I like your point from your original post about it being ok to talk about something or it tends to fester. I think with burnout and writing especially this a good practice to keep in mind. For me, the burnout in writing feels like it comes from the expectation to write and post rather than the desire to share writing that I hope will have a positive effect on someone's day, including my own.
Neil, I think you've hit on the thing that many of us feel with online writing, that there is an expectation to write, to create a new post, something to keep our readers engaged, and sometimes that overshadows our desire to share our writing in the hope that it has a positive effect on someone's day, and yes, our own.
We can easily get stuck in a loop effect with this and then there is the extra pressure of sharing our work to Notes with the hope that more people see it.
I know for me, stepping back and identifying what is causing my burnout is so helpful. It's not always just the online writing/creating, it is often that plus our lives and other responsibilities and needs that compound things.
I'm glad this resonated with you. I know you are like me, posting frequently. I look back at when I was actively writing politics and news and wonder what the hell I was thinking. Somedays I would write a dozen or more posts.
Pamela Leavey: The loss of Kamala Harris stifled my pen.
It is so perverse that, with the opportunity to lift American spirits, the voter listened to his worst instincts.
In recovering, one has to nurture one's spirit. Poetry, music, art, literature, philosophy.
It is difficult to re-read The Federalist, John Locke, John Rawls (Theory of Justice), or Book 6 of Polybius Histories (the chapter on the balance and separation of powers of the Roman Republic).
One is so disillusioned with the results of democracy as to lose hope in the Classics of Political Theory of a republican-democracy. The promise, so noble, unattained.
I will try:
"Say it.
"Own it.
"Revel in it.
"Cry about it.
"Feel mad and sad.
"Do what you gotta do to work through it.
"It will pass.
"It always does."
"You will get through it.
"You always do."
You point the way forward.
One must concentrate her focus on an issue close to her heart.
Mine is the humanity and dignity of each immigrant.
In support of LULAC -- the League of United Latin American Citizens, founded 1929 -- I will give, and, where I can, act to oppose the policies of Stephen Miller and Thomas Homan.
Pamela Leavey: Thank you for sharing strength in our community.
Armand, I understand how your pen might feel stifled at this time. When he will not be named was elected the first time, I started to back away fro political writing. It's a stressful subject, politics and news, which I also write about, and ultimately I chose to write about the things that first led me to writing. That is not to say, I do not feel the urge to express my feelings about things happening around us, I just recognize for my own personal well being I can't go down that rocky road with my writing.
May your pen be inspired to write about things that make you feel good. May you find comfort in "poetry, music, art, literature, philosophy." We will get through this. We got through it in the past and will again. There will be better angels at work behind the scenes. Have faith, my friend.
Thank you Armand. There is a quote that always sticks with me in times like this, from Ted Kennedy - "The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dreams shall never die."
It keeps me going knowing that there are so many good people who carry that work on.
Thank you so much for your authentic post. Burnout is so real. The think about it is, it sneaks up on you. It did for me with my pet sitting and dog walking business. Always feeling like I'm on call for myself and my other dog walkers that do work for me. Then there is the day to day life. Burnout is real and I don't think I ever truly recovered. This last one did me in. I had very mild covid (only symptoms was fatigue some vertigo on Thanksgiving - yet I still did my pet sitting jobs and everything else. I Then flu b a few days after Christmas. That I thought was a sinus infection and holiday fatigue
Our bodies speak louder and louder until they get our attention
Please take care of yourself. I am hoping this did not push me into a fibro and CFIDS flair. It's never worth it
Jane, being self-employed is to be on call, especially as a pet sitter and dog walker. And you have a family. I get it, it is a lot. Make sure you make time for you, carve it out, a little here and there if need be. I always stayed up late to get my me time when my daughter was in school. I got little sleep, but it gave me time to write or read.
I thought covid on Christmas day was a fibro flare! I enjoyed the days of not feeling up to doing anything and actually got some writing done and then as I felt better and had to add in "life stuff - errands," it hit me that burnout was back.
