"How to Avoid a Supernova-Sized Burnout" (Creator's Block Ep. 78)

I think it’s safe to say most of us have experienced some level of burnout in our careers (and lives).

This has probably ranged from feeling just a tad over-worked to hitting the big one with a supernova, cataclysmic-type event.

Through my years with IMPACT, I’ve gained a lot of self-awareness and learned how to recognize the warning signs in myself, but I didn't do it alone.

There have been a cast of characters (not unlike the Tin man, Scarecrow, and Cowardly Lion) that have helped me along the way and gave me some much needed advice along the way.

But let’s rewind to a time before I was seeing in technicolor…

I hit a really low point a few years back when I was working on a packaging design project I was really excited about. 

The brand and product were really fun, there was a lot of illustration involved (which I LOVE), and I really felt like this was *my moment.*

It was a new endeavor for all of us. We hadn't done a package design project at IMPACT and we didn't really have a good process for it at the time. Not to mention, we didn't have the (s)coping skills that we're equipped with now.

As the project took off, it quickly became clear that we were in over our heads.

I was struggling to turn around designs that fit what the client was looking for, expectation were amiss, and I was headed for burnout town.

I started closing myself up in a dark sequestered back room of the office from the second I came in to the second I left.

I was quickly falling down a rabbit hole with sketches and ideas strewn everywhere.I was pouring all of my energy into this and wasn't able to refuel.

After a few weeks, Vin (my manager at the time), took me aside and hit me with the hard truth that I had to stop.

What I was doing wasn't healthy and wasn't helping the client, the company, or myself.  I was completely burnt out.

After a mini intervention, I was able to take a break of a day or two and get my head straight.

Lucky for me, I haven't ended up in such a toxic spiral since, but the occasional burnout still gets the best of me.

This week, Justine and I talk about how we've learned to cope when we're feeling the burn!

Listen to the Episode

What We Talked About

• What “passion” means to us
• Societal pressure - do you need to know what you want to do early on in life?
• How to manage if you feel passionless in your career/work life
• Top tips to help find your passion
• Passion is ever evolving 

Resources

• Why "Follow Your Passion" is Pretty Bad Advice - The Muse
• How Can You Follow Your Passion if You Don’t Know What It Is? - Levo

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• Justine: Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn

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