Based on my observations and experiences, it seems to me that web professionals are at a high risk of experiencing burnout. We often identify as perfectionists and probably expect far too much from ourselves. We also take on work we’re not excited about, because after all, we’ve gotta eat, put a roof over our heads, and pay all those pesky plugin and app subscriptions. And while we aim to be ‘exceptional’, we struggle with recurring bouts of impostor syndrome, comparing ourselves unfavourably to the ‘rock stars’ in the business, who make being successful in this industry look effortless.
Now, before we delve deeper into burnout or the even weirder ‘fizzle out’, I’m telling you right now to permit yourself to be ‘average’ because statistically speaking, most of us are ‘average’. And if you can’t cope with the phrase ‘average’, then try accepting that ‘good enough’ is indeed ‘good enough’. There’s a real push to be ‘exceptional’ these days, but within that word is ‘exception’, which means you are at the 1% tail end of that famous bell-shaped curve.
Maybe it’s my latent GenX slacker tendencies, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realised I don’t want to compete like I used to, and I think I’m happier and mentally healthier for it. You see, the cold, hard truth is that it’s tough to compete on all levels with others in this industry (or even on a few levels). There will always be someone better at design, coding, videography, writing, and so on than you are, so the key is to find your uniqueness or ‘competitive advantage’. Who cares if your designs aren’t going to win any Webby awards? If they are winning your clients’ new business, that’s good enough! Perhaps you’re not using the ‘cool and proper’ tools, but you’re still building web solutions that get results, then that’s good enough.
Okay, please stick with me, and take a deep breath as we examine some of the more challenging aspects of burnout. If you recognise yourself in what I’ve written below and it feels genuine, it’s because it comes from my own experiences with burnout and its weird cousin ‘fizzle out’.
Here’s how the road to burnout might present itself.
It might start with what I’m now calling ‘fizzle out’. It’s not the full-blown burnout we so often talk about in the web design industry, where stress and exhaustion have you running on empty. Instead, it’s that subtle stage beforehand, when the flame of your motivation begins to dim. You’re not overwhelmed, you’re not even particularly stressed. However, you’re no longer as excited as you once were. Projects that once sparked creativity now feel a little flat, and you catch yourself going through the motions. It’s that “meh” stage, where your energy isn’t gone, but it’s flickering. Left unchecked, the fizzle out can lead to burnout.
Burnout often begins with cynicism, characterised by feelings of jadedness and a greater emphasis on negative than positive feelings about your business or the web industry. How this manifests will be as unique as we are, but there will be some very definite symptoms. There will be a gradual drop off in your performance levels. Tasks that were once easy will seem tedious and problematic. Your email inbox will be a source of stress and frustration. Opportunities will be seen in a negative light, with a focus on the potential problems they might bring. You’ll start making silly mistakes. It will feel like anything that can go wrong will.
You’ll start to doubt yourself, fearing that you’ll make more mistakes. You feel tired a lot of the time. You may become overly cautious and turn down work that you think is beyond your capabilities. Yet every rejection is felt personally, even if you are quietly relieved that you didn’t get the job.
The thought of doing the same thing day in and day out fills you with dread. You wake up in the morning with a knot in your stomach, willing yourself to get out of bed and face that inbox. Eventually, you’ll think that the web design business is no longer a good fit for you. You start reading blog posts written by people who have left the web design field. You recognise yourself in their words. Maybe you think you’ve trapped yourself.
You’re looking at people with 9-to-5 jobs and feeling envy. They receive a paycheck every week and don’t have to chase debtors or find their next paying client. They have a support structure and people they can rely on. They can actually relax during their break and not lug their laptop everywhere they go. It seems attractive. Then it dawns on you that you are unemployable now. You’ve felt the freedom that comes from being your own boss. It’s not the time to give up; it’s time to take stock and take action to get to a happier and healthier place.
So, Is Burnout Inevitable in the Web Design Industry?
