How to Avoid Burnout as a Content Creator

There are many things that get in the way of content creation: life events, editing schedules, and other work to name a few. But burnout is perhaps one of the most common, and most overlooked, reasons why your content might be falling behind.

At MinMxD, it’s our goal to help creators like you continue their passion for content. In this article, we’ll talk all about burnout – what it is, where it comes from, and how to avoid it.

If you want a strategy that’ll help you avoid burnout, contact our team today!

Burnout can occur in a lot of different ways. Sometimes, it’s not wanting to play your favourite games anymore. Sometimes, the idea of starting up a stream might just begin to seem daunting. And sometimes, it can manifest itself when you’ve got a mammoth editing task ahead of you.

Whatever the case, burnout is the feeling of not wanting to continue with your content creation. For creators, this can be disastrous, as it means your schedule either falls behind, drops off completely, or the content you do produce takes a hit to its quality.

Stress is the main cause of burnout, slowly building up over time until it becomes to much to bear. Preventing burnout begins by identifying where your stresses are coming from – and finding ways to eliminate them.

Toxic Interactions

Trolls and haters can get to even the most strong-willed content creators. Even if there aren’t many negative comments or interactions with your content, these little things can slowly build up over time. If not properly managed, this could result in a warped perception of how people view your content – making you less motivated to continue producing it.

To solve this, try to focus more on the good than the bad. Take constructive criticism on board, but anyone that’s there just to cause you harm or hassle should be restricted from your platforms.

Find out ways of better engaging with your community >

Online Overload

Even if you’re not receiving many negative interactions, just being online all the time can pay a toll on your mental wellbeing. The internet is a fast-moving beast, and keeping up requires a lot of attention. You should also leave time to take breathers, however, and get away from the online world.

Harsh Schedules

Producing lots of content can be a good way to boost your engagement. But with more content – especially longer form or heavily edited content – you will end up having to spend more time filming and editing. This can quickly spiral out of control, and it may feel like you’re just chasing the next deadline.

You can combat this by assessing how much work you’re doing versus how much you feel comfortable doing. Make sure these two things are aligned, and adjust accordingly!

Poor Engagement or Metrics

If your channel is going through a bit of a dry spell, it can be impactful on your wellbeing. Whether this is due to a change in trends, a drop in quality, or other social elements, a drop in metrics can make it feel like your efforts aren’t doing anything.

We suggest changing your frame of mind, and looking at the feedback you’re receiving – both positive and constructive – to figure out what your next steps should be. A good step is always to build a strategy to create a decisive route forward for your content and channel.

Get in touch to build a strategy that’ll boost your metrics and growth!

Sudden Success

Much like a decline in metrics, a sudden and substantial boost in them can also come with its own stresses. This is especially prevalent in up-and-coming content creators, who might have gone from as little as a hundred subs to hundreds of thousands overnight.

This sudden influx can seem daunting, and you might feel obliged to quickly pump out more content at higher qualities than ever before. This will lead to increased stress, and may make you burn out just as your channel is really beginning. Instead, keep going at your own pace. People can to your channel because they like the content you make, so continuing to do so will keep them invested – and bring along more people for the ride as well.

Go On Holiday

Content creation is work! And like other jobs, you also need to take breaks. Even if your job is something you love, without proper regulation you might find yourself coming to hate it. Holidays are a good way to avoid that and get some much needed me-time.

Your channel doesn’t have to fall to the wayside either – having content in reserve, and communicating your break with your viewers, will help keep everyone happy as you enjoy your holiday.

Pace Yourself

As we’ve discussed, going all out with your streaming or content production schedule can have detrimental effects on your content quality and lifestyle. Go at a pace you feel comfortable with, and you’ll find not only reductions in any burnout you may be feeling, but also improvements in the content you’re putting out.

Be Open and Honest with Your Community

People tend to react badly to change, especially if they don’t know why it’s happening. If you’re reducing the frequency of your uploads, or taking a break from content creation, then you should let your viewers know. This helps to temper expectations, and more than a few will likely praise you for the decision to take a step back to focus on your own wellbeing.

Try Something New

Whatever content you produce, variety is always key to a healthy working schedule. Play a new game, go somewhere else to create content, or work alongside friends. Adding a bit of spice can help make each day feel fresh and enjoyable, while also providing lots of exciting new content for your fans.

Find out how to plan your gaming content >

Switch Off Once in a While

When all else fails, take a break. This isn’t an option for everybody, especially if content creation is your main source of revenue, but sometimes a break is all you need to figure things out and get back on track. Some people only need a few days, while others may take a hiatus lasting months. What’s important is that you communicate this break to your fans, and let them know what kind of timeframe you’re looking at for a return. This is key for channel producing serial or episodic content, which might cause disruption for the viewers should it be put on hold.