I experienced Vocal burnout. Here's how to avoid it.

About two months ago, just before Christmas, I was at the top of my Vocal game, averaging about a story a day and never failing to miss one. When burning passion and casual fun become a habit the results can be amazing, exhilarating and, unfortunately, addictive. I took way too long for me to realise I had fallen down a writing rabbit hole, not only on Vocal, but in all my scribbles.

And so, a few days before Christmas I experienced the dreaded...

Vocal burnout

I never saw it coming. In fact, it felt like I couldn't be farther from it. I was high off a first place win in a challenge, passing my 2000 reads goals and with the Christmas holidays front and centre it felt like my time to write was limitless.

One day I simply found myself completely burnt out - my inspiration, energy and, most importantly, my passion to write, vanished. I tried to push past this but my brain was so fried it envoked something of a freeze up, a physical reaction to writing that left me wanting to get as far away from it as possible.

I soon found out this was totally normal and actually quite common. I'd overworked, simple as that. In the end it took me almost two months to recover and find the passion that had steered me to Vocal in the first place.

So how does one avoid this in the first place?

First things first, don't inflict any self imposed qoutas onto yourself. It's easier said than done but don't feel bad about, say, only writing one story on Vocal this week when last week you did four. Writing on Vocal should be fun so if you ever notice yourself feeling down over not finishing that story or missing a supposed deadline, just remember;

1. Vocal isn't a job. It's fun!
2. Your worth as a writer isn't defined by the quantity, but by the quality.
3. Don't hold yourself to the standards of other writers, only to your own.

In short, take it easy. You don't have to have a schedule and if you want one, it's really not the end of the world if you stray from it. Being to hard on yourself/too strict will only end with you burning out and that's the last thing you want.

What to do if you're experiencing it right now.

For writers, (aka. all of you) the passion to write may be fleeting but it's never truly gone. It's always just beneath the surface, ready to bloom again with the right push. That push is inspiration. And the great thing about inspiration is that it's everywhere. From everyday life to the very site you're reading this now. Take a few minutes to browse the countless stories on Vocal. This simple act of checking out what other creators were making has often resulted in sparking the desire to write myself.

If you're not in the mood, go for a walk, paint, listen to your favourite album. Do whatever you want but think about how it makes you feel. These thoughts could spark the flame that gets you writing again.

To recap briefly;

1. The crux of getting back your passion for writing is inspiration.
2. Try checking out other stories on Vocal for inspiration.
3. Do things that bring you joy but think about why they make you feel so.

Vocal's an awesome site, filled with terrific stories made my terrific writers, so the last thing you want to do is work yourself too hard and burn out. The world deserves to hear your awesome stories!

Thanks for reading! Leave a like if you enjoyed and as always, tips are immensely appreciated. Click the little picture of me for more content just like this.

See ya! - Ciaran