It happens from time to time. One day, you’re bursting at the seams with so many ideas, and the next, you can barely put a thought to a sheet of paper. Not many people open up about experiencing creative burnout, but everybody goes through it. Are there ways to prevent it? Are there ways to overcome this stifling feeling? Absolutely!

Creativity is a resource that we as people can always rely on; however, it requires maintenance and replenishment. Otherwise, you’re going to drive yourself into the ground and it’ll be that much more difficult to stand back up. Nevertheless, there are a variety of different strategies that one can implement to handle this in a healthy manner. Here’s how you can overcome and possibly avoid creative burnout.

Write Down Your Ideas
As a creative, you’ve most likely heard this from others, but it’s easily one of the best things you can do for when you’re stuck in a corner. Carry around a notebook—it doesn’t have to be a thick, leather-bound, five subject type book—and whenever a thought pops up in your head, make sure you write it down. On those days when your creativity isn’t working with you, refer to that book. Something that you wrote down ages ago can possibly start a creative spark from within. You don’t even have to necessarily write it down: draw it out! Do something that will get your thought out of your head, and onto paper.

Observe Anything And Everything Around You (And then possibly write it down)
Creating is a presentation of learned experiences and more often than not, we are inspired to create by experiences that we’ve had before. This is a good opportunity for you to take a moment to look at everything around you, and to take it in. Are you somewhere new and you’re up for exploring? Do it! Don’t be afraid to venture out and observe the world around you. After all, that’s what’s going to be helping you in the end. Try recording what you’ve seen, learned, and felt in your journal.

Communicate With Others
Have a conversation with people. Sometimes, the best material that you develop stems from a conversation that you might have had with a stranger. Experiences are our best teacher, so try listening to others.

Keep It Moving
It’s very easy to sit and obsess over something that you can’t quite move past; however, in this case, keeping yourself active is important for the creative process. If you’re stumped on something, try working on something new. It’ll require you to switch gears, and it will inevitably refresh your brain. And even if you don’t want to work on something new, try taking a break. Take a walk, take a nap, or go watch a movie—the point is to get out of your current headspace. The more frustrated you become, the more difficult it will be to produce quality content.

Think Of Ways To Reduce Stress
Burnout is a result of stress, so the best thing you can do for yourself to keep burnout at bay is to learn how to manage it. Meditation is a fantastic way to practice mindfulness and it can eliminate stress that is weighing you down. Take breaks when necessary, do something you love, talk to people you love—if a project seems too big for you to handle, you can even say no. The point is to acknowledge that it’s important for you to take care of your own mental health.