Strategies for Overcoming Burnout in Photography

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Burnout is a huge buzzword we hear often in our industry, so I want to talk about what burnout really is. First and foremost, I want to say this: burnout is not sustainable. If you’re currently in a season of burnout, something has to change.

What burnout looks like

There are some pretty common ways in which burnout may look for you. It could be that you’re overbooked. Maybe you’re editing all the time. You have major anxiety whenever you open your email or get a notification on your phone because you’re just doing so much work. It’s almost like you’re burning the candle at both ends.

While this is the classic type of photography burnout, there are other types as well. Maybe you’re running the kids around town because they have different activities and even just one shoot a week is pushing you over the limit.

Another form of burnout could be that cash isn’t coming in. You feel burnt out because you’re doing all of this stuff to market your business trying to get X amount of shoots, but you’re not actively making any money.

How to avoid burnout

Find your goals

Goals are going to look different for everyone. And this can be hard especially with social media, because we can see someone doing one thing and we feel like we have to do that too, but that’s not the case. What someone else is doing is not necessarily what you need to be focusing on.

It’s important to figure out what success looks like for you this year. What do you need to do? Is it a number you need to hit? Is it a lifestyle?

Run the numbers so you know what it takes to hit those goals

Let’s say you want to hit 6 figures and you want to do $50,000 in weddings, but you only want to do 10 weddings. You know you need to book an average of $5k per wedding. The other $50k may come from portraits, which means you’re bringing in a little over $4k from portrait sessions each month. So, then you have to figure out how many portrait sessions you think you can do in a month.

Invest in education to help you get to your goals

Once you figure this out, the next thing may be to hire someone who can help you fast-track your goals. I will say that there was a huge pivotal point when I hired my first coach. I had someone holding me accountable in order to hit the goals I had. There’s so much we can learn from people who have gone ahead of us.

I want to encourage you that if you are feeling burnt out, you are not alone, but I promise that you don’t have to stay there. The beauty of building your own business is that you get to build it with your rules. It’s possible to create a business that not only succeeds but also brings you joy and fulfillment.

In this episode, we chat about:

• What burnout actually looks like
• Some of the more common and less common forms of burnout in the photography industry
• Why you need to be clear on your goals
• The importance of running your numbers
• Investing in education to fast-track your success

Connect with Christa

Want more info on adding in prints and products for BIG sales? Send me a DM on Instagram @‌christa_rene or check out my website https://christarenephotography.com/

More about the Uncapped Photographer Podcast

The Uncapped Photographer Podcast is a podcast for established photographers teaching them how to uncap their offerings and setup in their photography business without the burnout. Every other week, Christa Rene Robinson will share the clear and concise actions you need to take to grow your photography business. This is the info she WISH someone had told her much, much sooner that would have allowed her to grow even FASTER!

This podcast is for you if you are ready to hit the next level in your business and income so you can build the life of your dreams!

Christa is a wife, mom, and photographer turned business coach with 10 years of experience in the industry. If you’d like to connect or work with Christa, reach out to her on Instagram @‌christa_rene. You can also learn more about her on her website https://christarenephotography.com.