Burnout in Marketing is a Real Issue

byrobys53

264 followers

2 years ago

According to a recent Forbes report, the marketing industry has the highest burnout rate. Burnout affects 83.3% of marketers in both their professional and personal lives.

And if you run your marketing as a small business owner, that goes double for YOU!

I don't usually write about mental health issues, but this is the piece for you if you're terrified of marketing.

What are the symptoms of marketing exhaustion?

I'm tired.

Results pessimism Feeling worthless and uncreative.

Feeling uninspired

Frustration at work Loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities

Constant grumbling

Lower job performance Difficulty focusing and concentrating

Insomnia

Minor aches and pains

Digestive issues

Much of this is related to underlying issues with work-life balance and chronic workplace stress. To put it another way, the stress never ceases.

Bottom line: if you are burned out, your marketing won’t improve.

Some of the reasons for marketing overload

Marketing has always been a demanding and stressful career. Add to that your constant accessibility as a digital marketer due to working from home, and it's easy to see how all of this contributes to digital marketing fatigue.

Sleeping Patterns

Digital marketers are notoriously devoted to their craft. Sleep disruptions are caused by constantly checking your numbers or keeping up with social media posts and accounts.

Make a robust work plan and incorporate a solid break into your day. Remove yourself from the computer at least 2 hours before going to bed.

Phone

The phone has turned into a vampire! Calls can come in at any time if you leave it on.

Put your phone on silent and keep it away from your bed. The hours of 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. I put my phone into sleep mode, which mutes all calls and messages.

Time Administration

After starting a series of daily tasks, a client interrupts you with an urgent task that needs immediate attention.

Avoid burnout by carefully managing your schedule. Your calendar is your ally. Many experts propose scheduling chores as well as meetings.

Most calendars have apps and tools to help you manage your time.

Set aside specific times or days to limit meetings. Also, make sure you leave ample time between meetings and activities. For example, avoid Friday meetings and leave at least 15-30 minutes between meetings. You do, after all, require a bio-break!

Work From Home

Marketers have always been more adaptable in terms of where they operate. However, remote working has prompted digital marketers to play an 'always-on' role.

Prioritise Preventing Burnout.

Determine whether you require steady employment or whether you prefer to change jobs. Please choose the method that reduces the most significant stress and stick to it.

A Scarcity of Resources

This is a critical point! The finest marketers embrace limits, yet marketing expenditures are frequently the first to be reduced, including software and technologies that may automate numerous processes and decrease stress while enhancing quality.

An unmanageable to-do list is frequently the source of burnout. The good news is that numerous automation technologies can eliminate those extra hours and sometimes a day of chores.

How to Maintain Mental and Physical Health

I've already given you some pointers to help you cut down on those bothersome details and tasks that eat up your workday. However, there is much more you can do as a marketer to protect your mental and physical health.

Make a Practical Job Description.

The first step in minimising burnout is to develop a detailed job description. Continue as follows.

Please make a note of all the jobs you perform and the amount of time required to complete them.

Go over this list and determine the tasks only you can perform.

Then, as you go through the list, identify all of the repeatable tasks that can be automated.

Examine the remaining tasks to determine their importance in effectively implementing your marketing strategy. If they are critical, see if they can be outsourced. They must be dropped if they are not.

Concentrate on Self-Care.

Don't take your mental health for granted. You could spend the day in bed if you were sick. However, if you are ill for whatever cause - lack of sleep, poor eating habits, overwork, etc. - you should prioritise your mental health. Then, you should take a mental wellness day.

Take the day and do something you enjoy that relaxes you. Take a walk, nap, or spend the day with friends. Make an effort to alleviate stress.

Prioritise Healthy Eating.

To keep healthy, you must eat well. It's easy to get distracted by munching. One of my favourite ways to ensure I'm eating nutritious food is to choose and prepare fruits and veggies to munch on when I need a pick-me-up.

Remember, You Have a Choice.

You didn't select a global pandemic, but as the phrase goes, you don't pick your circumstances; you choose how you react to them.

Consider the other side of any overpowering event as something that happened TO you rather than WITH you.

When you recall that you CHOOSE, something shifts. You select your career, how you react, and everything else. If you don't like the results, you can CHANGE your mind.

This is not to say that the outcomes of your decisions are always favourable, but they are outcomes that you CHOOSE rather than ones imposed on you.

Give Everyone, Including Yourself, a Break.

Finally, take a break for yourself and your team. You should start with a blank slate and review everything you and your co-workers deal with.

Reset everyone, and commit to addressing burnout when and where you see it.