If you've been grinding online for a few years, you've probably read about people talking about being burned out. With so much going on in the digital space, you need a sustainability plan, and a plan to have a life outside the digital world. To get by without burning out, you need to find a way to save the things that matter most to you. If you managed to move a point along a line, you know it's not easy to make it out there.
I am only halfway through this journey and I'm already becoming burned out! What do I do?
What exactly is burnout?
Burnout is when you become completely exhausted through overwork, it is when you've put so much of your time and energy into something, and when it finally gets to the point where you need to tap out or step away from it, you don't know how to do that. Then what happens next is that instead of tapping out, we become emotional and we begin to lash out.
There are two simple truths to grinding online: You can never do enough, and it's impossible to do it all.
Talking with my wife earlier today, I realized that even when I was able to schedule out my tasks in a rigid schedule, I was still missing out on a lot of opportunities to save my sanity as a husband and a father, and also to meet with business responsibilities. And when my schedule got even more rigid, I started burning out a lot faster.
What happens when you get burned out on your tasks? Does it mean one of two things - you stop all together or you switch to something new?
For me, it was the first. I was spending almost all my time working online that most times I had days without sleep, and eventually, I got burned out. It hit me so suddenly. Hell, I had just written a guest for Duo project post called "Don't let the failure define who you are" and now I was feeling it happening to me.
The key thing to ask is why I feel so burned out, and if what I'm doing truly makes me happy. If not, it might be time to find out what will, and then make a switch for that aim. If yes, then maybe it's just time to step back and take a break for a little bit, recharge my batteries and then come back with fresh eyes to see if I can make some improvements (because this kind of burnout can set up for another one if left unchecked).
I enjoy the process of creating and adding value to the Blockchain. However, I learned that you must do everything for money and stop doing anything that does not give you joy. That's why I quit a job in the past and look to the blockchain and crypto space and I was hoping that it will improve my financial situation and that I can continue doing what I love.
I feel blessed to be following my passion in life and for this, if there's one thing I can be grateful for in all of this, is that I'm thankful for the opportunity I have to be in this space.
Exactly seven month ago, I started grinding full time on the Blockchain. Since that time I have been writing and publishing content daily nonstop- it was pleasurable doing it, and I have received quite a good amount of reward for my time and effort.
In a way, I'm thankful I get burned out once a while because that's what usually motivates me to do something new. In September 2020, I felt I had lost all of my energy and every new post was a pain in the ass to write, edit and plan. I thought of stopping blogging at the time and even wrote an article to that effect. I stopped blogging for a month and came back again. The time I went away from blogging and everything online was a time of refreshment and reposition for a major come back.
But the time is different now, haven't had my hands on so many things in the crypto space, it will be difficult to stop checking on this space. However, I will need to look into all my involvements and decide which of them I will let go of for the time being.
So,to begin, I am going to stop on my pursuit of building an audience on Facebook. I guess this is where the burnout was triggered in the first place. I have been spending a lot of time on Facebook creating content and engaging with others all in the hope of getting followers and qualifying for monetization. In most cases, I had had to stay all night long just to meet up with Facebook weekly and daily tasks target, and most often, I still failed. Those sleepless nights are taking a toll on my health seriously.
A few other platforms are also part of what is keeping me up late at night most times. Although I don't earn more than a dollar or two from the sites, I found it an addiction to interact with people on there and share relevant information as well.
I will have to reschedule my time on those platforms. I will keep it to one hour a day for now, and that time will be divided into four sections of 30 minutes each. Usually, I don't make more than four posts a day on the site, but the time spent engaging with others is what usually keeps me up on there.
Bottom Line
How you feel about your job has a direct effect on your level of burnout. If you are so burnt out that it feels like you have to go to bed at a ridiculous hour and wake up a few hours later feeling you haven't done enough despite the pains and exhaustion, this could be a sign that your burn has reached a point that is beyond the control of you, and that's when your attention span goes to zero. You have reached your limit and are just trying so to stay afloat in the waters of life.
The challenge is knowing when to turn back. Most people allow their passion to take hold of them and don't want it to end. They forget that their love for grinding comes with a lot more than just the grind itself. So, if you are in the same condition as me, I guess it's time to cut down your activities online and compensate yourself for the time by giving yourself adequate care and treatment.
As for me, am going to start looking out for myself from today, start watching some good movies with my kids from now on, and always go to bed early.