Burnout Can't Have You
Featuring a Burnout Recovery Guide
Infinite Summer is on sale now. Grab your copy here → Buy Infinite Summer
I love to challenge myself. At eighteen, I flung myself across the country for the first time, moving alone from Chattanooga to Boston to start college in a city I’d only visited once for orientation. Post-college, I started my first business with my brother selling vegan food and teaching cooking classes, all while juggling a full-time job. The list of challenges could go on, but I say this to say that I am no stranger to difficulty and I am also not immune to burnout.
I’ve been working 6/7 days a week for the past two months to create Of Age: Infinite Summer and get it out into the world. The days I haven’t been working, I’ve been busy tending to my personal life to reset for the work week. In the midst of all this, both of my pets have been in and out of the vet and I’ve been planning a trip to Lisbon. I’ve been juggling A LOT and it’s lead to an intense case of burnout.
Mental health America says that “burnout happens when ongoing stress leaves you exhausted—emotionally, physically, and mentally. It can happen when you’re trying to handle too many things—work, school, parenting, caregiving, or other duties. After a while, you may feel drained, disconnected, and overwhelmed.” For me, burnout has shown up as chronic exhaustion, overwhelm, lack of creative spark, digestion issues, and a general crankiness.1
Last week, I finally had to admit that I didn’t feel like myself and that needed to change. As much as I’m proud of my magazine launch, it hasn’t been worth the cost of my health and wellbeing. Success, for me, is just as much about how I feel as it is about achievement.
Luckily, I have a three week trip to Lisbon planned and it’s the perfect excuse to prioritize my wellbeing and get back to feeling like me again. (P.S. don’t worry, magazine orders will still be fulfilled while I’m gone). Below, I’m outlining my burnout recovery plan in the hopes that it can serve as a guide for myself and anyone else currently surviving on their last brain cell.
The Road to Burnout Recovery
Acceptance. As with all things in life, you can’t fix a problem until you acknowledge that it’s there. I, Amanda Greenidge, acknowledge and accept that I’ve pushed myself too far and I’m currently burnt out.
Doing the minimum. I’m a big fan of scaling back when needed. An all out vacation isn’t always feasible, but usually I can find a responsibility or activity to drop, so I can have more time in my schedule for rest. While I still have to show up for work and Of Age, I’ve stopped trying to do it all and have focused on accomplishing what I can. I’ve also been saying “no,” to things I don’t have the energy to commit to and have asked for help when needed. If you’re also experiencing burnout, assess your to-do list and see where you can make cuts or delegate tasks to free up more time for rest.
Reducing time on social media. Since I use social media to market Of Age, being online is associated with work in my brain. It’s difficult for me to just scroll without thinking about how my latest post is doing in the background. Also, I find when I’m mentally overstimulated that the never-ending content stream on social media makes it ten times worse. So, while I’m still using social media, it only as needed.
Sleeping in. This is something I haven’t gotten to do yet, but I’m looking forward to this while in Lisbon. I’ve been getting up early most days to start working on the magazine before my client work starts and I’ve also been getting an early start on weekends. I look forward to long nights of deep sleep to help restore me. If you’ve also been an early riser lately, treat yourself to sleeping in as much as possible while in burnout recovery.
Taking time off. As a freelancer, time off is hard to take because I don’t have a PTO bank (yet). However, I’ve been grinding it out this year and I need a week where I don’t have to open my laptop for work. I’ll be taking a week off in Lisbon and sacrificing some coin in the name of burnout recovery, but I’m one-hundred percent okay with that. If you’re lucky enough to have PTO, take it! You don’t need an event, vacation, or excuse to take time off from work. When you’re craving some additional rest, PTO can be utilized to sleep in, rot on the couch, or get a much needed spa treatment.
Prioritizing fun. When you’ve been working like I have, most days become centered around necessity. This past weekend though, I had a couple of social commitments that reminded me that going outside, connecting with people, and breaking up your routine are what make life fun. While in Lisbon, fun will definitely be my priority. Work is great, but what’s it all for if we can’t spend some of our earnings on a good time?
Housekeeping
While in Lisbon, I’ll be doing a mini “Letters from Lisbon,” series chronicling my travels and sharing insights from my time abroad. Please note, that I will taking off the first week of September, so there won’t be a newsletter that week.
Ways to Support
Buy a Magazine — Of Age: Infinite Summer is available to order now and will be on sale until the end of summer (or until we sell out, whichever comes first).
Become a Paid Subscriber — Paid subscribers receive the final newsletter of each month, which alternates between Obsessions (my monthly culture/beauty/style roundup) and a personal essay. You’ll also get full archive access and a free zine with every drop. Free stories remain open to all subscribers for a month before moving behind the paywall.
Buy Me a Coffee — Think of this as a small kindness for the writer behind the screen. If something I’ve written resonates, you can “tip” me a cup of coffee.
Engage With the Newsletter — Likes, comments, and shares are a free and meaningful way to support Of Age. Every interaction helps this community grow.
Recommend Of Age — If you’re a fellow Substack writer, recommending Of Age helps new readers find their way here. I’m always happy to return the love.