As an Executive Coach, I’ve seen burnout play out in the boardroom time and again. But as the author of The Quiet Burn: The Ambitious Woman’s Guide to Recognizing and Preventing Burnout, I’ve discovered that writers are just as vulnerable – and when burnout strikes, it can be every bit as tough.
Burnout is insidious. It manifests in flat sentences, pointless ideas, and a struggle to find passion for your life’s work, writing. You may call that “writer’s block.” I call it creative burnout – a slow leak of energy, focus, and joy that, left unchecked, can empty you completely.
Been there. Done that. After months of living and breathing my manuscript while running my coaching practice, my creativity collapsed. I was producing words, but they felt lifeless. I wasn’t blocked; I was depleted.
This is what I learned about recharging and staying lit:
- Schedule creative rest on purpose. Don’t wait for exhaustion to force a break. Block out “no write” days and honour them. Creative muscles need recovery time as much as physical ones.
- Shrink the page. When deadlines feel overwhelming, break the work into micro bites – a single paragraph, a poem, even a sentence. Momentum matters more than volume.
- Change the setting. Creativity thrives on novelty. Swap your desk for a café, dictate on the treadmill, handwrite on a park bench.
- Separate self-worth from word count. You are not your daily output. Your value as a writer should not be measured in pages.
- Feed the creative well. Read widely, revisit art that moves you, have real conversations. Output without input is a shortcut to burnout.
Burnout prevention is strategic. A depleted writer cannot write well. Protect your creative energy with the same conviction you would protect your reputation. Your voice is your currency; so, don’t spend it all in one place.
