Writing: How to get back on track when you're burnt out and overwhelmed

From October to January, I’ve written 26 articles for Linkedin. Not a ton, but it averages out to about one a week. 

And now, it’s been about a month since I’ve written anything. That, my friends, is burnout.

What have I been doing with all this spare time?

• Reading fiction
• Binge-watching Netflix
• Painting portraits of my dogs

Basically ANYTHING to avoid actually thinking and writing.

Learning and writing and learning and writing is exhausting. As I was repeating this over and over in my mind, I thought: I bet lots of other people feel this way when they’re creating content. Especially when they’re writing for an industry that innovates and changes so fast, you find yourself head-spinning.

So, as my husband would say: What’s the solution then?

1. I’ve written an article on generating ideas. Find it here. But, what to do with an overwhelming amount of content ideas.
2. I’ve found that organization helps with overwhelm. I use Airtable (It's FREE... but excel will also do). Sort by topic or audience or stage in the buying cycle.
3. Set aside a specific time/day each week to write. Let the words flow WITHOUT JUDGMENT for 30 minutes and stop. Get that Shitty First Draft (SFD) out of your brain and down on paper. 
4. Edit with a heavy hand. Read your article out loud. Are you stumbling over sentences? Are these words you’d actually speak? I’ve used readable.io. It’s also free and will give you a grade based on readability. (The grade grubber in me wants you to know that this article earned an A on readable.io.)
5. Publish your article.
6. Repeat 1-6 next week (or as frequently as you’d like).

So, you’ve done all of these things since October and you’re still burnt out. Me too. 

I get home from work about 6 p.m. I’m exhausted. I’ve been writing and editing and strategizing all day. The last thing I want to do is get my laptop out. I’d rather work on photo shoots with my dogs performing human tasks, like reading. 

But if I’m truly burnt out, how did I manage to write this article?

Folks, here’s my super secret, ultimate burnout list:

1. Write while you’re waiting for something. Right now, I’ve got chicken in the oven. Maybe your kid is at basketball practice or your dog is doing a wardrobe change. Use that clock-watching time to crank out a few hundred words.

2. Write about something you’re currently struggling with or succeeding at. It’s a hot topic. It’s on your brain already. Do some therapy writing.

3. Riff on something you know very well. This takes the stress out of researching and choosing an angle.

Most importantly you must know:

• Everyone struggles with burn out from time to time.
• You won't lose relevancy that quickly.
• The world is not passing you by.
• Everyone does not know more, write more, and outperform you while you're burning out.

Taking a month off isn’t going to be a huge deal in the grand scheme. In fact, maybe a break is what you needed and you'll come back stronger than ever.

Don't give up!

I hope you can use these tips to find your way back.