It is usual for a working person to burnout, and statistics show that freelancers are more prone to burnout compared to permanent employees who work in the corporate world. Nevertheless, if you understand the causes, symptoms, and related issues of burnout, you’re likely to avoid under productivity. This condition mostly arises where there is lack of balance in your working patterns. In many cases, freelancers do fear losing clients and this is one thing that makes them to keep working consistently - with little breaks. Yes, and when this is combined with negative emotions and a lizard brain mentality, freelancers burnout sooner than they can imagine.
A burnout can be caused by a number of issues, of which are interrelated in so many ways. The signs and symptoms do vary based on what is really affecting you so much. The main causes are both psychological and physical and each has specific signs of prolonged stress levels.
What are some of the causes of burnout?
There are quite a number of freelancer burnout that you should have in mind, and myriad of solutions that you can apply when everything is headed in the wrong way. As stated before, the root causes can both be psychological or physical that has a direct impact on social and personal life.
The following are top 10 pointers that lead to this kind of condition:
- Perfectionism tendencies - this is one thing that will surely lead to burnout and you should try to avoid it at all cost.
- Abnormal ambitions - it is normal to have ambition as a freelancer, but if you overt your desires then you’re likely to fall in this trap.
- Family and friends problems - this is something that you should beware of at any time. If you are having problems with members of your family, then you can burnout within a very short time.
- Being pressed to concentrate on specific tasks, as well as being obsessed with certain sections of our life. It leads to overworking which is directly related to feeling burnout.
- High work load, short deadlines, and an overly demanding high-pressure environment will definitely lead to burnout.
- If what you are doing is monotonous and there are no changes, sooner of later you will feel overwhelmed and this is a sure sign that you are heading for psychological problems.
- Inability to please clients who are out to get the best from you, or over-demanding clients who expect nothing short of excellent work.
- Being indifferent can cause burnout and also lead to collapse of your social life. In this case, not only will you become less productive but a nuisance to anyone you associated with.
- Unclear goals - if you are a freelancer and have unclear goals, then actually you are walking in the murky waters of uncertainty. This is more dangerous that having goals that you do not end up achieving. In retrospect, it is like overshooting your ambition knowing very well that you will not be able to achieve.
- Hard-to-deal with clients - this is one of the most common problems that freelancers come across. While there are many good clients out there, there are some who have no sense of respect. At the end of the day, you burnout trying to please them.
What are some of the symptoms of burnout?
There are quite a number symptoms that exhausted freelancers will exhibit at any given time. While some of these cut across board, some do only show in specific people. Generally, these symptoms can be tackled based on their root causes. These include the following behavioral changes; internet addiction include use of emails, food or drug abuse, procrastination, isolation, skipping work, and of course, taking your frustration to anyone you come across. In fact, there will also be withdrawal from serious responsibilities.
The physical symptoms will show in lack of appetite, frequent headaches, and weakened immune system, not to mention feeling tired most of the time even if you have not worked for long hours. If you are experiencing sleep disorder, then it can be due to burnout.
How to avoid burnout or exhaustion?
Exhausted freelancers can stare on their computer screen for a pretty long time without doing anything substantial. You can join a group of freelancers that you can meet with, or discuss it with your therapist. In fact, therapists are a top choice because they are highly trained psychologists who can offer insights into what is affecting you.
It is important to learn how to plan your work, and do the most important things first. Write down what you will do the next day before leaving your computer, large chunks of work can be easily completed within a short time. You can as well solicit the services of business coach to help you go through the entire process well. If not, try to avoid things that tend to increase your stress levels.