ensure that it doesn’t snuff out your freelancing career.
The Reality of Freelancer Burnout
We freelancers tend to be a proud bunch. Many of us would never admit to feeling burnt out by our work. After all, we chose to be freelancers. Burnout is something that only happens to the nine to five bunch, those miserable souls still trapped in cubicles…or so we like to think.
The truth is that burnout can happen in any profession, and freelancing professions are not immune from it. Freelance designers or writers can suffer from burnout just like designers and writers in the corporate world can suffer from burnout for much the same reasons: too much work, too much stress, and too little control over the work. When you add in the isolation that many freelancers feel from working alone and the financial worries that many freelancers face you can see that burnout is very real possibility.
One of the most important steps for dealing with freelancer burnout is admitting that it exists. You can’t deal with the problem if you refuse to acknowledge it.
Now that we’ve acknowledged the reality of freelancer burnout, let’s take a look at some of the early signs of freelancer burnout.
Early Signs of Freelancer Burnout
Whether you’re a freelancer, or not, one of the dangers of burnout is waiting too long to deal with it. If you’ve gotten seriously ill or irreparably damaged a client relationship or faced any other serious consequences from burnout then you’ve probably waited too long to deal with the problem.
Fortunately, there are early warning signs that you may be facing the danger of burnout. Here are ten signs to watch out for that could signal the start of freelancer burnout:
- Frequently feeling sick with no real underlying medical reason
- Dreading the start of each work day
- Feelings helpless about which projects you take and your work in general
- Jumping on every excuse to not work
- Being afraid to say “no” or negotiate any changes to your projects
- Getting bored with what you are doing
- Experiencing unexplained physical problems (headaches, muscle pain, etc.)
- Thinking about your work while you should be doing other things
- Worrying about your projects so much that it keeps you awake at night
- Letting your work cause relationship problems with those you care about
A good thing about freelancer burnout is that it can often be managed. In the next section, we’ll take a look at some steps you should take if you feel like you are on the verge of work-related burnout.
How to Deal with Burnout
If you recognized yourself in the signs listed above, it’s possible that you are experiencing freelancer burnout (or soon will be). The first very important step to take is to talk with your doctor, especially if you are experiencing physical symptoms. He or she can help you rule out any underlying physical or psychological problems.
Once you’ve ruled out any health problems, you can take some other steps to reduce your stress and minimize your chance of burning out. Here are ten steps that could help:
- Be realistic about what you can do and don’t accept too much work
- Learn to say “no” to rush projects or projects that don’t pay well enough to be worth your time
- Evaluate the types of projects you accept and identify those that you enjoy the most so that you can target that type of work for the future
- Discuss any problems with the project, including scope changes and unforeseen challenges, with your client
- Examine your rate to see if you are undercharging for the value that you provide
- Set aside blocks of time as personal time and don’t schedule over them
- Develop a hobby that you enjoy (often exercise can combat stress)
- Don’t beat yourself up if you make a mistake once in a while
- Take a few days off (the world won’t stop while you take a break–really, it won’t)
- Help someone else–it’s strange, but often helping someone else who really needs the help (whether it be as a volunteer or some other way) can take your mind of your own problems
What Do You Do About Freelancer Burnout?
As we’ve discussed, freelancer burnout is a very real problem whether we like to admit it or not. Even the most enthusiastic freelancer can suffer from burnout from time to time.
Have you ever faced freelancer burnout? How have you dealt with it?
Share your experiences and advice in the comments.
Image by futureshape
Related posts:
- 5 Signs That This Isn’t The Gig for You
- Ten Signs You Need To Refuse That Project
- 20 Signs Of A Professional Graphic Designer
About the author: Laura Spencer is a freelance writer from North Central Texas with over 20 years of professional business writing experience. If you liked this post, then you may also enjoy Laura’s blog about her freelance writing experiences, WritingThoughts. Laura is also on Google+.
