How Artists Can Beat Burnout

Under pressure Being an artist isn’t always easy. Leading creatives tell Tom May their tips for when stress becomes overwhelming

- Tom May

You love making art. But one day you wake up, and you just… can’t. What’s happening?

Burnout isn’t just a throwaway catchphrase, it’s a real condition, says

Dr Lynda Shaw, a neuroscientist, business psychologist and change specialist. “It can be caused by periods of additional anxiety or pressure, difficulty separating work and personal life, or a work/life balance that’s out of kilter,” she explains. “Working too many hours, spreading yourself too thin, and especially at the moment, facing pressures of an uncertain job market, will all contribute. Feeling burnout can influence every aspect of your life, from your work to relationships, to your physical and mental health, and can leave you feeling you have very little left to give.”

In medical terms, burnout relates to the release of cortisol, a stress hormone from the adrenal glands. “We need the right amount of cortisol to survive,” says Dr Shaw. “But cortisol can become toxic if allowed to continue for long. Persistent and overreaction of these stress systems can be detrimental to our health.” Anyone can suffer burnout, but believes that creatives are especially prone to it. “Whether it’s working for yourself or someone else, our creativity is often drawn from a personal place,” she points out. “And it can become incredibly taxing to continuously pull from this source, day after day.”