If we assume there are degrees of burnout, then I suspect that most professionals in the web industry will eventually experience some form of burnout. After all, the nature of this industry can be stress-inducing. Things change at breakneck speed, and suppliers often pull the rug out from under us. We lack professional regulatory bodies, widely accepted certifications, and peer review. It’s still somewhat of the wild west, though that’s changing with the introduction of more legislation surrounding issues like accessibility. Mental note, figure out accessibility.
Constant change can lead to burnout, and our success in this business largely depends on how quickly we adapt to those changes. I remember struggling with learning to code tables, and then CSS, and then responsive websites came along. If you’re a ‘veteran’ of the web design business (and a few weeks ago, someone actually called me that), it’s all too easy to wake up one day and feel like you’re being left behind.
We then need to explain these changes to our clients. How well we communicate this information depends on how well we understand it. If you’re on your own doing general web work, you’ve a pressing need to know a little about everything. And then one day, a client will ask you about a new app or standard you’ve never heard of. It can all add up quite quickly to the point where we feel swamped by new incoming information and overwhelmed by how to use it.
Here’s when you are most at risk of burnout
Burnout happens when you’ve over-committed yourself. You don’t have the resources to achieve everything you need to do or believe you should be doing. Perhaps you’ve taken on all the work that has come your way. After all, you’ll figure out how to finish the work – maybe a few late nights, and who needs a weekend anyway?
What you’re not expecting (when you’re up to your eyeballs in work) is one of the long-term consequences of burnout: a lack of new sales. This happens because you’ve dropped the ball on your marketing and lead generation while trying to get through all the work you have.
So, just how do we reduce the Risk of Burnout?
Stress is a natural part of life. We all have to learn how to manage it. It’s about finding balance in our personal and professional lives, and often that starts with setting clear boundaries (for yourself and your clients). Getting to that balance is incredibly challenging if you stop paying attention to your mental and physical well-being. Yip, you just KNEW this was coming.
Improve your mind and attitude by:
- Being kind to yourself
- Being kind to others (but don’t be a push-over)
- Knowing yourself and your limits
- Finding your own voice
- Stopping the comparisons with others
- Accepting that mistakes will happen and nobody is perfect
- Gain perspective on what it is you do
- Find your tribe online.
- Connect with nature – plant a garden or go for a walk in a park.
Support good mental well-being by looking after your physical health:
- Get help for any addictions you may have developed
- Get a check-up
- See a nutritionist if you are eating poorly
- Join a gym – even if you spend 30 minutes on a treadmill, it will help, and do NOT take your phone
- Exercise every day, even if it’s just a slow walk around your neighbourhood and do not take your phone
- Give yourself downtime – don’t work weekends and nights, and do not take calls from clients
Take a fresh look at your business
Dive deep into your business and discover precisely what you don’t like doing. Outsource that work and keep what you love. Tap into your wider network for new opportunities. You might be surprised where one spur-of-the-moment decision can take you. Explore new lines of business. Accept that if you have a mature business, it will likely undergo several changes. You may well have to reinvent your business and what you do every few years. Accept that you may have to keep doing what you dislike in the short term to get through. Focus on a long-term plan for transitioning your business. Visualise what your perfect day looks like in that business.
Then remember that the grass may not be greener. Those people with paid jobs share some of the stress we do as well, but what they lack is the freedom to pivot quickly, say no, say yes, or say, ‘Heck, I’m taking Friday off to smell the flowers.’ I did actually smell some flowers today, and it is Friday as I write this.
So if you’re feeling the start of some burn out, maybe start with something small like stopping to smell the proverbial or actual flowers. Reclaim a bit of that freedom that made you choose this path in the first place. You don’t have to hustle every hour to prove your worth or be busy, busy. Sometimes, just being here, still standing, still caring, is enough. And if today is Friday for you too, consider this your permission slip to close the laptop early.