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47 Comments
Lucian
February 2nd, 2010 at 11:11 amThat never happened to me, as I know my limits and when to stop working. In the evening I make sure I socialize and for doing that I joined to dance classes. Not only keep me exercising but allow me to meet new people and interact, something that would be hard only working from home. Plus I save a visit to the doc.
How many of you have thought doing fun too?
Matt Keegan
February 2nd, 2010 at 11:17 amThis has not happened to me nor do I expect that it ever will.
However, I have had customer burn out which means that eventually that client and I will soon part ways. Sometimes you need a fresh vista to explore, a new challenge to undertake in order to rejuvenate our writing. If I were to burn out, then I would be in very bad shape, something that can probably be cured by taking an extended break.
Jordan Walker
February 2nd, 2010 at 11:29 amPersonally, I had to set a few hours a day to just leave. Would go for a walk in the park, hang out with my wife, anything but work. It can be hard to force yourself to take these actions, but it is for the best. There is more to life than work!
Alex Mcvitie
February 2nd, 2010 at 11:38 amI knew it was too good to be true!
I’ve just decided to take the plunge and become a fulltime freelancer, having said that I now have everything i need to make sure burnout doesn’t happen to me or atleast know what to look for so… for that i thank you!
I agree with Jordan tho, no matter what your doing, taking a short break to take your mind away from the stress always does me the world of good.
Alex.
Laura Spencer
February 2nd, 2010 at 11:56 amGood tips! The break idea is a good one.
Matt–The customer burnout concept is a good one. Hmm… I may have to discuss that in a future post.
Kristina
February 2nd, 2010 at 12:29 pmGreat tips, perfect timing as I’ve recently started feeling like I’m getting burnt out – this is my first super busy time as a freelancer and while I’m learning a lot, I know I’ve taken on too much.
Laura Spencer
February 2nd, 2010 at 12:31 pmKristina, don’t feel bad if you have taken on too much. It’s easier to do than most people realize. All it takes is saying “yes” to a couple of rush jobs or underestimating the amount of time a project requires.
Ramona
February 2nd, 2010 at 12:32 pmI have an inhuman amount of work these days and I feel it a lot. I keep telling myself I need the money (and I do, since we plan on spending 6 months in NY and I need to earn some money to send bac to the home country. We’ll travel a lot, but I have to also work a bit). So I try to amass as much work and payments as possible in the month we have left. By getting very strict with my organization I am able to keep this insane schedule and it’s fine so far.
Knowing how to relax and take a day off is something new to me, but I am getting better :D
Amber Weinberg
February 2nd, 2010 at 12:44 pmNormally when I get burnt out, I try to get out of the house for a few days, go shopping, see a movie, take a few days off. By the end of the first or second day, I’m normally wanting to go back to work. It’s good to remember to take some time off, even when you don’t have “paid” vacation days.
Lexi Rodrigo
February 2nd, 2010 at 1:37 pmThanks for this post, Laura. Burnout is a serious problem for freelancers. We have to remember that our biggest asset in our business is our mind and body. So we need to take good care of both.
Thanks for the tips. These will definitely help.
Simon Carr
February 2nd, 2010 at 1:54 pmMany of these are things I have dealt with.. Some of it is unavoidable.
I think it is healthy to reach a certain point of ‘burnout’ and then just step away from it all for a few days. I find that when I spread out work too much (working on 4 projects in a day), that is when I am affected by burnout the most.
Some of the best advice in this article (imo) is telling clients ‘No’. We all want to make money, but evaluating clients and projects is very important. Some projects are not worth the hassle.
Mahmud Ahsan
February 2nd, 2010 at 2:05 pmI’m agree with @Jordan “There is more to life than work!”. If you don’t take proper rest, your output/efficiency/performance will decrease. I found late at night it seems tough to solve problem but after a fresh sleep the problem looks much easier to solve. Sometimes its difficult to say “NO” to a client. Like I am working with a client for more than 6 months, and now he sends me tasks irregularly. I’m thinking how could I say no to him. Because he can give me less feedback and ratings that will effect to find new tasks. Any suggestion?
