My Top 4 Burnout-Busting Tips for Freelance Copywriters
Life as a freelance copywriter can be rewarding. But let’s face it – it can also be stressful.
As an entrepreneur, you don’t have a boss to rely on for direction or coworkers to vent to when things get tough. It’s just you in the game, and honestly, sometimes that’s frustrating.
And as an entrepreneur, you’re the one who decides all the things. You get to decide…
How many hours you work
The number of clients you have
What kinds of projects you do
When you stop work for the day
…the list goes on and on!
But that also means you spend a *ton* of time making decisions. Talk about decision overwhelm. After enough time passes, it’s pretty easy to start feeling the dreaded freelancer burnout.
I’m here to tell you that just because almost every freelancer faces burnout at some point – doesn’t mean YOU have to live with it on repeat. And it certainly doesn’t mean you have to accept freelancer burnout as your new normal.
So, go ahead – breathe a sigh of relief. Because in this post, I’m going to show you:
➡️ What freelancer burnout looks like
➡️ How to avoid it in your career
➡️ And how to recover from it
Whether you’re just starting out on your copywriting journey, or you’ve been freelancing for a while, burnout doesn’t have to be the norm for you. Here’s how to totally kill it in your business – and keep your sanity along the way!
So, What Exactly Is Freelancer Burnout?
Freelancer burnout is sneaky.
It can creep up so quietly, you might not even notice it’s there at first. (I know – rude.)
But ever so slowly, you notice something is off.
Maybe you start getting overwhelmed by how many blog posts you have to get done by next week. Or you’re feeling moody or irritable again for “no reason.” Or maybe you can never seem to wake up on time anymore – no matter how many alarms you set.
Sound familiar?
These are all signs of freelancer burnout.¹ Usually, it’ll kick in somewhere between “yay, I’m doing the entrepreneur thing!” and “uuuugh why this is like the 15th email I've had to send today?!”
But the truth is, burnout can hit us at any point along the way. And it sure isn’t fun. It can suck the energy right out of you, so it’s hard to meet your goals – or even make them to begin with. Burnout can make you:
Doubt your abilities
Dread your responsibilities
See everything as a failure
Avoid projects with looming deadlines
Say no to good opportunities
None of this sounds enjoyable, right? Just remember burnout is a totally normal thing to walk through as a freelance copywriter, and there are effective ways to overcome it.
Why Are Freelancers Prone to Burnout?
As a freelance copywriter, you’re more prone to burnout than someone working a 9 to 5 job because of the challenges you face.
For one thing, you’re your own boss. There’s no one telling you what to do or there to support you while you try to make it all happen. So whether you make it or break it is all up to you.
Yikes – that’s a TON of pressure!
On top of that, freelancers have to constantly tackle weird things, like:
📉Not enough time
📈Too much time
📉Not enough projects
📈Too many projects
📉Not enough clients
📈Too many clients
Know what I mean?
There’s a lot of uncertainty in freelancing that can make it hard to predict what’s going to happen next. The good news is, there are simple ways to avoid this pitfall, so you don’t have to yo-yo forever (I’ll get to this at the end). The key to getting out of your freelancer burnout slump? Seeing the signs early.
Common Symptoms of Burnout
If you’re dealing with burnout, it’s going to look different on you than it will on someone else.
And that’s totally okay – because everyone’s freelance journey is unique.
For some people, burnout looks like powering down, missing deadlines, and feeling blue.
But for others, it looks like plowing through projects, landing dream clients, and getting rave reviews – but never feeling good about their success.
Wherever you land in the burnout boat, it’s a good idea to stop and take a quick look in the mental mirror to see what you’re feeling.
A few common symptoms of freelancer burnout are:
Not being able to focus
Having a hard time starting projects
Feeling tired all the time
Getting stress headaches
Getting sick more often
Feeling overwhelmed
If some of these have you going “make it stoppp,” don’t worry! You’re not alone in your burnout – and you don’t have to stay there.
Let’s keep going, and tackle some ways to deal with all the gross burnout feelings – so you can get back to crushing it as a freelance copywriter.
How to Recover From Burnout
Once you’re caught in the cycle of burnout, it can be tough to get out.
But here’s the thing: if you’re reading this, you’ve already accomplished the hard part of even realizing you’re burnt out. So congrats! You’re headed in the right direction! 🤗
To help you get out of burnout mode, here’s my first recommendation:
Take. A. Break.