You and I, we are "women who do too much." We get through it better with some extra time for ourselves. Hugs to you!!!
Jane, I see younger me in you so often in your posts! I am taking care of me. I wanted to share this post again to remind readers that we online writers do get burnt out!
Thanks, Pam! I can relate to so much of what you say. I have been going through last year’s posts ( I am sharing links to themes) I was shocked to see how much of my writing contains themes of burnout.
I’m sure your post resonates with so many writers here.
We have a secretary cat as well. He’s named KnockAbout. First of all, he’s not very good at his job. Secondly, if I had tulips 🌷 on my desk they would have met the same fate. I’m feeling your pain. And LMAO just a little. 🧡
This could never be reposted enough Pamela. It is so valid.
I do find it amazing how just acknowledging even to ourselves that we are overwhelmed, just saying the words - "overwhelmed is here" - removes some of the self identification and power of the emotion. Hard to remember to do in the moment though, that's for sure!
Hi Jo, I agree, it is something that can never be posted enough and never be acknowledged enough. I love what you said, "just saying the words - "overwhelmed is here" - removes some of the self identification and power of the emotion." It is hard to remember to do in the moment but when we can it certainly does lift a lot of the pressure from us.
I am wishing you a peaceful and gentle day too, my friend. Blessed be ❤️
Corie, I love this point that you made from Jo’s comment. Out with the “I am” and in with the, it’s “here.” Be in that place, go through it and then release it when it is passing.
"However, there is one thing that I learned a long time ago — if you don’t talk about it, it festers. And we’ve got enough to deal with, without our struggles and troubles festering."
Thank you for the permission to feel.... scared, tired, burnt out, pressured... and to speak about it, too.
Pam, I'm sorry you're feeling the extra dose of fatigue. Covid is a bitch, and you need to give yourself grace as you continue to recover. If you are feeling that the writing is extra tough, you may be experiencing some brain fog as a result. But you do seem pretty damned clear to me! Thanks for the transparency and the beauty. Keep resting. We have battles ahead. With our pens.
Sheri, Thanks so much! I’m surprised as it seemed to be a mild case of covid that I am still feeling worn out. I did check in with my doctors office today by phone and spoke with the NP. I’m keeping on the extra rest track for now and laying low.
I also felt compelled to shine a light on the fact that online writers get burnt out. As someone who’s been writing online forever, I consider myself in a good place to share that.
Thank you again for this timely article, Pamela. I took the past week off from publishing my usual Tu & Fri posts and it was the first time I gave myself a break like that on Substack since launching a couple of years ago. I’ve gotten a lot of writing done, but really appreciated the publishing break. I also had a very busy pet sitting business for 20 years (until it dried up with the 2020 lockdown), so I especially resonate with what Jane said in her comments. I hope we can all continue to lift each other up in 2025 and give it a rest when we recognize the need. Wishing you and all of your readers well!
Heidi, Thanks so much for weighing in. The publishing is time consuming, the writing is time consuming. We do this because we enjoy it, we love our work as writers, but it is work and it does get tiring and tedious at times. I am so glad you took a week off from publishing. I need to look at doing that myself. And I hope we can all continue to have this conversation because burn out happens to every one. Here’s to keeping us all uplifted in 2025!
Pamela, I’m curious about something….. how does it nourish / serve / feed your soul / represent you authentically (and a million other thoughts) to post with such frequency? 3-4 times per week is an enormous commitment! And I often see three to five notes of yours per day. I have wondered more than once how that lovely heart of yours can hold this amount of work? (And yes, it’s work).
You are the only person I subscribe to who posts at this level of frequency. I’ve deleted all the others (because despite enjoying them) I get overwhelmed trying to keep up and stay current with them. I remain subscribed to you because you are a wonderful human. And I enjoy getting to know you…… yet…… I wonder if anyone would unsubscribe if you posted only once or twice each week. And one note each day?.. I know that I just offered up an extreme alternative to what you’ve been doing. Please know that I’m speaking from my heart. Fibromyalgia and Chronic fatigue are debilitating illnesses.