Johnny
February 2nd, 2010 at 3:10 pmI remember a friend telling me a long time ago about how being a UPS delivery driver was, by far, his most stressful job. You wouldn’t imagine it but having to return again and again to the same addresses when someone isn’t home and seeing your truck still half-full at the end of the day doesn’t give you a feeling of accomplishment. This while working long hours too.
We sometimes put ourselves through similar situations as freelancers. When we take on a huge workload, we stop seeing its value in income and the learning we get out of it. Then it becomes an endless amount of work on our plate that has to be done with no end in sight. Plus, each passing day feels like you haven’t even put a dent in it.
So I guess if this is you, maybe it’s time to outsource to another freelancer.
Laura Spencer
February 2nd, 2010 at 4:13 pmIt sounds like a lot of you are pretty loaded down. I just finished a January like that. So far, this month is a little slower (but not much).
I’m glad to see that many of you are wise enough to slow down when you have too much on your plate.
Johnny, I never thought about UPS being a stressful job–but, now that you mention it I can see how it might become stressful. Also, those UPS drivers have very little control over their own workload or schedule, which would make the stress even worse.
Alison
February 2nd, 2010 at 4:16 pmThis sounds all too familiar but as always in these kind of situations, its great to find out you’re not alone.
I haven’t been freelancing that long, but once you add my second job, partners postgrad study and his job insecurity it makes for a pretty stressed life! My resolution for this year – declutter my life and get control of it, whether it includes being a freelancer or not. I studied graphics as I was interested in design, but the stress has made me forget that. So time-out definitely seems like the key.
Kendra
February 2nd, 2010 at 5:03 pmWow — the article described how my FULL-time job makes me feel. Where’s my “I’d rather be freelancing” bumper sticker? I’m sure I just had it here somewhere!
Nimit Kashyap
February 2nd, 2010 at 5:19 pmI used to have this problem, but now to avoid any health issues i started outsourcing some work.
Solomon
February 2nd, 2010 at 11:20 pmI made a terrible mistake of accepting a rush hour job (for a fresh client), and couldn’t deliver it for the designer was too busy to finish it, within the schedule. On the top of it, a sudden personal problem cropped up… and the client never stopped calling me, I felt terribly depressed and burnt out.
I feel we should never ever promise something we may not be sure of accomplishing. It was my mistake. I learnt a great lesson. Your post is so timely and helpful. Thanks!
Jane
February 3rd, 2010 at 6:08 amGreat reading! I think i have this right now. All I want to do is play and reading blogs like this after work and not doing my freelance job.
Ashley Doughty
February 3rd, 2010 at 9:23 amI am definitely feeling some burn out now and again – but my current set up is working a full time job and freelancing night and weekends. Some weeks all I seem to do is work. While I love the freelance work, I keep reminding myself that I need some down time – and time with the hubby.
Sharon Hurley Hall
February 3rd, 2010 at 10:03 amI’ve been through burnout a couple of times and the tips you give are good ways of handling it, Laura. Once I managed to shuffle things around so I could take a week off; that really helped.
Jessica
February 3rd, 2010 at 10:45 amThanks for sharing! I was on the verge of freelance burnout this fall… I was having tension headaches non-stop, couldn’t sleep well, and having severe muscle pain in my shoulders. I had to completely step away and I’m so glad I did. I have been freelancing for about 5 years, but I also have two children – one is a toddler and one I homeschool, and I help my husband with his business. I had to “learn” that I can’t be everything to everyone. I explained to my client that I needed to step back to refocus my priorities. I wasn’t exercising. I couldn’t keep my checkbook balanced. And keeping my family fed was a challenge. Thankfully he completely understood and the door is still open for me to step back on the project if I ever want to rejoin it. For me, it was all about my priorites. I continue to work on a couple small projects for a different client but the stress is gone, my house is calmer, my husband and children don’t have to share and I have been able to get back into an exercise routine. All the headaches, muscle pain, and sleepless nights are gone – and I am very thankful for that!