You don’t need a fancy 100-step program to help you conquer burnout. Honestly, the most helpful thing you can do for yourself right now is to step away from your work. Don’t think about it for an hour, a day, a week – however long it takes for your shoulders to loosen up, or for your stress headache to fade.
You might not have the luxury of taking a week off work. But even just a few minutes to relax and think about something else – or not think at all – is a great way to recover from burnout stress.
When you’re in burnout mode, your brain is begging you for a break. So even though it’s easy to want to keep pushing, worrying, procrastinating, or however you handle burnout – take a break and get your mind off your work, even for a few minutes.
I promise you it will work wonders in the long run.
My Top 4 Burnout-Busting Habits
The best way to beat burnout is to avoid it in the first place, right?
And while you’ll probably encounter it at some point in your copywriting career, there are definitely steps you can take to keep burnout from knocking on your door.
Establish Boundaries
As an entrepreneur, setting boundaries is one of the most important things you can do to have a thriving, successful business.³ Healthy boundaries could look like:
Only checking your inbox once a day
Not taking client calls after 5 pm
Turning down unwanted projects
Not working weekends
Remember, as a business owner, you get to decide HOW you work, WHO you work with, and WHEN you work. So make sure those boundaries are helping you create the lifestyle you want.
2. Lean On Your People
Let’s be real: copywriting can get lonely. It’s tough:
Being your own cheerleader
Answering your own questions
Moving your business forward all on your own
Having a copywriting mentor or an accountability partner helps tackle the stress of being a solopreneur. You’ll navigate roadblocks and grow your business so much faster than if you go at it alone. So look around you, and find someone you connect with who’s ready to join you on the journey.
3. Practice Mindfulness
It’s a buzzword for a reason! Practicing mindfulness not only improves your quality of life – it improves your business, too. It’s super easy to get caught up in client acquisition, projects, invoicing, and never-ending edits. But you know what? Taking a break from the “chores” for a minute will make these tasks way easier in the long run.
Whatever type of mindfulness practice floats your boat, remember that consistency is key. Yikes – I definitely need that reminder, too, haha. 😅
It can be hard to keep up with, but adding mindfulness practices to your entrepreneur toolbox work wonders for your business – and your mental health.
4. Reconnect With Your ”Why”
I’m willing to bet you started your freelance copywriting business for a reason.
Maybe you were sick of endlessly commuting to a soul-sucking 9 to 5 job and wanted more freedom.
Or maybe you dreamed of traveling the world and wanted a job you could do between backpacking Asia and snorkeling your way through the Bahamas.
For me, I needed a change fast for my…
Mental Health. Working 13-hour nursing shifts was not only exhausting - it was threatening my sanity.
Physical Health. I needed career that allowed me to manage my lupus and keep my symptoms in check - so I could actually enjoy life.
Family. I didn’t want to miss out on my baby girl’s first steps, and I’m kinda obsessed with my husband (and my 3 cats).
Your reasons for pursuing a kick-ass writing career might look like mine, or they might be completely different. Whatever they are, I encourage you to look back at the beginning of your freelance journey and remember why you started it all in the first place.
I promise you the freelance path is so worth it if our “why’s” are at the top of our to-do list.
Bye, Bye Burnout
Burnout affects most humans at one point or another. As freelancers, we’re especially prone to dealing with it, because our business success literally depends on us.
Burnout can turn us into a hyperproductive stressed-out mess, or it can make us feel paralyzed from fear and fatigue. I tend to fall into the latter category, what about you?
Whatever burnout looks like on you, it doesn’t have to be permanent. I urge you to use the tools at your disposal to fight back against burnout. Frankly, as I’m posting this blog, I’m getting over a season of burnout. And it sucked.
I’ve been overwhelmed, cranky, and needing a REAL break.
So, I took my own advice by…
Setting new boundaries with my clients
Leaning on my team more during this time of transition
Trying to do my favorite grounding exercises before bed each night (yes, i fall asleep halfway through, but I still count that as a win)
Spending time with my daughter and my husband away from the home office
By the time you’re reading this, I’ll hopefully be on much more solid ground. Or maybe not – because life is crazy and constantly throwing us curveballs. Either way, I’d love to help you navigate all the ups and downs of freelance copywriting.
I’m absolutely obsessed with helping others create thriving businesses so they can live out their dream lives. So, if you’re looking for a copy coach and mentor who keeps it real, and is willing to get in the trenches with you, check out my coaching offers here.
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