PS. I hope I wasn’t too pushy in my earlier comment. I have no intentions of having you change the way you do things, nor do I think you are wrong doing things the way you do. My words were written from a caring place of being curious about how the pace you hold for yourself serves you, and me wanting to understand more.
Teyani, you definitely weren’t too pushy and I 100% appreciate your care and concern about me. My pace online has slowed way down in recent years and I always know when it’s time to take a break. The other part of the equation I did not mention in my other response is that an introvert who lives alone the internet provides me with a solid social network. It isn’t the same as in person contact but it’s been a good thing for me over the years and I’ve made some wonderful friends online that I’ve met in real life, and or talked to on the phone, so there is that aspect as well.
Teyani, I am have writing online for so long now that it is intrinsically part of my day to day routine. Although I enjoy time away from the online world, this is what I do, and it does in fact serve my soul and it represents who I am authentically. I've been writing online on a very regular basis for almost 30 years.
I actually post far less these days than I did in the past. It's joyful work for me to be writing and sharing things that make people happy or make a difference for them. It is definitely work and sometimes it's more work than I should be doing. Substack has actually been great for me that I can actually make a little extra money, that extra income is a big help for me. It takes pressure off my family who help me financially. So there's a lot of motivation to be here doing this. The Fibro and CFS have been with me for a long time and yes they slow me down more as I get older, but until some things shift in my life, I want and need to keep doing what I am doing here.
The other motive in reposting this is to start a dialogue with other writers who also get burnout from online writing. My decades of online writing have put me in the position to say with experience that burnout happens to online writers and creators and it's important to acknowledge that and to take the right steps to care for yourself when you get burned out, which is something I always do and have done for as long as I have been writing online and pretty much through out my life.
The good thing about writing online is that it is a form of self-employment which allows one to set their own hours and decide when they can take time off, and step away from it all. I have also studied the effects of the internet on people when working on my B.A. and M.A. so I have that knowledge as well.
What I do and what I know about what I do is a long story. The story has been written, it needs to be published.
Yes, Jill! Being in the moment sometimes means getting offline for a while, a day, a time that works for each of us! Leave the keeping up behind and just be!
Pamela, your post really resonates with me. I only post on Friday mornings, and I can't imagine how intense publishing several times a week is.
In my work as a professional writer for what seems like a zillion years, I can honestly say, writing burnout is real. It is so difficult to motivate oneself day after day to meet intense deadlines and make sure the writing is high quality. Writing on Substack, for me, is both tiring and jubilant. With each post, I write something and share a draft or final version of something I oil painted.
Like you I'm an overachiever, and I try to do the best job on Substack that I can. Sometimes, however, I feel very tired -- too tired to paint because it involves setting up the canvas, getting the oil paints and brushes ready, etc. But I ultimately show up to the canvas -- and to the keyboard. Yet, after painting I do feel refreshed and jubilant.
Beth, It's interesting how many people don't recognize the work that goes into being a writer. You know, because you have, like me, been writing for years. Deadlines are always an added stress with writing. I feel at least free from those here on Substack. I do give myself that latitude to post when I want to.
I also understand the extra work that goes into your weekly posts involves showing stages of paintings you are working on, which adds an extra layer of work, not unlike me adding my photography to my posts. My photography that is signed - watermarked - had all been through an editing process, which is also time consuming.
So burnout is commonsense for anyone creating online as we do here on Substack. We find it rewarding and it fills us with joy when someone relates to our work, when they compliment our work, when we feel heard and seen. It's a wonderful feeling. We carry that with us, and it is impetus to continue what we do.
It's okay to admit we get tired and feel burnt out here at times. It's natural and its honest. Rest and little time off usually fixes that.
Thank you, Pamela, for your response. You are so spot on: writing requires lots of work and a huge physical and emotional investment. It really can take a toll on us, so I agree that a little rest can be so helpful.
Your photos are an example of beautiful art. You make the final result look easy when it requires so much energy. I always look forward to your posts.