Ricardo Bueno
February 9th, 2010 at 9:57 amPersonally, exercise is something that helps me out a lot. For me it’s hitting the road or trails for a 3-mile run. It’s the perfect refresher and helps me clear my mind so I can get back and in the rhythm I need to be it to be productive.
Sergio
February 9th, 2010 at 5:11 pmYoga. It makes you relax and also focus on your body, and forget about the rest.
In addition to that, you return home feeling so much better !!!
I recommend Ashtanga Yoga ;)
Carla | Green and Chic
February 21st, 2010 at 2:40 pmI have been burnt out, but it was because I was really dealing with health challenges and working full-time on top of that. My mistake was not seeing and heeding the warning signs soon enough.
Liz
March 8th, 2010 at 2:55 amOnce I start feeling burnt out, I immediately plan a small trip to a city 2-3 hours away for the weekend. I take some time to evaluate my projects, look at the bigger picture, re-examine the importance of each task, and make sure i’m not spending time on tasks that less important.
There’s a tool that I like to use for my own business that helps me save time which in turn helps prevent the burnout. It’s the free online invoicing tool called Billing Boss, from Sage Software (www.billingboss.com). It allows me to quickly go in and out – create estimates/invoices, track payments, automatically sends the invoice to my accountant – all in 5 minutes. It’s pretty cool, and super simple to use.
Please note: This author has been compensated by Sage.
Stella
April 12th, 2011 at 11:11 am“I have been burnt out, but it was because I was really dealing with health challenges and working full-time on top of that. ”
Yes that’s me too. I basically just AM burn-out in the first place. I get disability. Officially I work part-time. I often struggle frankly to do enough days or hours in a week to qualify as part-time, and end up struggling to make up the days in other weeks. I feel like I’m either too ill to work or working my ass off. In fact that’s not just how I feel it’s how it is. And what makes me feel the other sort of burn-out is the fact that because I have health problems etc I am always stuck in the “building a reputation” “building a portfolio” “getting more experience” stages of whatever I’m trying to do. I don’t actually need these except to prove to people who don’t know me that I can do things.
I’m getting seriously burned out and stressed now. Working too much for too little simply because every time I get that CV really juicy I hit another bad patch and then I’m too ill. And I mean for years – it takes a long time to get back up to speed. And every time I’m a lot less optimistic.
If I could somehow springboard to get the pay I need for the work I can do then everything would be OK. But I’m just trapped by being put back to square one every few years and having to start all over again.
I don’t know what to do about this, I do what I do because that is who I am. If I wasn’t officially “self-employed” I would be doing the same things anyway.
I did go to the doctor and ask for help by the way, but as usual I was ignored until I crashed and burned. Again. Don’t believe all the media that tells you you will get support when you need it. Some people do, but many people are essentially considered to be useless and not worth the resources. I’m in that category. I’m the only person that any of these people ever meet that has been classified as severely disabled and is properly employed. They have schemes to try to get disabled people “back to work”, but the support isn’t there after you start work.
Sorry this got ranty but I’m having a crappy week from the point of view of work. Burning out on a project that I’m doing for peanuts just for the “portfolio”. Again. And got asked to take out several days’ worth of work on a whim by the client. In the past I’d have said “right time to start getting serious and making people pay more”. But now I just feel tired.
And I can’t be signed off sick – as I’m self employed. What to do?
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JAne
September 12th, 2011 at 12:29 amI wish I read this post a year ago. Usually my clients are all very demanding and take up all of my time. On top of that some of them are irresponsible and completely inconsiderate of my time,( like calling me at 1am and saying that he needs menus printed by 7am…)
I have burnout to the point that I don’t want to do my job anymore, I hate it!
I took 2 months off, I felt great during that time but now I’m back to the same old, since this is the only way I can make money now. I’m trying to set rules, but when I sit down to work, I hate everything about it, my designs, thought of having to talk to the customer, dreading phone calls…
I’m down to 2 clients now, but that doesn’t change the fact that I still have to deal with constant changes, urgent projects and them not valuing my time…
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