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Is burnout total B.S.? Can you just sleep it off and be on your merry way?
In this episode of The New Music Industry Podcast, I share the dangers of burnout and why constantly hustling, and grinding isn’t the way forward in your career or business.
Podcast Highlights:
- 00:34 – Back to the land of the living
- 00:55 – Burnout
- 03:02 – Overcoming burnout and solving business challenges
- 05:32 – Summary
- 06:01 – Transforming your career or business
Transcription:
Well, I’m finally back to the land of the living.
And, based on the level of burnout I was experiencing, I honestly thought I wouldn’t be feeling better until after summer.
Now, this isn’t to say I’m in ship shape now, but I’m beginning to feel a lot healthier.
I’ve already talked a little bit about my situation in episode 150 of the podcast, so if you need to catch up, you can start there.
But there’s one thing I didn’t address there, which is burnout.
Unless you’re a close friend of mine, there’s no way you would know that I’ve been slowly and steadily burning out this year.
For one thing, I haven’t taken a vacation since my trip to Japan in November 2017. So, that’s a major factor.
For another, I was taking an intensive four-month personal development program that started in January and ended in May. That program helped me generate some incredible results in life and in business, but it’s fair to say it was just one more thing on top of the many things I was already working on.
Because of the effort I’d put in, as summer neared, I was getting slammed with work.
This is a good problem to have, and honestly, it’s not a problem at all. But I had to come up with a strategy to keep the ball rolling.
But as the days wore on, I had trouble getting out of bed, my mind was foggy, and my shoulders were tense. I was in no place to come up with a workable solution.
That went on for weeks, even months. Since I hadn’t seen my naturopath since 2018, I decided it was high time to tap into his expertise again.
It took a while, but thanks to his help, I’ve started feeling healthier again.
If you’re an entrepreneur constantly hustling, then you probably know what I’m talking about.
But based on the kinds of things I’ve heard others say, I honestly think most people haven’t experienced burnout at this level, which is typically linked to adrenal and thyroid fatigue.
I’ve mentioned burnout in conversation before, and the most common response I’ve gotten is:
“Oh, you’re burned out? Me too.”
If that’s how you respond, you probably aren’t burned out.
If you can sleep it off over the weekend and feel fine again, you’re not going through burnout.
If you’re inexplicably exhausted and lethargic for weeks and months on end without any end in sight, that’s how you know you’re pushed it a little too hard.
So, when people say, “burnout is B.S. – just sleep it off”, I don’t think they know what they’re talking about.
Burnout is real. It can happen to anyone. You can push yourself too hard to the point where your body just can’t handle it anymore. And, it can take several months for you to recover. Some people even continue to push themselves to the point where they end up with a major illness or worse.
So, burnout is not B.S. It’s real.
Burnout is not B.S. It’s real. Click To TweetSo, how exactly did I cope with burnout and what did I do to solve the problem?
When you’re burnt out, the last thing you want to do is eat or exercise.
But what you eat does make a big difference, so you want to make sure you’re eating better. I started drinking more smoothies and celery juice.
And, so far as exercise is concerned, I try to workout at least once per week, if not two or three times per week.
But I also know that you don’t want to push yourself too hard when you’re going through burnout. A good, 20- to 30-minute walk in the sun can be refreshing, but you must be consistent.
I did some walking, but most of the time I just worked out from home, as that’s the easiest solution.
Massage can also be a difference maker. I’ve only gotten one massage recently, but it helped me reset my sleep and helped with my shoulder injury besides.
Meditation is another mechanism I’ve found some value in. Last year, when I was emotionally burnt out, I was adamant about keeping to my meditation schedule, and in time, it started to work.
I haven’t been meditating consistently these days, but I still get some meditation time in.
And, of course, as I mentioned, I saw my naturopath, who is versed in organ adjustments, chiropractic work and cranial sacral therapy. I have found this to be immensely effective.
Of course, you get your homeopathic drops and pills too.
Now, I’m not a healthcare practitioner, so this episode comes with the disclaimer that you should see a professional if you’re wondering if any of what I’ve mentioned here would be beneficial to you.
As for the strategic aspects, I had to determine what I wanted to do with guest posts.
Every day, I get people emailing me wanting to contribute a guest post on my site, and while I appreciate the interest, I was finding that I didn’t have enough time to deal with all of it.
My first instinct was to discontinue guest posts, as I said I would do at the beginning of the year.
But then I started to see an opportunity. So, the next thought that came to me was, “maybe I could hire someone to handle this aspect of my business.”
And, that’s exactly what I did, and we now have a guest post manager who handles all inbound inquiries.
After that, I felt a huge sense of relief. I felt freer to work on the things I needed to work on.
After all, what should the CEO of a company be focused on? Marketing and sales.
What should the CEO of a company be focused on? Marketing and sales. Click To TweetIf the work I’m doing isn’t tied into marketing or sales, then it should be handled by someone else.
If you get that, your music entrepreneurship career is going to take off like nobody’s business.
So, to summarize, burnout isn’t B.S. And, when you’re going through burnout, it’s unlikely that you will be effective on an individual level.
And, if you want to keep the ball rolling in your career or business, the key point is to identify the opportunity. Is there an aspect of your career or business that’s already profitable? If so, should you be the one handling all the work? Could you systemize that aspect of your business and have someone else handle it?
This is something I talk more about in my book, The Essential Guide to Creative Entrepreneurship: Making and Selling Your Neon Yellow Tiger, so if this has got your attention, I would recommend checking it out on Amazon.
At the core of what I’m talking about is transforming your career or business.
Our mission at The Music Entrepreneur HQ is to turn starving artists into empowered entrepreneurs who can achieving their desired level of success.
Are you tired of starving, releasing music that no one listens to, playing shows that no one comes to, making less money than you’re worth?
Then you’re in the right place at the right time. And, the time to transform your career is now.
So, if you’re ready to gain access to tools and resources that will make a difference in your career, I would encourage you to go to MusicEntrepreneurHQ.com/join to join our mailing list. I look forward to sharing with you on the inside.
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