Beth, I am sure you have heard many of the tired refrains of writing isn't hard work and other comments similar to that over the years you have worked as a professional writer. I really appreciate your input here and your friendship. Thank you!
I totally get this! Have had a happy buy tiring month and am finally settling back into some self-care and meditation routine. Hope you are feeling better today Pamela?
Hi Minaz, Self-care is so important. I am glad to hear you had a happy month and have found your way back to catching up on self-care and meditation. I am feeling better, thanks for asking. Lots of self care for me right now too.
I want to thank everyone for the wonderful conversations we are having here around the theme of burn out or being worn out. It's an important topic that sometimes gets overlooked because we don't always feel comfortable about taking about the fact that we feel perhaps we are doing too much.
I think that may be the first time I've said that Pamela... and it's true, so true.
Why do we find it so very hard to admit? It isn't a failing, it isn't even anything to be ashamed of and yet we are. And we are because in this fast paced, brightly lit, designer labelled life we all feel the need to be part of we want to be one step ahead of the game - even me on my secluded hill which is crazy because we came here for one reason... to not be part of it, to live a quiet life. A soul life...
Here's to stepping back, slowing down, breathing deeply and saying to hell with it, Im taking a rest because we deserve to be kind to ourselves sometimes too!
I am sending tired hugs dear Pamela, get cosy lovely, curl up and don't emerge until you feel you can! xxx
I like your point from your original post about it being ok to talk about something or it tends to fester. I think with burnout and writing especially this a good practice to keep in mind. For me, the burnout in writing feels like it comes from the expectation to write and post rather than the desire to share writing that I hope will have a positive effect on someone's day, including my own.
Neil, I think you've hit on the thing that many of us feel with online writing, that there is an expectation to write, to create a new post, something to keep our readers engaged, and sometimes that overshadows our desire to share our writing in the hope that it has a positive effect on someone's day, and yes, our own.
We can easily get stuck in a loop effect with this and then there is the extra pressure of sharing our work to Notes with the hope that more people see it.
I know for me, stepping back and identifying what is causing my burnout is so helpful. It's not always just the online writing/creating, it is often that plus our lives and other responsibilities and needs that compound things.
I'm glad this resonated with you. I know you are like me, posting frequently. I look back at when I was actively writing politics and news and wonder what the hell I was thinking. Somedays I would write a dozen or more posts.
Pamela Leavey: The loss of Kamala Harris stifled my pen.
It is so perverse that, with the opportunity to lift American spirits, the voter listened to his worst instincts.
In recovering, one has to nurture one's spirit. Poetry, music, art, literature, philosophy.
It is difficult to re-read The Federalist, John Locke, John Rawls (Theory of Justice), or Book 6 of Polybius Histories (the chapter on the balance and separation of powers of the Roman Republic).
One is so disillusioned with the results of democracy as to lose hope in the Classics of Political Theory of a republican-democracy. The promise, so noble, unattained.
I will try:
"Say it.
"Own it.
"Revel in it.
"Cry about it.
"Feel mad and sad.
"Do what you gotta do to work through it.
"It will pass.
"It always does."
"You will get through it.
"You always do."
You point the way forward.
One must concentrate her focus on an issue close to her heart.
Mine is the humanity and dignity of each immigrant.
In support of LULAC -- the League of United Latin American Citizens, founded 1929 -- I will give, and, where I can, act to oppose the policies of Stephen Miller and Thomas Homan.
Pamela Leavey: Thank you for sharing strength in our community.
Armand, I understand how your pen might feel stifled at this time. When he will not be named was elected the first time, I started to back away fro political writing. It's a stressful subject, politics and news, which I also write about, and ultimately I chose to write about the things that first led me to writing. That is not to say, I do not feel the urge to express my feelings about things happening around us, I just recognize for my own personal well being I can't go down that rocky road with my writing.
May your pen be inspired to write about things that make you feel good. May you find comfort in "poetry, music, art, literature, philosophy." We will get through this. We got through it in the past and will again. There will be better angels at work behind the scenes. Have faith, my friend.
