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Here’s my three-step process for recognizing, preventing, and recovering from burnout.
Rachel Meltzer
Freelance life gives you freedom—but it can also push you straight into burnout if you’re not careful.
In my first four years of running this business, I hit burnout at least a dozen times. The problem? I was overcommitting, compartmentalizing my life, and setting expectations so high that they were impossible to meet.
This week, I realized I had signed myself up for too much—again. The good news is that each burnout episode has taught me something new about how to spot the warning signs early, pivot without guilt, and recover in a way that supports both my business and my mental health.
Here’s my three-step process for recognizing, preventing, and recovering from burnout.
Step 1: Know Your Signs
Burnout doesn’t always show up as a dramatic crash. Sometimes it sneaks in quietly, disguised as tiredness, lack of focus, or irritability.
Knowing your personal burnout signs can help you intervene early.
Common burnout symptoms include:
- Lack of interest in work
- Trouble focusing
- Viewing work or responsibilities as stressful
- Muscle tension
- Headaches
- Heartburn or stomach aches
- Emotional exhaustion or general fatigue
- Reduced performance in everyday tasks
- Feeling overwhelmed
Take a moment to identify which symptoms show up for you first. Those are your early-warning signals.
Step 2: Pivot—Without Shame
When I start feeling a mix of overwhelm, physical symptoms, and focus issues, I know it’s time to pivot.
Here’s my process:
- Write down everything you’re responsible for—personal, work, social, and life-sustaining tasks.
- Next to each item, jot down how it makes you feel right now.
- For any tasks marked as “overwhelming,” “exhausting,” or “anxiety-inducing,” ask yourself:
- Restructure your list by priority, making adjustments where needed.
How would it feel if I postponed, let this go, or changed it?
The most important part? Drop the shame. Pivoting isn’t failure—it’s smart business and self-care. I often check in with my support crew (friends, family, therapist, fellow freelancers) for reassurance that my new priorities make sense.
Step 3: Recover
Recovery is both short-term relief and long-term prevention.
Ask yourself:
- What would relieve some of my burnout symptoms today, tomorrow, next week, and this month?
- What can I postpone, let go, or change?
- How can I make my work, social life, and daily responsibilities more sustainable?
Then, schedule your recovery activities—don’t just hope you’ll make time for them. That might mean:
- Blocking out time for rest
- Setting stricter work boundaries
- Saying no to extra commitments
- Creating a more realistic weekly schedule
Try This: The Burnout Check-In Exercise
If you want to prevent future burnout, here’s a quick self-audit:
- List your burnout symptoms.
- Write down everything you’re responsible for in personal, professional, social, and life-sustaining categories.
- Note how you currently feel about each responsibility.
- For anything linked to negative feelings, ask how it would feel to postpone, drop, or change it.
- Rewrite your list in order of priority and flag the changes you need to make.
- Create a recovery plan that includes:
- A new, realistic schedule
- Self-care activities
- Any business pivots you need to make
- Time for doing nothing
FAQs About Burnout
Q: How do I know if I’m burned out or just tired?
A: If rest doesn’t restore your focus or enthusiasm, and you notice multiple burnout symptoms over time, it’s likely burnout.
Q: Is it okay to take a break from my business?
A: Absolutely. Taking time to recover prevents bigger setbacks later. You can reduce work hours, delegate, or temporarily pause certain services.
Q: How can I prevent burnout long-term?
A: Keep a balanced workload, check in on your commitments regularly, and be willing to pivot before you reach your breaking point.
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