Pamela Leavey: Part of my strength is in "better angels at work", very much including you!
Thank you Armand. There is a quote that always sticks with me in times like this, from Ted Kennedy - "The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dreams shall never die."
It keeps me going knowing that there are so many good people who carry that work on.
Thank you so much for your authentic post. Burnout is so real. The think about it is, it sneaks up on you. It did for me with my pet sitting and dog walking business. Always feeling like I'm on call for myself and my other dog walkers that do work for me. Then there is the day to day life. Burnout is real and I don't think I ever truly recovered. This last one did me in. I had very mild covid (only symptoms was fatigue some vertigo on Thanksgiving - yet I still did my pet sitting jobs and everything else. I Then flu b a few days after Christmas. That I thought was a sinus infection and holiday fatigue
Our bodies speak louder and louder until they get our attention
Please take care of yourself. I am hoping this did not push me into a fibro and CFIDS flair. It's never worth it
Hindsight is always 20/20 though
Jane, being self-employed is to be on call, especially as a pet sitter and dog walker. And you have a family. I get it, it is a lot. Make sure you make time for you, carve it out, a little here and there if need be. I always stayed up late to get my me time when my daughter was in school. I got little sleep, but it gave me time to write or read.
I thought covid on Christmas day was a fibro flare! I enjoyed the days of not feeling up to doing anything and actually got some writing done and then as I felt better and had to add in "life stuff - errands," it hit me that burnout was back.
You and I, we are "women who do too much." We get through it better with some extra time for ourselves. Hugs to you!!!
Covid and flu can feel like a flair for sure! Especially those mild cases.
I stay up too late, get up too early. Thanks part of it
Getting all of the “stuff” done is never worth it. I end up losing time
Take care of yourself too!!!
Jane, I see younger me in you so often in your posts! I am taking care of me. I wanted to share this post again to remind readers that we online writers do get burnt out!
Thanks, Pam! I can relate to so much of what you say. I have been going through last year’s posts ( I am sharing links to themes) I was shocked to see how much of my writing contains themes of burnout.
I’m sure your post resonates with so many writers here.
Jane, I recall seeing some of those posts of yours and also some Notes mentioning burnout and others who we both know too.
We have a secretary cat as well. He’s named KnockAbout. First of all, he’s not very good at his job. Secondly, if I had tulips 🌷 on my desk they would have met the same fate. I’m feeling your pain. And LMAO just a little. 🧡
Stella, Secretary cats always like to keep busy. One I had used to lay on top of my books so she could help me read.
This could never be reposted enough Pamela. It is so valid.
I do find it amazing how just acknowledging even to ourselves that we are overwhelmed, just saying the words - "overwhelmed is here" - removes some of the self identification and power of the emotion. Hard to remember to do in the moment though, that's for sure!
Wishing you a peaceful gentle day. ❤️
Hi Jo, I agree, it is something that can never be posted enough and never be acknowledged enough. I love what you said, "just saying the words - "overwhelmed is here" - removes some of the self identification and power of the emotion." It is hard to remember to do in the moment but when we can it certainly does lift a lot of the pressure from us.
I am wishing you a peaceful and gentle day too, my friend. Blessed be ❤️
So true. Instead of identifying with it with the language "I am..." to say that it is here allows it to come and go without denying it or grasping it!
Corie, I love this point that you made from Jo’s comment. Out with the “I am” and in with the, it’s “here.” Be in that place, go through it and then release it when it is passing.
Thank you. There is tiredness passing through me…. There is joy in my heart.
Yes, the wording is so important!
"However, there is one thing that I learned a long time ago — if you don’t talk about it, it festers. And we’ve got enough to deal with, without our struggles and troubles festering."
Thank you for the permission to feel.... scared, tired, burnt out, pressured... and to speak about it, too.
When we talk about things, we give things permission to be released.
Pam, I'm sorry you're feeling the extra dose of fatigue. Covid is a bitch, and you need to give yourself grace as you continue to recover. If you are feeling that the writing is extra tough, you may be experiencing some brain fog as a result. But you do seem pretty damned clear to me! Thanks for the transparency and the beauty. Keep resting. We have battles ahead. With our pens.
Sheri, Thanks so much! I’m surprised as it seemed to be a mild case of covid that I am still feeling worn out. I did check in with my doctors office today by phone and spoke with the NP. I’m keeping on the extra rest track for now and laying low.
I also felt compelled to shine a light on the fact that online writers get burnt out. As someone who’s been writing online forever, I consider myself in a good place to share that.
Glad you checked in with the NP; NPs are the best. And you are right. Online is always here waiting for us. Nighty night, friend.
Sweet dreams! I am ready for the couch stop off before bed!
Thank you again for this timely article, Pamela. I took the past week off from publishing my usual Tu & Fri posts and it was the first time I gave myself a break like that on Substack since launching a couple of years ago. I’ve gotten a lot of writing done, but really appreciated the publishing break. I also had a very busy pet sitting business for 20 years (until it dried up with the 2020 lockdown), so I especially resonate with what Jane said in her comments. I hope we can all continue to lift each other up in 2025 and give it a rest when we recognize the need. Wishing you and all of your readers well!
Heidi, Thanks so much for weighing in. The publishing is time consuming, the writing is time consuming. We do this because we enjoy it, we love our work as writers, but it is work and it does get tiring and tedious at times. I am so glad you took a week off from publishing. I need to look at doing that myself. And I hope we can all continue to have this conversation because burn out happens to every one. Here’s to keeping us all uplifted in 2025!
Thank you Pamela! As we’ve noted to each other, looking forward to sharing the path unwinding in 2025!
Absolutely
I recall reading that post last May.💞
Pamela, I’m curious about something….. how does it nourish / serve / feed your soul / represent you authentically (and a million other thoughts) to post with such frequency? 3-4 times per week is an enormous commitment! And I often see three to five notes of yours per day. I have wondered more than once how that lovely heart of yours can hold this amount of work? (And yes, it’s work).
You are the only person I subscribe to who posts at this level of frequency. I’ve deleted all the others (because despite enjoying them) I get overwhelmed trying to keep up and stay current with them. I remain subscribed to you because you are a wonderful human. And I enjoy getting to know you…… yet…… I wonder if anyone would unsubscribe if you posted only once or twice each week. And one note each day?.. I know that I just offered up an extreme alternative to what you’ve been doing. Please know that I’m speaking from my heart. Fibromyalgia and Chronic fatigue are debilitating illnesses.
PS. I hope I wasn’t too pushy in my earlier comment. I have no intentions of having you change the way you do things, nor do I think you are wrong doing things the way you do. My words were written from a caring place of being curious about how the pace you hold for yourself serves you, and me wanting to understand more.
Teyani, you definitely weren’t too pushy and I 100% appreciate your care and concern about me. My pace online has slowed way down in recent years and I always know when it’s time to take a break. The other part of the equation I did not mention in my other response is that an introvert who lives alone the internet provides me with a solid social network. It isn’t the same as in person contact but it’s been a good thing for me over the years and I’ve made some wonderful friends online that I’ve met in real life, and or talked to on the phone, so there is that aspect as well.
Teyani, I am have writing online for so long now that it is intrinsically part of my day to day routine. Although I enjoy time away from the online world, this is what I do, and it does in fact serve my soul and it represents who I am authentically. I've been writing online on a very regular basis for almost 30 years.
I actually post far less these days than I did in the past. It's joyful work for me to be writing and sharing things that make people happy or make a difference for them. It is definitely work and sometimes it's more work than I should be doing. Substack has actually been great for me that I can actually make a little extra money, that extra income is a big help for me. It takes pressure off my family who help me financially. So there's a lot of motivation to be here doing this. The Fibro and CFS have been with me for a long time and yes they slow me down more as I get older, but until some things shift in my life, I want and need to keep doing what I am doing here.
The other motive in reposting this is to start a dialogue with other writers who also get burnout from online writing. My decades of online writing have put me in the position to say with experience that burnout happens to online writers and creators and it's important to acknowledge that and to take the right steps to care for yourself when you get burned out, which is something I always do and have done for as long as I have been writing online and pretty much through out my life.
The good thing about writing online is that it is a form of self-employment which allows one to set their own hours and decide when they can take time off, and step away from it all. I have also studied the effects of the internet on people when working on my B.A. and M.A. so I have that knowledge as well.
What I do and what I know about what I do is a long story. The story has been written, it needs to be published.
True true true
Leaving "keeping up" behind and "being in the moment" at the moment!
Yes, Jill! Being in the moment sometimes means getting offline for a while, a day, a time that works for each of us! Leave the keeping up behind and just be!
Pamela, your post really resonates with me. I only post on Friday mornings, and I can't imagine how intense publishing several times a week is.
In my work as a professional writer for what seems like a zillion years, I can honestly say, writing burnout is real. It is so difficult to motivate oneself day after day to meet intense deadlines and make sure the writing is high quality. Writing on Substack, for me, is both tiring and jubilant. With each post, I write something and share a draft or final version of something I oil painted.
Like you I'm an overachiever, and I try to do the best job on Substack that I can. Sometimes, however, I feel very tired -- too tired to paint because it involves setting up the canvas, getting the oil paints and brushes ready, etc. But I ultimately show up to the canvas -- and to the keyboard. Yet, after painting I do feel refreshed and jubilant.
By the way, I LOVE the tulips. So gorgeous.
Beth, It's interesting how many people don't recognize the work that goes into being a writer. You know, because you have, like me, been writing for years. Deadlines are always an added stress with writing. I feel at least free from those here on Substack. I do give myself that latitude to post when I want to.
I also understand the extra work that goes into your weekly posts involves showing stages of paintings you are working on, which adds an extra layer of work, not unlike me adding my photography to my posts. My photography that is signed - watermarked - had all been through an editing process, which is also time consuming.
So burnout is commonsense for anyone creating online as we do here on Substack. We find it rewarding and it fills us with joy when someone relates to our work, when they compliment our work, when we feel heard and seen. It's a wonderful feeling. We carry that with us, and it is impetus to continue what we do.
It's okay to admit we get tired and feel burnt out here at times. It's natural and its honest. Rest and little time off usually fixes that.
Thanks so much for chiming in Beth!
Thank you, Pamela, for your response. You are so spot on: writing requires lots of work and a huge physical and emotional investment. It really can take a toll on us, so I agree that a little rest can be so helpful.
Your photos are an example of beautiful art. You make the final result look easy when it requires so much energy. I always look forward to your posts.
Beth, I am sure you have heard many of the tired refrains of writing isn't hard work and other comments similar to that over the years you have worked as a professional writer. I really appreciate your input here and your friendship. Thank you!
I totally get this! Have had a happy buy tiring month and am finally settling back into some self-care and meditation routine. Hope you are feeling better today Pamela?
Hi Minaz, Self-care is so important. I am glad to hear you had a happy month and have found your way back to catching up on self-care and meditation. I am feeling better, thanks for asking. Lots of self care for me right now too.
I want to thank everyone for the wonderful conversations we are having here around the theme of burn out or being worn out. It's an important topic that sometimes gets overlooked because we don't always feel comfortable about taking about the fact that we feel perhaps we are doing too much.
I am worn out.
I think that may be the first time I've said that Pamela... and it's true, so true.
Why do we find it so very hard to admit? It isn't a failing, it isn't even anything to be ashamed of and yet we are. And we are because in this fast paced, brightly lit, designer labelled life we all feel the need to be part of we want to be one step ahead of the game - even me on my secluded hill which is crazy because we came here for one reason... to not be part of it, to live a quiet life. A soul life...
Here's to stepping back, slowing down, breathing deeply and saying to hell with it, Im taking a rest because we deserve to be kind to ourselves sometimes too!
I am sending tired hugs dear Pamela, get cosy lovely, curl up and don't emerge until you feel you can! xxx